Rickman

Mountain Judicial Circuit district attorney Brian M. Rickman has secured the assistance of two prosecutors – one a sitting district attorney and the other, a district attorney emeritus – to help with the review of the investigative report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation regarding the death of Jonathan Ayers in Stephens County. The two separate prosecutors will also be assisting in any further legal proceedings surrounding this matter. Rickman, however, will remain in charge of the case while the DA’s office reviews the Investigative file and conducts any follow up investigation deemed appropriate. A final decision as to presenting the matter to a Stephens County Grand Jury for review can be expected in the coming weeks, according to Rickman. The District Attorney’s Office, on Nov. 5, received a copy of the investigative report from the GBI, which had been conducting an investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred Sept. 1 in Stephens County. Prior to moving forward, the Mountain Circuit District Attorney’s Office consulted with the family of Jonathan Ayers to allow their voice to be heard on the issue of whether a different circuit District Attorney’s office should be brought in to handle the case. “This office will not comment specifically at this time on what was discussed and with whom,” Rickman said, “but the decision to move forward with this process was not made until such time as the family of Jonathan Ayers was allowed to have significant input into the decision of whether or not recusal was appropriate.” Rickman was closely involved in the creation and operation of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation and Suppression (NCIS) team, which was conducting an investigation into drugs and prostitution when its officers were involved in Ayers’ shooting. “The District Attorney’s Office is unable to make any comment on the specific content of the Investigative file or the facts of the investigation, as this matter remains pending and active,” said Rickman