Harris County Judge Kelli Johnson is set to don her robes once again after a period marked by personal health challenges and legal scrutiny. Johnson's return to the bench follows a significant recovery from a concussion and the dismissal of a DWI charge that had cast a shadow on her once-unblemished legal career. Her attorney, Chris Tritico, confirmed to KHOU that she was accurately diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome following a fall from a motorized scooter in February of last year.
The return is equally a close to the investigation into Johnson's judicial conduct, which was formally dismissed after a hearing with the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct. This investigation came after a complaint by her court reporter on the grounds of a hostile work environment. Despite all this, Johnson bravely continued to support her community, stating, "I’m incredibly grateful to my family, friends and supporters who stood by me throughout my recovery," according to a statement obtained by Houston Public Media.
The episode that led to Johnson's arrest occurred in June last year. A Harris County patrol supervisor pulled over Judge Johnson for driving under the speed limit and "smelled what he thought was an alcoholic beverage on her breath," as the court documents stated, as obtained by Houston Public Media. However, no trace of drugs or alcohol was detected in her system following the incident. The allegation, which led to her arrest on a DWI charge, was subsequently dismissed in September when her defense attorney, Tritico, declared "there was, quite frankly, no probable cause to arrest her," accoridng to KHOU.
