Court of Appeal justice removed from the bench

Jeffrey W. Johnson was ordered removed from the 2nd District Court of Appeal Tuesday by the Commission on Judicial Performance, which concluded he sexually harassed a host of women -- from judicial colleagues to his security detail -- and was not honest about his conduct.

The commission said Johnson committed 18 acts of prejudicial misconduct and found he engaged in the unwanted touching of four women, as well as sexual harassing seven women at his court.

The agency said he "misused the prestige of his position and demeaned his judicial office by attempting to develop personal relationships with three other young women, and to have further demeaned his office by his offensive conduct toward a fourth woman," and also cited him for numerous examples of "undignified conduct while intoxicated."

"Justice Johnson's refusal to admit to serious misconduct, and his intoxication, coupled with his failure to be truthful during the proceedings, compels us to conclude that he cannot meet the fundamental expectations of his position as a judge," the commission wrote in a unanimous decision signed by its former chairperson, Nanci E. Nishimura and current chairperson, Michael B. Harper.

None of the allegations accused Johnson of willful misconduct, as they did not involve claims he was acting in a judicial capacity.

Johnson has the right to petition the state Supreme Court for review of the commission's decision.

Costa Mesa attorney Paul S. Meyer, who represents Johnson, could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.

During a hearing last month, Johnson denied some of the allegations while admitting some of his comments were "out of bounds."

"My jocular, too-personal nature created a perception of me that I failed to see in myself," he told commissioners.

-- Craig Anderson