View source for Robert T. Johnson (lawyer)

{{short description|American lawyer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image         = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] -->
| alt           =
| caption       =
| name          = Robert T. Johnson
| office        = Justice of the [[New York Supreme Court]]
| term_start    = January 1, 2016
| term_end      =
| party         = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| office1       = Bronx County District Attorney
| predecessor1  = [[Paul Gentile]]
| successor1    = [[Darcel Clark]]
| term_start1   = January 1, 1989<ref name=bronx/>
| term_end1     = December 31, 2015
| birth_name    = Robert Thomas Johnson
| birth_date    = {{birth year and age|1948}}
| birth_place   = [[The Bronx]], [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date    = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|death date†|birth date†}}  -->
| death_place   =
| education = [[City College of New York]] [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br/>[[New York University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
| branch        = {{flag|United States Navy}}
| serviceyears  =
| rank          =
| unit          =
| commands      =
| battles       =
| awards        =
}}
'''Robert Thomas Johnson''' (born 1948) is an American attorney and jurist serving as 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|Bronx County district attorney]] in [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Judicial Directory - Judge of the Trial Courts|url=https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/judicialdirectory/Bio?JUDGE_ID=Iu1xNh1HF09jK1fOXHarnQ%3D%3D|website=nycourts.gov|publisher=New York Unified Court System|accessdate=24 April 2016}}</ref>
==Early life and education==
Johnson was born in the Bronx, and grew up in the [[Amsterdam Houses]], a [[Public housing|housing project]] on the [[Upper West Side]] of [[Manhattan]].<ref name=johnson>{{cite news|last=Verhovek|first=Sam Howe|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/17/nyregion/men-in-the-news-robert-thomas-johnson-devastating-adversary.html|title=Men In The News: Robert Thomas Johnson; 'Devastating Adversary'|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=September 17, 1988|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref> He went to [[James Monroe High School (New York City)|James Monroe High School]],<ref name=johnson/> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lehman.edu/lehmantoday/2008_11/a_bronx_da.html|title=Bronx D.A. Robert Johnson: A Lifetime of Service|publisher=[[Lehman College]]|date=November 26, 2008|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref> In 1975, he graduated from the [[New York University School of Law]].<ref name=johnson/>
==Early career==
Upon graduating from law school, Johnson went to work as a defense attorney for the [[Legal Aid Society]].<ref name=bronx>{{cite web|url=http://bronxda.nyc.gov/office/biography.htm|title=District Attorney's Biography|publisher=Bronx District Attorney's Office|accessdate=August 27, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008173344/http://bronxda.nyc.gov/office/biography.htm|archivedate=October 8, 2013}}</ref> In 1978, he became a prosecutor for the Bronx County District Attorney's office, eventually rising to the rank of Narcotics Bureau chief.<ref name=johnson/>
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.<ref name=bronx/><ref name=johnson/>
==Bronx County district attorney==
In 1988, Johnson ran for Bronx County district attorney, and won the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] primary election in September.<ref name=johnson/> He was elected without opposition, as no [[Republican Party (United States)|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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lynn|first=Frank|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/06/nyregion/new-yorkers-face-a-busy-election-day.html|title=New Yorkers Face a Busy Election Day|newspaper=New York Times|date=November 6, 1988|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1988/1110/aup.html|title=Congress and statehouses: politics around the nation|newspaper=[[Christian Science Monitor]]|date=November 10, 1988|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref> He was re-elected six times, often without opposition.<ref name=policy>{{cite news|last1=Rivera|first1=Ray|last2=Rashbaum|first2=William K.|title=Democrats Said to Discuss Plan for Bronx District Attorney to Resign|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/nyregion/democrats-said-to-discuss-plan-for-bronx-district-attorney-to-resign.html?_r=1|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=April 27, 2013|page=A15}}</ref>
In 2005, he became the longest-serving Bronx County district attorney.<ref name=bronx/>
Johnson was criticized at times for his performance as district attorney, with judges specifically criticizing his management and policies, noting that his office had a high rate of cases which it declined to prosecute.<ref name=policy/> At the end of his tenure, Bronx prosecutors were winning jury trials less than half the time, a rate significantly lower than any other borough in New York City,<ref name=policy/> and had a high percentage of dismissed cases and a persistent crippling backlog that affected both defendants and crime victims.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hu|first1=Winnie|last2=McKinley Jr.|first2=James C.|title=Giving Up the Bench in Hopes of Bringing Justice to the Bronx|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/nyregion/giving-up-the-bench-in-hopes-of-bringing-justice-to-the-bronx.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=September 28, 2015|page=A20}}</ref>
