Quantcast
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Georgia Judge Rules Voters Cannot Abolish Allegedly Corrupt Police Department

'The Glynn County police would turn its responsibilities over to Sheriff Neal Jump...'

(Headline USA) Voters can’t try to abolish an embattled Georgia police department that was wrapped in controversy even before the department oversaw the initial investigation into the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a judge ruled Friday.

Superior Court Judge Charles Paul Rose ruled that the referendum on abolishing the Glynn County Police Department is unconstitutional. He also issued an injunction keeping the measure off the Nov. 3 ballot.

The department’s chief and three former high-ranking officers were indicted in March on charges that they ignored an officer consorting with a drug dealer.

And Glynn County officers brought no charges in February after Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by white men who armed themselves and pursued him after spotting Arbery running in their neighborhood.

Charges in Arbery’s killing came two months later after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case.

The referendum would have let voters decide whether to dissolve the Glynn County police and turn its responsibilities over to Sheriff Neal Jump, who currently oversees the county jail and security for the courthouse.

Glynn County commissioners filed suit to stop the vote, saying it infringed on their authority under Georgia’s constitution to provide police services.

County election supervisor Chris Channell told The Brunswick News the elections board would not appeal the decision.

State lawmakers passed the referendum and Gov. Brian Kemp signed the measure amid troubled times for Glynn County police.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Copyright 2024. No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner other than RSS without the permission of the copyright owner. Distribution via RSS is subject to our RSS Terms of Service and is strictly enforced. To inquire about licensing our content, use the contact form at https://headlineusa.com/advertising.
- Advertisement -

TRENDING NOW

TRENDING NOW