Phil Johnson (judge)

Philip Wayne Johnson, known as Phil Johnson (born October 24, 1944), is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, serving from 2005–2018.

Phil Johnson
Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, Place 8
In office March 15, 2005 – December 31, 2018
Appointed by	Rick Perry
Preceded by	Michael H. Schneider
Succeeded by	J. Brett Busby
Chief Judge of the Texas Court of Appeals for the 7th District
In office 2002 – March 15, 2005
Judge of the Texas Court of Appeals for the 7th District
In office 1999–2002
Personal details
Born	Philip Wayne Johnson (1944-10-24) October 24, 1944
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Carla Jean Johnson
Children	5
Residence	Lubbock, Texas
Alma mater	Texas Tech University School of Law
Occupation	Attorney; Judge
Awards	Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry Air Medal
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1965-1972
Battles/wars	Vietnam War

On March 15, 2005, Johnson was appointed to his state's Supreme Court by Governor Rick Perry to fill a vacancy created by the appointment of Michael H. Schneider to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas by U.S. President George W. Bush. Johnson won voter approval in 2006 to serve the remainder of Schneider's term, and was then reelected in 2008 to a full six-year term.

Johnson's term on Place 8 would have run through December 31, 2020. Two days after the November 6, 2018 elections, in which numerous Republican appellate justices and trial court judges were defeated, Johnson announced his resignation effective December 31, 2018.[1] This created a vacancy to be filled by Governor Greg Abbott, who had won reelection on November 6, 2018 along with three of Johnson's fellow members of the Supreme Court, notwithstanding the heavy Republican losses in metropolitan appellate districts, which flipped majority control of the appellate courts in Austin, Dallas, and Houston to Democrats.[2] The Texas Supreme Court however remains solidly Republican. Governor Abbott had a rich array of highly qualified conservative appellate jurists to choose from. He appointed J. Brett Busby, who had lost his 2018 re-election bid as an incumbent on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston, to succeed Phil Johnson.[3]

Johnson won renomination in the Republican primary election held on March 4, 2014, by defeating an intraparty challenger, Sharon Sue McCally (born 1960) of Houston, the Place 2 judge of the Texas Fourteenth District Court of Appeals.[4] Johnson polled 731,275 votes (64 percent) to McCally's 410,870 votes (36 percent).[5]

Johnson previously served as Chief Justice of the Texas Seventh District Court of Appeals, which sits in Amarillo. Johnson was elected to the Seventh COA in 1998 and became its chief in 2002.

Johnson received his law degree from the Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock. He is a "distinguished alumnus" of Texas Tech Law School and a member of the Order of the Coif. He practiced law from 1975 until 1998 with the Lubbock firm of Crenshaw, Dupree & Milam, L.L.P. His specialization was civil trial and personal injury law. Prior to this legal career, he was served as a pilot in the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1972 and is a veteran of the Vietnam War. He received the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and multiple Air Medals. He and his wife, Carla, reside in Lubbock.They have five children.[6]

A lifelong Republican, Johnson carries the support of Texas Right to Life, Governor Perry, twelve former state Supreme Court justices, including former Chief Justices Tom Phillips and Wallace B. Jefferson, and both U.S. senators from Texas, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.[7]