A HIGH profile judge has been missing from court for nearly a month after most recently sentencing a killer whose case she said "haunted her."
Judge Kelli Johnson of 178th District Court in Harris County, Texas, last worked on May 1 following the major trial of a man convicted of beating his girlfriend's 8-year-old son to death.
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In April, Johnson found Brian Coulter, 34,guilty of the 2020 capital murder of young Kendrick Lee.
Kendrick's mom, Gloria Williams, had three other sons, whose horrific abuse was documented during the trial.
Prosecutors said after beating Kendrick to death, Coulter and Williams moved out of the apartment, leaving the three boys to live alone with Lee's remains.
“This is probably one of the most horrific set of facts that I have ever had to witness, to listen to, and to imagine,' Johnson said of Coulter’s case, per ABC affiliate KTRK.
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“Sir, those children have haunted me this last week.
“I hope, sir, when you're in prison, those same boys that have haunted my mind haunt yours.”
MYSTERIOUSLY MIA
Johnson is married to her wife Hilary Bartlett, they have two sons who are 12 and 10 months old, according to her biography.
She has been working at the Harris County court since 2016 and has been reelected once.
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A co-worker from the courthouse was asked how Johnson’s current state was the last time they were in contact with her and they said she exhibited "manic behavior."
"She's a danger to herself and to the community,” they told KTRK.
It became commonly known that something seemed to be off about Johnson.
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A recent police report near Johnson's home involved her and cited a “disturbance/CIT” which stands for crisis intervention, per KTRK.
However, it is still unknown exactly why Johnson would be missing for so long.
Many people are not speaking about the reason behind her absence.
Amanda Cain, communications director for the Administrative Office of the District Courts, said "No comment” when asked about Johnson at first, KTRK reported.
What we know about Kelli Johnson
- Judge Kelli Johnson is a high-profile judge for the 178th District Court in Harris County, Texas.
- Last worked on May 1 following a major trial.
- Trial involvement: Presided over the case where Brian Coulter was convicted of capital murder for beating his girlfriend's 8-year-old son, Kendrick Lee, to death.
- Verdict: Found Brian Coulter guilty in April for the 2020 crime.
- Case details: Gloria Williams, Kendrick's mother, had three other sons who were also abused and confined.
- Johnson's reaction: Described the case as one of the most horrific she had encountered and expressed that the children's plight haunted her.
- Absence: Johnson has been mysteriously absent from work for nearly a month amid rumors of manic behavior.
- Concern: A co-worker stated she is a danger to herself and the community.
- Crisis report: A recent police report mentioned a “disturbance/CIT” (crisis intervention).
- Impact on court: Her absence exacerbates the burden on already overburdened Harris County courts, causing delays in justice for victims and the accused.
- Future implications: Trials in her court will remain on hold until her return or the appointment of a permanent replacement.
But nine days later Cain said, "Judge Johnson is out for personal matters,” per KTRK.
Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University told the local news outlet how trials will go cold until Johnson returns or finds a permanent replacement.
"At the end of the day, one of the responsibilities of the judge is to be able to serve," Jones said.
"We already know our courts in Harris County are severely overburdened, and so, any missing judge means cases effectively stop in her court.
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"The end result is justice delayed for both the victim and those accused of crimes."
It is unclear when Johnson will be returning to the courthouse.
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