A Black Republican district attorney who was criticized for her handling of the Botham Jean shooting is fighting to remain on the case despite being voted out of office.
District Attorney Faith Johnson lost by a landslide in last week’s midterm elections, losing her seat to retired judge John Creuzot. Johnson, who held the office for 22 months, fell to Creuzot by more than 20 points.
Outgoing DA Faith Johnson was criticized for mistakes she made in the case against Amber Guyger, the former officer who fatally shot Botham Jean in his Dallas apartment. (FOX 4 / video screenshot)
“The people of Dallas County have spoken, and they said that they want John Creuzot as their district attorney,” she told FOX 4. “Yes, I may be disappointed. But that’s all I can do is be disappointed. But I’ll never quarrel with what the people say.”
Johnson said her track record proves the great work of her administration, which included an indictment against Balch Springs officer Roy Oliver, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Black teen Jordan Edwards, 15. It was the first time in 45 years that a police officer was indicted and convicted of murder, according to the station.
The case of Jean brought a different kind of attention, however, due to several mistakes in the case against former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, who gunned Botham down in his apartment, claiming she mistook it for her own. Dallas police still have not searched Guyger’s apartment, and she reportedly was given time to scrub her Twitter and Facebook accounts of any incriminating evidence.
Meanwhile, Jean was painted as a pot head after police revealed marijuana was recovered from inside his apartment, while those who protested on his behalf were jailed for 15 hours, spending more time behind bars than Guyger.
Despite the backlash, Johnson says she’s still hoping to be involved in the case.
“We are still proceeding with that case. And by the way, that case is going to the grand jury very soon,” she said. “I want the opportunity to bring the indictment. It happened under my watch, and I think that’s very significant that I take this case to the grand jury.”
Last week, Johnson’s replacement announced that he would push for a murder charge against 30-year-old Guyger. The Dallas officer was eventually terminated from the force and is charged with manslaughter, although critics say she deserves a more severe charge.
“I don’t know any police reports. I don’t know any forensic reports, but based on what I have seen, manslaughter is an inappropriate charge, based on the circumstances as I understand them,” Creuzot told NBC Dallas. “Once I get in there and I get everything in front of me and it appears the most appropriate charge is murder, then that’s the charge we will go forward with.”
Creuzot added that anything less than a murder charge would deviate from Dallas County precedent.
Watch more in the video below.
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/Newly-Elected-Dallas-Co-Distrct-Attorney-Details-Plans-for-Office-500093961.html
