Born in Weikert, Pennsylvania, Johnson received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Bucknell University in 1896 and read law in that year as well.
[1] Johnson received a recess appointment from President Calvin Coolidge on May 21, 1925, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Charles B. Witmer.
He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 17, 1925, and received his commission the same day.
[1] By 1945, Johnson was under investigation by the United States House Judiciary Committee for misconduct.
In unusual language, they found he was a “wicked, evil and mendacious judge.” The report of the subcommittee also said that almost “every litigant who had the misfortune to appear before this wicked and malicious judge became the immediate object of a crooked conspiracy whose sole interest was the amount of money that could be extorted from him for justice or the evasion of justice.” Johnson resigned before impeachment.