District Attorney's Biography

Robert T. Johnson has been the District Attorney of Bronx County since January 1, 1989. He is the first African-American District Attorney in the history of New York State. And, in 2005, he became the longest-serving District Attorney in Bronx history.

Mr. Johnson, a native New Yorker, was born in the Bronx. He graduated from James Monroe High School, the City College of New York, and New York University School of Law. From 1975 to 1978, he was a criminal defense attorney for the Legal Aid Society. This was followed by eight years as a Bronx Assistant District Attorney. In August of 1986, he was appointed a Judge of the New York City Criminal Court, and then promoted to Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, where he served until 1988.

As District Attorney, Mr. Johnson has emphasized the prosecution of serious crimes. At the same time, he has employed a multi-faceted approach to prosecution that also stresses drug rehabilitation, community outreach, and crime prevention strategies. Between 1993 and 2007, more than 12,000 defendants were placed in drug treatment programs as an alternative to incarceration. Other anti-drug efforts are also utilized, including civil programs aimed at evicting drug dealers and forfeiting narcotics assets. In conjunction with police efforts and a cooperative community, the overall effect of these strategies has been a sharp decrease in violent crime. Homicides have been reduced by 80%, from 653 in 1990 to 130 in 2007. Other violent crimes, such as rape and assault, have continued to drop, contributing to a 73% decrease in violent crime since 1990.

In the area of community affairs, Mr. Johnson and his staff actively participate in a wide variety of programs and community activities aimed at preventing crime and improving the quality of life. Two examples of these programs are the Youth Trial Advocacy Program (Y.T.A.P) and the Students Together Avoiding Risk (S.T.A.R.) Program. Y.T.A.P provides high school students the opportunity to develop advocacy skills and debating techniques by participating in a moot court competition under the guidance of Assistant District Attorneys who serve as coaches/mentors. As part of S.T.A.R, trained Office staff provide 5th and 6th graders and their parents with information on the negative effects of gangs, gun violence and drugs.

Mr. Johnson, a United States Navy Veteran, is past President of the New York State District Attorneys Association and a present member of the Board of Directors of that Organization. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice, and a member of the Bronx County Bar Association, the Black Bar Association of Bronx County, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, and the New York Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Board. In 1997, the Criminal Justice section of the New York State Bar Association awarded him the David S. Michaels Memorial Award for Courageous Efforts in Promoting Integrity in the Criminal Justice System.

Mr. Johnson, the father of four sons, is married to Appellate Division, First Department Justice Dianne Renwick, and resides in the Bronx with his family.