A Texas judge who disappeared from the courtroom after presiding over some of the state’s biggest trials has been placed on medical leave, according to her family.
Local rumors began circulating about Harris County Judge Kelli Johnson after she was reported to be absent from the 178th District Courthouse since May 1.
Her absence led to speculation about her mental health, with a courthouse employee telling local news station KTRK that she was exhibiting “manic behavior.”
Despite the rumors, her brother Clay Johnson told The Daily Beast that his sister is “fine” and that his family and wife are “in daily contact with her.”
He told the outlet: “She’s not missing, she’s on sick leave. She’s in contact with the family and everything is fine, and that’s about all I can say.
Local rumors began circulating about Harris County Judge Kelli Johnson after she was reported to be absent from the 178th District Courthouse since May 1.
She is the first openly gay female judge elected in Harris County and has two sons, a 12-year-old and a 10-month-old, with her wife Hilary Bartlett, all seen here.
As a judge, she serves as an Administrative Judge for the Criminal Commission and serves on the Board of Directors for the State of Texas Association of Specialized Courts.
A Houston police report obtained by KTRK revealed that Johnson was involved in an incident near her home on May 4.
One officer cited a “disturbance/CIT” on the report, which is a police acronym for crisis intervention.
Guest judges covered Johnson’s court docket, including retired Judge Jim Wallace presiding over a trial in his place.
Johnson oversaw several of the state’s major trials and convicted a man of capital murder for the 2020 beating to death of an eight-year-old boy in April.
Johnson is one of the longest-serving current Harris County judges. She was first elected in 2016 and voted for a second term in 2020.
She is the first openly gay female judge elected in Harris County and has two sons, ages 12 years and 10 months, with her wife Hilary Bartlett, according to her biography.
Johnson previously served as an assistant district attorney for 17 years and received her law degree from South Texas College of Law.
As a judge, she serves as an administrative judge for the Criminal Commission and serves on the board of the Texas Association of Specialized Courts of the State of Texas.
His last Facebook post on his official account was on April 19, inviting voters to attend a fundraiser for Democratic criminal justice candidates.
Guest judges covered Johnson’s court docket, including retired Judge Jim Wallace (pictured) who presided over a trial in his place.
Johnson (center left) is one of the longest-serving current Harris County judges. She was first elected in 2016 and voted for a second term in 2020.
In April, after 20 minutes of jury deliberation, Brian Coulter, 34, was convicted of capital murder for beating his girlfriend’s eight-year-old son, Kendrick Lee, to death in 2020, resulting in led Johnson to sentence him to life in prison. prison.
“This is probably one of the most horrific events that I have ever had to witness, listen to and imagine,” Johnson said at his sentencing.
“Sir, these children have been haunting me for the past week. I hope, sir, that when you are in prison, these same boys who haunted my mind will haunt yours.
Coulter will serve life in prison for beating the child to death in the couple’s apartment at the CityParc II complex in Houston on November 20, 2020.
Prosecutors said that after beating the boy to death, Coulter and his girlfriend, Gloria Williams, left the apartment and left his three other sons to live alone with Lee’s remains.
Coulter (pictured) will serve a life sentence for beating the child to death in the couple’s apartment at the CityParc II complex in Houston on November 20, 2020.
Johnson presided over the three trials of the son of a former NFL player, AJ Armstrong (pictured), who was convicted of murdering his parents when he was 16 in 2016.
Johnson presided over the three trials of the son of a former NFL player who was convicted of murdering his parents when he was 16 in 2016.
After two mistrials, Antonio Armstrong Jr. – AJ – was convicted of murdering his parents, Dawn and Antonio Sr. in August.
Antonio Sr. was a former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.
In 2016, Dawn and Antonio Sr. were each shot in the head, with pillows placed over their faces, while they slept in their Texas home.
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