Courts

Judge's 20-Year Reign Of Alleged Sexual Misconduct Goes On Trial

168 witnesses are expected to testify.

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You might remember the alleged misdeeds of California judge Jeffrey Johnson. In January, we wrote about the list of sexual harassment allegations against him, which shockingly included groping the rear end of a fellow judge, Associate Justice Victoria Gerrard Chaney; making sexually explicit comments to multiple judges; propositioning police officers assigned to protect him; and asking a court clerk is he could touch her breasts. Now the judge is the subject of a judicial disciplinary hearing which will determine the future of his career on the bench.

The Commission on Judicial Performance has brought proceedings against the judge for the allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct and drunken behavior unbecoming a judge, for a total of 10 counts. The proceeding, before a three-judge panel of special masters, begins today and is expected to last four weeks with the Commission and the defense planning on calling a combined 168 witnesses.

As reported by Law.com, Johnson has taken responsibility for some of the accusations leveled against him while denying the most serious ones:

Johnson has responded in filings that he “accepts full responsibility for his conduct where it is clear he has faltered.” But he said the most serious allegations against him—that he groped a colleague and propositioned his security detail for sex—are false.

And his lawyer blames a “whisper campaign”:

“As stated in our filings, this is a whisper campaign to malign Justice Johnson’s distinguished career on the bench and his admirable work in the community,” Paul S. Meyer, co-counsel for Johnson, said in a statement Friday. “Despite this, Justice Johnson remains respectful and committed to the process looks forward to a careful review of the facts by those who will decide this matter.”

Johnson has also responded to the controversy with a lawsuit of his own. Last month he filed a $10 million lawsuit against the court and the administrative presiding justice, Elwood Lui, alleging emotional distress. The suit alleges Lui emailed members of the state Supreme Court, appellate court justices, and members of those courts’ staff detailing the misconduct accusations of a California Highway Patrol officer, Tatiana Sauquillo. (Sauquillo has also filed a lawsuit against Johnson, the court and the California Highway Patrol related to the alleged harassment she suffered.)

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If the special masters find the allegations credible, Johnson could be removed from office.

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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