Judge Kelli Johnson
Top judicial leaders in Houston have effectively removed hundreds of pending cases from state district Judge Kelli Johnson and assigned them to other jurists in the wake of two recent DWI stops — one on June 25 that led to her arrest — and a judicial complaint filed by her court reporter.
The reassignment of her docket, detailed in an order filed Thursday, happened after the Democratic judge, who is seeking reelection in November, went to work at the criminal courthouse but failed to preside on the bench. The order, signed by Judge Latosha Lewis Payne, Harris County’s local administrative judge, and Judge Susan Brown, a governor-appointee for the Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region of Texas, comes in the wake of Johnson’s arrest on a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge.
The rare move to reassign cases strips the elected judge of her ability to preside over her docket without the State Commission on Judicial Conduct having to suspend her.
A statement from Amanda Cain, spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the District Courts, noted that Johnson remains the elected official over that court. The order is scheduled to last through Aug. 9.
Johnson did not address the docket change in a Wednesday night phone call from the courthouse but said she did not know about the judicial complaint.
In an unsolicited Facebook message to a Chronicle reporter in the early hours Wednesday, Johnson derided the decision to remove her docket and disparaged Brown as a “political hack.”
“I have more time this week since Susan f—ing Brown decided to take away MY dockets,” she wrote.
She also had choice words for another judge, Robert Johnson, who presides in the 177th District Court — also on the 19th floor. Johnson confirmed she sent the message in a followup call.
“He sucks by the way and f—ed with the wrong person — me,” Johnson wrote. “I just know he is a complete despicable and unconscionable a—.”
[…]
Gail Rolen, a court reporter who has worked for Johnson since 2017 and was a constant presence on high-profile trials, said she filed her complaint with the commission against the judge this month because of “a hostile work environment due to incidents related to the traffic stops” and other unprofessional behavior she witnessed. She said the unspecified behavior prompted her to take a leave of absence through the Family and Medical Leave Act.
“I had to file a judicial complaint in order to protect the integrity of the judicial system and the citizens who have voted for her as well as defendants in her court and their attorneys,” Rolen said.
She said the decision this week to assign visiting judges to Johnson’s court was “absolutely necessary and crucial.”
“It’s the least they can do right now until the judicial board is able to take action, if they do,” she continued.
See here and here for the background. I would like an explanation of why Judges Payne (an elected Democrat like Judge Johnson) and Brown decided to step in like this – I assume this is a “rare move” for a reason. Were the circumstances so extraordinary that they couldn’t wait for the State Commission on Judicial Conduct? Were there things they could do that the Commission could not? I am once again imploring the Chronicle to ask an attorney who is familiar with this sort of thing about it when writing a story that involves legal facts that may not be known to a general audience. If you are such an attorney, please leave a comment and enlighten us.
As spicy as the interpersonal conflict between these judges is, the complaint filed by court reporter Rolen feels like the bigger deal. Perhaps this was the catalyst for the local administrative action, I couldn’t say. I hope we learn more about the allegations she has raised, because whatever may be going on with Judge Johnson, I fully agree that the court’s business needs to be conducted in a professional manner. I don’t know what is going on here, but I would like very much for it to be resolved in a way that is fair to the Judge and to everyone associated with her courtroom. Click2Houston has more.
Re: “…I fully agree that the court’s business needs to be conducted in a professional manner….”.
I’d agree 100%, but I’d also agree that Judge Kelli doesn’t seem to be conducting her personal or Court business in a professional manner. Unsolicited Facebook messages to a Houston Comical reporter ? Seriously ?