Cobb County DA Joyette Holmes On Her Bid For Reelection, Role As Lead Prosecutor In Ahmaud Arbery Case
Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes is preparing to try a very high-profile case while at the same time running a campaign for reelection.
courtesy of Joyette Holmes
Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes is the lead prosecutor in the Ahmaud Arbery case.
Arbery was shot to death earlier this year while jogging in a South Georgia neighborhood. All three white men charged in the death of the Black jogger have pleaded not guilty.
On June 24, Holmes announced that a grand jury had also returned an indictment against the three men on counts including malice murder, felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Holmes is preparing to try this very high-profile case while at the same time running a campaign for reelection.
She recently talked with WABE “Morning Edition” host Lisa Rayam about her platform and how it is based on criminal reform.
Holmes was sworn in as district attorney of the Cobb Judicial Circuit on July 1, 2019.
She has been both a prosecutor and a defense attorney in Cobb County.
Most recently, Holmes has served for four years as chief magistrate of Cobb County.
In her current role, she said, “I believe that while people have an expectation that we prosecute cases and recommend sentences that will prevent those from terrorizing our neighborhoods from doing that again, I also believe we have to provide second chances. We have to provide opportunities to educate our youth in our communities to work through prevention programs.”
“We are definitely in a very tough climate,” Holmes added.
She also said there is pressure on her in the Arbery case.
“My code of ethics as a prosecutor, I know that we are ministers of justice,” Holmes said.
“There are no promises that can be made with respect to court cases, and how they get resolved. But I know that myself and my team are doing the work the right way and following where those actions will lead us. We have to feel good about what we do on a daily basis.”
For a deeper exploration of Ahmaud Arbery’s story, listen to WABE’s podcast, “Buried Truths.” Hosted by journalist, professor, and Pulitzer-prize-winning author Hank Klibanoff, season three of “Buried Truths” explores the Arbery murder and its direct ties to racially motivated murders of the past in Georgia.
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