Judge Patrick T. Johnson: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Hon. Patrick T. Johnson is a judge for the Spokane County District Court in Washington. He was elected to the bench in 2018.

Johnson has presided over Civil Protection Orders, Small Claims, Infractions, and the Veterans Court during his tenure on the District Court.

At the time of his election, he was a senior deputy prosecuting attorney with the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Johnson first joined the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in 1998. During his career there, he worked his way up from handling misdemeanor cases to prosecuting felonies. His cases included major crimes, drug/property, special assaults, juvenile, and chronic offenders.

Johnson enlisted in the United States Army as a psychological operations specialist, airborne, in 1989. Over the course of his military career, he served in active duty for four years and later defended active duty military personnel as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

He received a B.S. in business administration (finance) from Central Washington University in 1994. Johnson then completed a J.D. at Gonzaga University School of Law in 1998.

He taught as an adjunct professor at Park University and Gonzaga University School of Law.

Johnson has held a membership with the Washington Bar Association and sat on the Board of Directors of the Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Effort (SCOPE). He was also involved with Vulnerable Adult Links United.

He is married and has three children.