NICHELLE JOHNSON

Nichelle A. Johnson has been a Judge since April of 2016 in the Mount Vernon City Court. She was appointed to the judgeship in 2016 and then elected to a 10-year term in 2017. She is the first Muslim and Black/Latino judge in the City of Mount Vernon (Judge Johnson is half Puerto Rican). Prior to becoming a Judge, she was a practicing attorney for more than 20 years which includes 14 years in municipal defense. She spent more than a decade representing the citizens of Mount Vernon as the Corporation Counsel, Deputy Corporation Counsel, and a trial attorney. When she was an attorney, she litigated in Federal, Westchester Supreme, City and Family Courts throughout the State of New York, won prevailing decisions in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Southern District of New York, and the 2nd Department Appellate Division. While on the bench in addition to her duties, Judge Johnson officiates over the Drug Court Specialty Court and assisted in the creation of the Emerging Adult Justice Part (EAJP) which serves young adults between the ages of 18-25. In addition to her Judge duties, Judge Johnson has been an Adjunct Professor with Monroe College for approximately 8 years teaching business law, business ethics, legal aspects of sports management and other courses.

Judge Johnson graduated from C.W. Post College of Long Island University and began a career as an Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and then attended Brooklyn Law School - part time division - graduating in 1994 with awards for outstanding trial skills. She was admitted to practice law in 1995. Judge Johnson lives with her husband Arthur and four daughters, Najah, Mecca, Isha, and Amira in the City of Mount Vernon.