'''<big>Notable cases</big>'''
* Reversal of the conviction of Franklin Beauchamp by the New York Court of Appeals, a former teacher at a day-care center found guilty of nine counts rape and sodomy charges for sexually abusing three children, after the District Attorney's Office improperly drafted the indictment.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hevesi|first=Dennis|date=1989-05-10|title=Court Overturns Conviction In Day-Care Sex Scandal|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/10/nyregion/court-overturns-conviction-in-day-care-sex-scandal.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* Acquittal of Larry Davis, who was accused of shooting six New York City police officers.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blair|first=William G.|date=1988-11-21|title=Jury in Bronx Acquits Larry Davis In Shooting of Six Police Officers|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/21/nyregion/jury-in-bronx-acquits-larry-davis-in-shooting-of-six-police-officers.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* Acquittal of Anthony Rivers, who was accused of killing Officer Vincent Guidice in the line of duty.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Herszenhorn|first=David M.|date=1997-05-10|title=Bronx Man Is Acquitted In Death of Police Officer|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/10/nyregion/bronx-man-is-acquitted-in-death-of-police-officer.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* Acquittal of then New York City Police Officer Francis Livoti, who was charged with the murder of Anthony Baez after Officer Livoti placed Mr. Baez in a choke hold because an errant football struck a police vehicle.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Judge Clears 'Confrontational' Cop in Custody Death|url=https://apnews.com/0a302b880a263a902a09e8e4cb6684d4|access-date=2020-06-19|website=AP NEWS}}</ref>
* Acquittal of Amir Tawfiyq Abdullah Aziz who was charged with attempted murder for the shooting of New York City Police Captain Timothy Galvin.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cooper|first=Michael|date=1999-10-29|title=Jurors Acquit Bronx Man In Shooting of Police Officer|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/29/nyregion/jurors-acquit-bronx-man-in-shooting-of-police-officer.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* Acquittals of fifteen police officers from the [[48th Police Precinct Station|48th precinct]] accused of beating Oliver Jones.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Alvarez|first=Lizette|date=1997-04-13|title=Cases Crumble In Prosecution Of Officers|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/13/nyregion/cases-crumble-in-prosecution-of-officers.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* Acquittal of Officer Michael Meyer on charges of attempted murder who was accused of shooting Antoine Reed, a "squeegee man" who soaped up the windshield of the officer's car while it was stopped on an exit ramp of the [[Major Deegan Expressway]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blair|first=Jayson|date=1999-07-10|title=Acquitted Officer May Face New Charges|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/10/nyregion/acquitted-officer-may-face-new-charges.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* Acquittal of convicted felon Rafael Then, accused of running over a police officer and breaking her leg with a stolen car.<ref>{{Cite web|last=TOOR|first=MARK|title=Acquitted in Bronx Of Running Down Officer, Felon Guilty in Queens|url=https://thechiefleader.com/news/news_of_the_week/acquitted-in-bronx-of-running-down-officer-felon-guilty-in-queens/article_cd306b30-a678-11e1-844d-001a4bcf6878.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=The Chief|language=en}}</ref>
* Acquittals of the four New York City police officers who shot and killed unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fritsch|first=Jane|date=2000-02-26|title=The Diallo Verdict: The Overview; 4 Officers in Diallo Shooting Are Acquitted of All Charges|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/26/nyregion/diallo-verdict-overview-4-officers-diallo-shooting-are-acquitted-all-charges.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* After an indictment charging New York City Police Officer Richard Haste with the murder of [[Ramarley Graham]] for shooting and killing the unarmed teenager inside his own home was dismissed due to improper legal instructions provided by the District Attorney's Office, a second grand jury failed to bring charges against Officer Haste.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-05-29|title=Grand Jury Votes Not to Indict Cop Who Shot Ramarley Graham - Wakefield - DNAinfo.com New York|url=http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130808/wakefield/grand-jury-refuses-indict-cop-who-shot-ramarley-graham|access-date=2020-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529074917/http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130808/wakefield/grand-jury-refuses-indict-cop-who-shot-ramarley-graham|archive-date=2015-05-29}}</ref>
