Robert T. Johnson (lawyer)
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Justice Robert T. Johnson |
|
|---|---|
| New York Supreme Court Justice | |
|
Assumed office January 1, 2016 |
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| Bronx County District Attorney | |
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In office January 1, 1989 – December 31, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Gentile |
| Succeeded by | Darcel Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Thomas Johnson 1948 The Bronx, New York City United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Alma mater |
City College of New York (B.A.) New York University School of Law (J.D.) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | longest serving Bronx County District attorney, refusal to seek the death penalty, helping to arrange his successor's election |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | U.S. Navy |
Robert Thomas Johnson (born 1948) is a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court in the county of the Bronx. He was previously a New York City Criminal Court judge, an acting justice of the New York State Supreme Court, and a long-time Bronx County District Attorney in New York City.
Johnson was born in the Bronx, and grew up in the Amsterdam Houses, a housing project on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He went to James Monroe High School, then enlisted in the United States Navy in 1968, and went on to graduate from the City College of New York with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. In 1975, he graduated from the New York University School of Law.
Upon graduating from law school, Johnson went to work as a defense attorney for the Legal Aid Society. In 1978, he became a prosecutor for the Bronx County District Attorney's office, eventually rising to the rank of Narcotics Bureau chief.
Johnson was appointed a New York City Criminal Court judge in 1986 by Mayor Edward Koch. He later served as an Acting New York Supreme Court Justice.
In 1988, Johnson ran for the office of Bronx County District Attorney, and won the Democratic primary election in September, which virtually guaranteed him of winning the general election in November. He was elected without opposition, as no Republican candidate had even filed to run in the race, making him the first African-American to be elected to the position of District Attorney in New York State. He was re-elected six times, often without opposition.
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