Cobb District Attorney Linda Dunikosk, who prosecuted Arbery murderers, named Prosecutor of the Year

A Senior District Attorney in Cobb County since 2019, Linda Dunikoski was tapped in 2021 to lead one of the most highest profile cases in the state, the prosecution trial of Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.

The killing of Arbery, a Black man, by three white men in Georgia was disturbing and left the community fractured. As the lead prosecutor on the Arbery case, Dunikoski was successful in convincing the mostly white jury of their guilt. 

Dunikoski may have not been the first choice as the lead attorney, but she proved she was the right person for the job. She achieved convictions for all three men, which helped towards healing the fractured community.

Dunikoski was thanked by Arbery’s family, friends and the community for the stellar job she performed in getting justice for Ahmaud. For her talents, expertise, and abilities displayed during that trial, Dunikoski has been awarded Prosecutor of the Year by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia.

Cobb County DA Flynn Broady presented Dunikoski the award at the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia’s summer conference. 

Broady said, “The trial was measured by many in respect to every injustice of the past in this state and country, it would be dissected every day in the news, in social and print media. The eyes of the world were upon the team led by Linda. A country that was being divided by a pandemic, the Black Lives Movement, the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others. The trial team showed that we as prosecutors will fight for victims and their families, despite the hardships inherent in a prosecution of this magnitude. Not only did she deliver justice, she brought back the legitimacy of our system of justice to many. We are very proud of the work by these men and women in our office.”

Dunikoski said in a press release, “I am so honored to be recognized by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia for my 21 years of service to the citizens of Georgia and for our team’s work on the Ahmaud Arbery case. Our trial team, including Paul Camarillo and Larissa Ollivierre, could not have achieved justice for the family of Ahmaud without the support of Cobb DA Flynn Broady.” 

Dunikoski presently serves as the managing attorney of the Appeals Division of the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.