* Acquittal of [[World Wide Tours bus crash|Ophadell Williams]], the bus driver accused of killing fifteen of his passengers after allegedly falling asleep, causing the bus he was driving to flip over and rip open.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hu|first1=Winnie|last2=Schweber|first2=Nate|date=2012-12-07|title=Bus Driver Found Not Guilty of Manslaughter in I-95 Crash|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/08/nyregion/ophadell-williams-driver-in-fatal-bus-crash-found-not-guilty-of-manslaughter.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* The wrongful conviction and imprisonment of Edwar Garry on murder charges for which he was later exonerated.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Clifford|first=Stephanie|title=After Decades in Prison, Edward Garry Is Finally Cleared of a Murder He Didn't Commit|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/after-decades-in-prison-edward-garry-cleared-of-a-murder-he-didnt-commit|access-date=2020-06-19|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-us}}</ref>
* The wrongful conviction of Calvin Bauri, who was sentenced to a fifty-year-to-life sentence for a double murder, and was kept imprisoned even after two witnesses signed affidavits that they lied at trial and another witness admitted to being the actual murderer.<ref>{{Cite web|title=New York man cleared of double homicide after 22 years in prison|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-man-calvin-buari-cleared-of-double-homicide-after-22-years-in-prison/|access-date=2020-06-22|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=21 March 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* The wrongful conviction of Huwe Burton, a sixteen-year-old imprisoned for nineteen years after being forced to falsely confess to the murder of his mother.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ransom|first=Jan|date=2019-01-24|title=He Spent 19 Years in Prison for Murder. Now Prosecutors Say His Confession Was Coerced.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/nyregion/huwe-burton-exoneration-bronx-murder.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* The wrongful convictions of five individuals charged with murdering taxi driver Baithe Diop in 1995.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Weiser|first1=Benjamin|last2=Rashbaum|first2=William K.|date=2012-08-02|title=5 Jailed in '95 Killing of Cabby Didn't Do It, U.S. Inquiry Says|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/nyregion/5-convicted-in-bronx-cabbys-1995-murder-are-innocent-us-says.html|access-date=2020-06-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* The dismissal of charges against [[Kalief Browder]], an innocent teenager wrongfully jailed for three years and kept in solitary confinement and beaten by prison guards, even after the lone witness to the alleged theft of a backpack left the United States and rendered the District Attorney's Office unable to bring the case to trial.<ref>{{Cite web|last=abc7NY|title=The Investigators: Teen spends 3 years in jail and robbery charges dropped {{!}} ABC7 New York {{!}} abc7ny.com|url=https://abc7ny.com/archive/9317078/|access-date=2020-06-19|website=ABC7 New York|language=en}}</ref>  [[Kalief Browder]] subsequently committed suicide.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Dana |last=Ford|title=Kalief Browder commits suicide|url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/07/us/kalief-browder-dead/index.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=CNN|date=8 June 2015 }}</ref>
===Dispute over the death penalty with New York Governor Pataki===
On March 14, 1996, [[New York City Police Department|New York City police]] officer Kevin Gillespie was shot to death in the Bronx, and three men were immediately arrested in his killing. Ex-convict Angel Diaz was named as the gunman. The next day, Republican Governor [[George Pataki]] was publicly pressuring Johnson, an opponent of the [[Death penalty in the United States|death penalty]], to seek it against Diaz, and threatening to take the case away from Johnson if he refused to do so.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Krauss|first1=Clifford|title=Shootout in the Bronx: The Overview – 3 Men Held in Killing of Officer, Bringing Calls for Death Penalty|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/16/nyregion/shootout-bronx-overview-3-men-held-killing-officer-bringing-calls-for-death.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=March 16, 1996}}</ref> Johnson wrote in a letter to Pataki that he wanted the 120 days allotted under New York State law to decide whether or not to seek the death penalty, and threatened to take Pataki to court if he tried to remove him from the case.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Swarns|first1=Rachel L.|title=Prosecutor Resists Pataki Pressure on Death Penalty|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/21/nyregion/prosecutor-resists-pataki-pressure-on-death-penalty.