Dead Georgia teen’s family ordered to pay attorney fees

VALDOSTA, Ga. — A judge has ordered the family of deceased Georgia teenager, Kendrick Johnson, to pay the attorney fees of city and county officials named in a dropped lawsuit that had claimed dozens of defendants were complicit in the teen’s 2013 death.

“I have concluded that the motions should be granted and that some amount would be awarded in each motion,” Judge Richard Porter stated in an email sent to all parties involved Thursday.

The motion sides with attorneys seeking to reclaim fees after the Johnson family and their attorney, Chevene King, withdrew a lawsuit. Johnson’s parents sued various school, city and county leaders alleging they were complicit in the death of their son.

The family dropped the $100 million lawsuit in March. Several court hearings followed resulting in Porter’s decision Thursday. King said in an interview several months ago that the Johnsons plan to refile the lawsuit. King was not immediately available for comment Thursday.

While attorneys are seeking more than $850,000 in fees, the judge has not set an award amount, according to the email. The hearings will resume 9 a.m. Monday at the Lowndes County Courthouse to determine the amounts. 

“The Lowndes County School System defendants are pleased with today’s ruling in the superior court of Lowndes County granting their motion for attorney’s fee in the three cases filed by the Johnsons against them,” said Warren Turner, attorney for the Lowndes County school system. “Any further comment will be reserved pending the outcome of the hearing to determine the specific amount of attorney fees award.”

Johnson’s parents, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson, insist their 17-year-old son was a victim of foul play and a local law enforcement conspiracy. They requested the U.S. Attorney’s Office look into the circumstances of his death.

Johnson’s lifeless body was found in the old gym at Lowndes High School on Jan. 11, 2013. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the county coroner and state medical examiner concluded Johnson’s death was accidental, caused by positional asphyxia when he became stuck, upside down, upon crawling into a vertically stored gym mat to retrieve an athletic shoe. 

Ten months later, the federal investigation began. It included a federal grand jury inquiry into the mysterious death.

In June, the U.S. Attorney’s Office concluded a nearly three-year investigation into his death, finding “insufficient evidence” to charge anyone in the death or to continue the investigation.

Dandron writes for the Valdosta, Georgia Daily Times