Alan Johnson (Wyoming)

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
	Name: Alan B. Johnson
	Court: United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
Progress
	Confirmed 55 days after nomination.
	Nominated: October 22, 1985
	ABA Rating:
	Questionnaire:
	Hearing: November 22, 1985
	QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
	Reported: December 4, 1985
	Confirmed: December 16, 1985
	Vote: Voice vote

Alan Bond Johnson is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. He joined the court in 1985 after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan.

Early life and education

Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Johnson graduated from Vanderbilt University with his bachelor's degree in 1961 and from the University of Wyoming with his J.D. in 1964.^[1]

Military service

Johnson served in the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1967. Since 1973, he has served in the Wyoming Air National Guard.^[1]

Professional career

1985 - Present: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Wyoming

1992-1999: Chief judge

1974-1985: Judge, Wyoming District Court
1973-1974: Judge, Cheyenne Municipal Court
1971-1974: Magistrate judge, District of Wyoming
1968-1974: Private practice, Cheyenne, Wyo.^[1]

Judicial career

District of Wyoming

Johnson was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming by President Ronald Reagan on October 22, 1985, to a new judgeship created by 98 Stat. 333. Hearings on Johnson's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 22, 1985, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) on December 4, 1985. Johnson was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on December 16, 1985, and he received his commission the next day. Johnson served as the chief judge of the court from 1992 to 1999.^[1]^[2]

Noteworthy cases

Johnson strikes down Wyoming law barring political robocalls (2018)

On August 6, 2018, Johnson struck down a Wyoming law that barred the use of automated phone calls (i.e., robocalls) for political purposes. The plaintiffs in the suit, Victory Processing, had argued that the law violated the firm's free speech rights as guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michael (R) had argued that repealing the law would violate the privacy rights of the state's citizens. Grayson found that the law privileged commercial robocalls over political robocalls, allowing the former to occur under circumstances denied to the latter (e.g., state law permitted commercial robocalls if the number dialed did not appear on the national do-not-call list; the same exception did not apply to political robocalls). Johnson also found that protecting the privacy of citizens was a substantial, as opposed to a compelling, state interest, rendering Wyoming's restrictions on political robocalls unconstitutional. In order to serve a compelling interest, states can sometimes enact laws that restrict rights guaranteed by the Constitution if such laws are the only method for serving the compelling interest. At the time the ruling was made, it was unclear whether the state would appeal the decision.^[3]