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=March 21, 1996}}</ref> The following day, Pataki followed through on his threat and removed Johnson from the case, assigning it to [[Dennis Vacco]], the [[New York State Attorney General]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Swarns|first1=Rachel L.|title=A Killing in the Bronx: The Overview – Governor Removes Bronx Prosecutor From Murder Case|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/22/nyregion/killing-bronx-overview-governor-removes-bronx-prosecutor-murder-case.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=March 22, 1996}}</ref> In response, Johnson sued Pataki for jurisdiction over the case.<ref>{{cite news|last=LoLordo|first=Ann|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1996-03-25/news/1996085043_1_johnson-bronx-district-attorney-death-penalty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104338/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1996-03-25/news/1996085043_1_johnson-bronx-district-attorney-death-penalty|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 4, 2016|title=Prosecutor sticks to his convictions Death penalty: Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson opposes the death penalty and has declined to seek it in capital crimes, leading to a showdown with New York Gov. George E. Pataki.|newspaper=[[Baltimore Sun]]|date=March 25, 1996|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref>
Several weeks later, Vacco announced that he intended to pursue the death penalty,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dao|first1=James|title=Vacco Seeks Death Penalty In Police Officer's Shooting|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/10/nyregion/vacco-seeks-death-penalty-in-police-officer-s-shooting.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=July 9, 1996}}</ref> and the following day New York State Supreme Court Justice Howard Silver upheld Pataki's decision to remove Johnson from the case as within his authority.<ref>{{cite news|last=Nossiter|first=Adam|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/11/nyregion/court-upholds-removal-of-prosecutor-from-case.html|title=Court Upholds Removal Of Prosecutor From Case|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 11, 1996|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref>
In September 1996, Diaz hung himself in his jail cell,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Swarns|first1=Rachel L.|title=Man Held in Police Death Is Found Hanged in Jail|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/06/nyregion/man-held-in-police-death-is-found-hanged-in-jail.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=September 6, 1996}}</ref> ending the practical aspects of the dispute. The two men arrested with Diaz, Ricardo Morales and Jesus Mendez, were eventually convicted of several charges including second degree murder in May 1997 and sentenced to mandatory life in prison,<ref>{{cite news|title=2 Guilty in Murder of Bronx Policeman|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/02/nyregion/2-guilty-in-murder-of-bronx-policeman.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=May 2, 1997}}</ref> and on appeal, the [[New York Court of Appeals]] upheld Pataki's removal of Johnson as constitutional in December 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/court-of-appeals/1997/91-n-y-2d-214-0.html|title=Matter of Johnson v. Pataki|publisher=Justia US Law|accessdate=August 27, 2015}}</ref>
===Exit from the Bronx County District Attorney's office===
As early as 2013, there were reports of an arrangement for Johnson to resign as Bronx County district attorney in return for a seat as a New York State Supreme Court justice in the Bronx. The plan was reportedly coordinated by [[New York State Assembly]]man [[Carl Heastie]], who held vast influence over Democratic Party nominations in his capacity as the party's county chairman.<ref name=policy/>
Nevertheless, Johnson ran for re-election in 2015 for another term as Bronx County district attorney, and faced no opposition in the primary elections on September 10, which he won be default. Exactly one week later, on September 17, Johnson announced that he wanted to become a state judge. The announcement was met with severe and swift criticism by good government advocates, who said it was a transparent scheme engineered by Johnson and Democratic party power brokers to make sure the party could get the replacement district attorney of their own choice, not that of the voters.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mueller|first1=Benjamin|title=Robert Johnson, Bronx District Attorney, Says He Wants to Become a State Judge|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/nyregion/robert-johnson-bronx-district-attorney-says-he-wants-to-become-a-state-judge.