Jeffrey W. Johnson
Jeffrey W. Johnson is a former associate justice of the Second District, Division One of the California Courts of Appeal. He served on the court from 2009 to 2020. Johnson was first appointed to the court by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in June 2009, and took office on August 3.[1][2] He was retained in 2010 with 66.4 percent of the vote.[3] He successfully ran for retention in 2014.[4][5]
Johnson was removed from office effective July 2, 2020.[6][7] The California Supreme Court upheld the removal on January 27, 2021.[8] Click here to learn more.
Education
Johnson graduated from Duke University in 1982 and received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1985.[2]
Career
Johnson began his legal career as an associate with the Manatt Phelps Law Firm in Los Angeles. He was appointed an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California in 1989. He became a deputy chief in the Narcotics Section in 1994. In April 1999, he became a U.S. magistrate judge. He was appointed to the California Second District Court of Appeal in 2009.[2]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2009: Thurgood Marshall Award for Humanitarianism and Judicial Achievement
- 2008: Judicial Excellence Award, Mexican American Bar Association
- 1995: Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service[9]
Elections
2014
Johnson was retained to the 2nd District Court of Appeal with 75.8 percent of the vote on November 4, 2014. [4]
2010
- See also: California judicial elections, 2010:
Johnson was retained with 66.3% of the vote.[10]
Noteworthy events
Removal upheld by California Supreme Court (2021)
On January 27, 2021, the California Supreme Court declined Johnson's appeal of a June 2, 2020, ruling by a state judicial panel removing him from office following charges of sexual misconduct. The court's decision means that Johnson may no longer serve as a judge. Following the decision, Paul S. Meyer, an attorney for Johnson, said, “This decision deprives the public of a diverse jurist who is universally acknowledged to be a brilliant and exceptionally fair judicial officer.[8]
On January 14, 2020, a state judicial panel released a report finding that Johnson harassed several women while working at a Los Angeles courthouse. The Commission on Judicial Performance was scheduled to hear Johnson's case on March 18.[11] On June 2, the commission ruled that it would uphold the report and that Johnson would be removed as a judge within 30 days pending an appeal. Johnson announced his intent to appeal.[12]
Johnson testified at a trial on August 23, 2019, before the state Commission on Judicial Performance.[13] Johnson was charged with nine counts of misconduct, including sexual harassment, inappropriately touching a female justice, and harassing California Highway Patrol officers, attorneys, and female court personnel on January 14, 2019. The charges also said Johnson "engaged in a pattern of poor demeanor towards colleagues and court employees" and used his judicial office to advance his own personal interests. The alleged misconduct dated to 1999, when Johnson served as a federal magistrate judge. Johnson denied the allegations.[14][15] Click here to view the charges.
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Metropolitan News-Enterprise, "Governor Names Chaney, Johnson to C.A.," June 12, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 California Courts, "Official biography of Associate Justice Jeffrey W. Johnson"
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "California Judicial Branch 2014 Roster" Scroll to page 3
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 California Secretary of State, "General Election -November 4,2014 Official Certified List of Candidates," August 28, 2014
- ↑ Judicial selection in California
- ↑ Star Tribune, "California panel orders judge removed for sexual misconduct," June 2, 2020
- ↑ California Courts, "Justices," accessed July 15, 2020
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Los Angeles Times, "Top California court upholds ouster of L.A.-based judge for sexual misconduct," January 27, 2021
- ↑ Voter's Edge, "Jeffrey W. Johnson," accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "November 2, 2010 Official Results"
- ↑ ABC7, "Panel finds judge harassed women at LA courthouse," January 14, 2020
- ↑ Met News, "Justice Johnson Asks High Court to Review Ouster Order," September 1, 2020
- ↑ Law.com, "'I'm a Flawed Human Being,' Judge Says at Sexual Harassment Trial," August 23, 2019
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "California Court of Appeal justice faces sexual misconduct charges," January 14, 2019
- ↑ State of California, "Inquiry concerning Justice Jeffrey W. Johnson," accessed January 16, 2019
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