AP reporter Jim Mustian exclusively reported about the background of the special prosecutor appointed to lead the case of five white officers charged in the deadly 2019 arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene, finding that he has plenty of racial baggage himself, including once displaying a portrait of a Confederate general and early KKK leader in his office and sending a fellow lawyer an email joking about chasing down “a Black guy or a Mex-can.”
The story had an immediate impact, particularly with the Black district attorney who hired Holland and said he had been unaware of much of what Mustian had dug up. Union Parish District Attorney John Bolton acknowledged in the past few days that he has faced outrage from Black protesters and activists that caused him to consider relieving Holland of his duties. (As of this writing, Holland is still on the job, however.)
Accusations of racial bias stalk special prosecutor in case of Ronald Greene, AP learns
Union Parish special prosecutor Hugo Holland stands for a portrait in his office in Minden, La., on March 17, 2023.
AP Photo/Scott Clause