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=September 19, 2015|page=A15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Randolph|first1=Eleanor|title=Let the Voters Decide? Nah, Not in the Bronx|url=http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/let-the-voters-decide-nah-not-in-the-bronx/|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=September 21, 2015}}</ref> After receiving the judicial nomination by the Bronx Democratic Party the following week,<ref>{{cite news |title=Bronx District Attorney and Judge May Trade Roles (Published 2015) |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629165632/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/nyregion/bronx-district-attorney-is-tapped-for-bench-judge-is-tapped-for-his-job.html |archive-date=2023-06-29 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/nyregion/bronx-district-attorney-is-tapped-for-bench-judge-is-tapped-for-his-job.html |last1=Jr |first1=James C. Mckinley |accessdate=26 April 2016 |page=A28}}</ref> Johnson then announced his resignation from his district attorney position. Under New York State Law, since the primary election had already taken place, the county parties named Johnson's replacements on the ballot, bypassing the voters.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pastor|first1=Kate|title=Bronx District Attorney Candidate Defends Her Nomination by Democratic Leaders|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/nyregion/bronx-district-attorney-candidate-defends-her-nomination-by-democratic-leaders.html|accessdate=26 April 2016|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=October 2, 2015|page=A24}}</ref> The replacement on the Democratic line was [[Darcel Clark]], and in the heavily Democratic Bronx, she won the District Attorney's office by a landslide in the general election.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement and Return Report for Certification - General Election 2015 - Bronx County - All Parties and Independent Bodies District Attorney - Bronx|url=http://vote.nyc.ny.us/downloads/pdf/election_results/2015/20151103General%20Election/00201900011Bronx%20District%20Attorney%20Bronx%20Recap.pdf|website=vote.nyc.ny.us|publisher=Board of Elections in the City of New York|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref>
===New York Supreme Court===
Johnson's term on the Supreme Court ends in 2030.<ref>{{cite web|title=Robert T. Johnson on Ballotpedia|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_T._Johnson|website=ballotpedia.org|publisher=Ballotpedia - The Encyclopedia of American Politics}}</ref> However, under New York law he will have to retire no later than December 31, 2018, at the end of the calendar year during which he will reach the age of 70. He will then be eligible to continue in office on senior status, without having to be re-elected, for three two-year periods.
==Personal life==
Johnson is married to Acting Presiding Justice [[Dianne Renwick|Dianne T. Renwick]] of the [[New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department]]. <ref>{{cite news |title=Bronx District Attorney and Judge May Trade Roles (Published 2015) |work=The New York Times |date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629165632/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/nyregion/bronx-district-attorney-is-tapped-for-bench-judge-is-tapped-for-his-job.html |archive-date=2023-06-29 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/nyregion/bronx-district-attorney-is-tapped-for-bench-judge-is-tapped-for-his-job.html |last1=Jr |first1=James C. Mckinley }}</ref>
Johnson previously lived in [[Fordham, Bronx]]. In 1994, he moved to the former house of [[Mario Procaccino]], a candidate for [[mayor of New York City]], that was located in an area of the Bronx between the [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]] town of [[Pelham, New York|Pelham]] and [[Pelham Bay Park]], known as [[Bronx Manor]]. While Procaccino faced criticism for living in that area during his mayoral campaign, according to Jane Gross of ''[[The New York Times]]'', Johnson did not face controversy for moving there since he had only token opposition during his next election campaign for district attorney.<ref name="gross19970506">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/06/nyregion/a-tiny-strip-of-new-york-that-feels-like-the-suburbs.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|title=A Tiny Strip of New York That Feels Like the Suburbs|date=1997-05-06|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|accessdate=June 28, 2016|author=Gross, Jane}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160717200357/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/06/nyregion/a-tiny-strip-of-new-york-that-feels-like-the-suburbs.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm Archive])</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Paul Gentile]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Bronx County District Attorney]]|years=1989–2015}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Darcel Clark]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Bronx County District Attorneys}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Robert T.}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New York (state) lawyers]]
[[Category:New York (state) state court judges]]
[[Category:Bronx County District Attorneys]]
[[Category:New York (state) Democrats]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century American lawyers]]
[[Category:United States Navy sailors]]
[[Category:Politicians from the Bronx]]
[[Category:James Monroe High School (New York City) alumni]]
[[Category:City College of New York alumni]]
[[Category:New York University School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American lawyers]]
[[Category:African-American United States Navy personnel]]