Candidate for
Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 1

Justice Jeffrey W. Johnson has over fifteen years' experience as a judge. He has served as an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal since 2009. From 1999 to 2009, he served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Central District of California (Los Angeles). Working in the busiest appellate district in the state and as a magistrate judge in one of the busiest federal districts in the nation has highlighted for Justice Johnson the challenges to ensuring adequate resources for preservation of citizen access to justice. This challenge became acute over the past three years when the state's fiscal crisis forced unprecedented budget cuts to the judiciary. Justice Johnson has provided leadership in navigating those changes. In 2011, he was appointed to serve on the Court Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) by Supreme Court Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye and chairs the CFAC's Courthouse Cost Reduction Subcommittee. The CFAC provides recommendations to the Chief Justice and Judicial Council on the prioritization of courthouse construction and modernization projects throughout the state. In his role steering the subcommittee, Justice Johnson has overseen cost saving reviews and implementations in 28 courthouse projects that are proceeding at or under budget, saving the people of California approximately $380 million dollars.

Before his service as a judge, Justice Johnson served for a decade as a federal prosecutor. He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California from 1989 to 1999. He became Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section in 1994. Among his many successful investigations and prosecutions, Justice Johnson secured the convictions of key figures in a notorious nationwide drug trafficking and money laundering organization. His work earned him the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service. Justice Johnson also became recognized nationally as an expert on the use and defense of court-authorized wiretaps in federal criminal investigations and prosecutions.

Justice Johnson began his legal career in private practice at the Los Angeles office of Manatt Phelps. He has spent 25 years and the majority of his legal career in public service. He remains active in the legal community and serves on the board of Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Justice Johnson has also guest lectured at UCLA School of Law, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Loyola Law School, and University of West Los Angeles School of Law.

Justice Johnson's commitment to access issues extends to education and supporting military service members, veterans and their families. Justice Johnson serves as a member of the United States Army Advisory Board for the Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion. He attended the United States War College National Security Seminar as a 2013 Fellow and is a Lifetime Member of the United States Army War College Foundation. Supporting equal access to education has also been a priority for Justice Johnson. He sits on the board of Bright Star Schools, which operates two charter high schools and three charter middle schools in underserved Los Angeles communities. Additionally, he has volunteered as a basketball coach, mentor, and reader to students in struggling communities. His work has garnered him several California Department of Education and Los Angeles Unified School District Service Commendations.

Justice Johnson earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1985. He attended Duke University on full scholarship as an Angier Biddle Duke Scholar, served as class president, and graduated with honors in 1982. Justice Johnson also studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Oxford University in Oxford, England. He and his wife Meghan have four children.