Harris County District Judge Kelli Johnson arrested for drunk driving

HOUSTON – A Harris County district judge was arrested for drunken driving, court documents show.

Judge Kelli Johnson, who currently serves as presiding judge of the 178th Criminal District Court, was arrested at 1:55 a.m. Tuesday and charged by Houston police with drunken driving. She has since posted bail.

According to officers, Judge Johnson was turning left in the 11600 block of Hempstead Road when she was stopped. Officers said the judge was driving slower than the speed limit and when officers reached her vehicle, she had her hands raised. It is not clear why officers initially stopped the judge.

Judge Johnson has presided over many cases in her judicial capacity, from state prison sentences to capital crimes. The most recent and notable was the trial of AJ Armstrong, where she presided over all three of Armstrong’s cases. The prosecution’s first two attempts were declared mistrials in 2019 and 2022 because the jury could not reach a verdict. During the third trial, AJ was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Who is Judge Johnson?

Judge Johnson was elected by her colleagues to serve as Administrative Judge of the Criminal Court. As head of this body, she helps manage the court’s cases, implement new rules, and perform other administrative tasks.

Prior to receiving the honor, Judge Johnson served as an Assistant District Attorney for Harris County for 17 years. At one point, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the District Attorney’s Office of the court she now presides over.

She helps young women in her jurisdiction overcome addiction and volunteers as a judge in the Success Through Addiction Recovery (STAR) program.

Judge Johnson holds degrees from Texas Christian University and South Texas College of Law.