HOUSTON — DWI charge against longtime Harris County Criminal Court Judge Kelli Johnson has been dismissed, according to her attorney.
Johnson, 52, was pulled over by a Houston police officer around 3 a.m. on June 25. She was arrested and charged with misdemeanor DWI.
Editor's note: The above video originally aired on July 2.
Defense attorney Chris Tritico said then that Johnson voluntarily submitted to a breath test and he blamed the incident on a medical issue.
According to Tritico, special prosecutors who were assigned to the case after the Harris County DA's Office recused themselves dismissed the charge this week.
“This was a case that should never have been filed. Judge Johnson had no alcohol on her breath or drugs in her system. There was, quite frankly, no probable cause to arrest her," Tritico said in a statement. "We are relieved that the truth has come to light and look forward to Judge Johnson returning to her duties after recovering from a brain injury.”
Tritico said Johnson has been on medical leave to recover from a brain injury but no other details were released.
"Johnson has served Harris County with distinction for more than 20 years, as a judge and former Assistant District Attorney," Tritico said after her arrest. "She looks forward to returning to the bench and continuing to provide respect, fairness, and justice to all who come before her."
Johnson has presided over several high-profile trials including, A.J. Armstrong's murder trials in the 2016 shooting deaths of his parents at their Bellaire home and David Temple's second murder trial in the death of his pregnant wife Belinda.
More recently, Johnson sentenced Brian Coulter to life in prison without parole in April after he was found guilty of murder in the death of his 8-year-old stepson, Kendrick Lee.
"Those children have haunted me this last week," Johnson said after the trial. "They have haunted my mind and they have interrupted my safe space when I leave this building."
Kendrick was beaten to death by Coulter in November 2020 and left his body in an apartment with his three young brothers.