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Derek Guy Johnson
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2000 - Present
2027
25
Derek Guy Johnson is a judge of the Superior Court of Orange County in California. He assumed office in 2000. His current term ends on January 4, 2027.
Johnson won re-election for judge of the Superior Court of Orange County in California outright in the primary on March 3, 2020, after the primary and general election were canceled.
Biography
Education
Johnson received his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University and his J.D. from the University of San Diego.[1]
Career
- 2000-2015: Judge, Superior Court of Orange County
- 1989-2000: Attorney in private practice
- 1987-1989: Attorney, Thrifty Corporation
- 1979-1987: Deputy district attorney, Orange County District Attorney's Office[2]
Elections
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2020)
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Derek Guy Johnson (Nonpartisan) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
2014
See also: California judicial elections, 2014
Johnson ran for re-election to the Orange County Superior Court.
Primary: He was elected in the primary on June 3, 2014, receiving 61.3 percent of the vote. He competed against Helen Hayden.[3][4]
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Derek Guy Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy events
Admonishment for rape sentence
In December 2012, Judge Johnson was admonished by the California Commission on Judicial Performance for violating his impartiality during a sexual assault case in 2008. After a jury found the defendant guilty on seven counts of rape and other violations, Johnson imposed a sentence of only six years in prison instead of the sixteen sought by the prosecutor. When the prosecutor questioned that decision, Johnson said,
| “ | If someone doesn't want to have sexual intercourse, the body shuts down. The body will not permit that to happen unless a lot of damage is inflicted, and we heard nothing about that in this case.[5][6] | ” |
The commission unanimously found that Johnson failed to act "in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary," and that he "improperly relied on his own 'expert opinion'...rather than evidence before him." Johnson admitted that his comments were inappropriate, and he apologized.[5][7]
Read the full transcript of the conversation between attorney and judge [here http://cjp.ca.gov/res/docs/public_admon/Johnson_DO_Pub_Adm_12-13-2012.pdf].[5]
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Martindale, "Judge Profile: Derek G. Johnson," accessed June 4, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Two Judges Named to Superior Court," March 8, 2000
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Candidate Filing Log, 2014 Primary," accessed March 25, 2014
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Statewide Direct Primary Election, Unofficial Election Night Results," June 3, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 State of California, Before the Commission on Judicial Performance, "Decision and Order Imposing Public Admonishment: Derek G. Johnson," December 13, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Yahoo News, "Calif. judge says victims' body can prevent rape," December 13, 2012
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Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California
State courts:
California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts
State resources:
Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California
