Frank Minis Johnson, Jr. (born October 30, 1918 in
Haleyville, AlabamaHaleyville is a city in Marion and Winston Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. Haleyville was originally named Davis Cross Roads, as it was established at the crossroads of Byler Road and the Illinois Central Railroad...
- July 23, 1999 in
Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital, second most populous city, and the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the Southern U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. The city population was 201,568...
) United States Federal judge, made a number of landmark civil rights rulings that helped end segregation in the South. In the words of
Bill MoyersBilly Don "Bill" Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965-1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers had an extensive involvement with...
, he "altered forever the face of the South."
An alumnus of The
University of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System. Within Alabama, it is often called "the Capstone"...
and the
University of Alabama School of LawThe University of Alabama School of Law is a law school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. University of Alabama School of Law is one of five law schools in the state, one of three that is ABA accredited, and of the accredited schools, it is the only public law school in Alabama...
(one of Johnson's classmates was future Governor
George C. WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. , was a governor of Alabama for four terms; 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T...
, who would be Johnson's
bête noireThe term bête noire is used to refer to an object or abstract idea that is particularly disliked or avoided. The phrase is used in several pop culture terms:...
in the civil rights litigation of the 1960s), Johnson served in the U.S.
Frank Minis Johnson, Jr. (born October 30, 1918 in
Haleyville, AlabamaHaleyville is a city in Marion and Winston Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. Haleyville was originally named Davis Cross Roads, as it was established at the crossroads of Byler Road and the Illinois Central Railroad...
- July 23, 1999 in
Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital, second most populous city, and the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the Southern U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. The city population was 201,568...
) United States Federal judge, made a number of landmark civil rights rulings that helped end segregation in the South. In the words of
Bill MoyersBilly Don "Bill" Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965-1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers had an extensive involvement with...
, he "altered forever the face of the South."
Biography
An alumnus of The
University of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System. Within Alabama, it is often called "the Capstone"...
and the
University of Alabama School of LawThe University of Alabama School of Law is a law school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. University of Alabama School of Law is one of five law schools in the state, one of three that is ABA accredited, and of the accredited schools, it is the only public law school in Alabama...
(one of Johnson's classmates was future Governor
George C. WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. , was a governor of Alabama for four terms; 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T...
, who would be Johnson's
bête noireThe term bête noire is used to refer to an object or abstract idea that is particularly disliked or avoided. The phrase is used in several pop culture terms:...
in the civil rights litigation of the 1960s), Johnson served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, while his wife, Ruth (also a classmate from The University of Alabama) served in the
WAVESThe WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
as an advisor to Hollywood filmmakers. After military service, Johnson entered private law practice in
Jasper, AlabamaJasper is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 14,659. As of July 1, 2006 the population had increased to 15,117. The city is the county seat of Walker County, and once ranked among the world's leading producers of coal.-Geography:Jasper is located...
, 1946-1953. Delegate to
Republican National ConventionThe Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
from Alabama, 1948; U.S. District Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, 1953-55.
Federal Judicial Service
- Judge of U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, 1955-1979;
- Received a recess appointment
A recess appointment occurs when the President of the United States fills a vacant federal position, of a sufficiently senior level that the nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, while the Senate is in recess...
from President EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. During the Second World War, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the...
on October 22, 1955, to a seat vacated by Charles B. Kennamer; nominated on January 12, 1956; Confirmed by the United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
on January 31, 1956, and received his commission on February 1, 1956. Served as chief judge, 1966-1979. Service terminated on July 12, 1979, due to appointment to another judicial position.
- Judge of United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
, 1979-1981;
- Nominated by President Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
on April 2, 1979, to a new seat; Confirmed by the Senate on June 19, 1979, and received his commission on June 21, 1979. Service terminated on October 1, 1981, due to assignment to another court.
- Judge of United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama* Northern District of Alabama...
1981-1999;
- Reassigned October 1, 1981; Assumed senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status. A judge must be at least 65 and have served for 15 years to qualify, with...
on October 30, 1991. He was succeeded on the bench by Edward Earl CarnesEdward Earl Carnes is a conservative jurist on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.-Background:...
. Service terminated on July 23, 1999, upon his death.
FBI Nomination
In 1977 President Carter and Attorney General
Griffin BellGriffin Boyette Bell was an American lawyer and former Attorney General. He served as the nation's 72nd Attorney General during the Jimmy Carter administration...
asked him to become
FBIThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency. The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
Director when Director
KelleyClarence M. Kelley was a public servant and former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Clarence Kelley was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1911. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1936 as a proud member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He then continued...
stepped down. However the day after President Carter nominated him, Judge Johnson was discovered to have an
aneurysmAn aneurysm or aneurism , is a localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall....
, or abnormal swelling, of his abdominal aorta, and later had to withdraw his name from the nomination.
Notable Decisions
- Browder v. Gayle
Browder v. Gayle, 142 F. Supp. 707 , was a case heard before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama regarding Montgomery bus segregation laws...
(1956)
Orders the racial integration of the public transportation system of the city of
MontgomeryMontgomery is the capital, second most populous city, and the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the Southern U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. The city population was 201,568...
.
- Gomillion v. Lightfoot
Gomillion v. Lightfoot, 364 U.S. 339 , was a United States Supreme Court decision that found an electoral district created to disenfranchise blacks violated the Fifteenth Amendment.- Decision :...
(1961)
Invalidated a plan by the city of
TuskegeeTuskegee is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Located in Macon County, Alabama, Tuskegee has been the site of major African-American achievements for more than 100 years. It is where, in...
to dilute black voting strength by redrawing city boundaries so as to move concentrations of black voters out of the city limits.
- United States v. Alabama (1961)
Ordered that black persons be registered to vote if their application papers were equal to the performance of the least qualified white applicant accepted on the voting rolls.
- Lewis v. Greyhound (1961)
Required desegregation of the bus depots of the city of Montgomery.
- United States v. City of Montgomery (1961)
Ordered the city of Montgomery to surrender its voting registration records to the US Department of Justice.
Required the state of Alabama to reapportion state legislative districts to adhere to the 'one man, one vote' principle.
- Lee v. Macon County Board of Ed. (1963)
Mandated, in Alabama, the first statewide desegregation of public schools.
- Williams v. Wallace (1965)
Ordered Gov. George Wallace to permit Dr. King's civil rights protest march from
SelmaSelma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census. The city is best known for the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement and its Selma to Montgomery marches, three civil rights...
to Mongomery.
Ruled that the state of Alabama must permit Blacks to serve on juries.
- United States v. Alabama (1966)
Declared the Alabama
poll taxA poll tax, head tax, or capitation tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
unconstitutional.
- Smith v. YMCA of Montgomery (1970)
Ordered the desegregation of the Montgomery chapter of the YMCA.
- Garcia-Mir v. Meese
Garcia-Mir v. Meese, 788 F.2d 1446 , was a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which ruled that the United States could detain indefinitely Cuban refugees who had arrived during the Mariel boatlift....
(1986)
Upheld that existing U.S. law superseded
customary international lawCustomary international law are those aspects of international law that derive from custom. Coupled with general principles of law and treaties, custom is considered by the International Court of Justice, jurists, the United Nations, and its member states to be among the primary sources of...
.
Required the state of Alabama to hire one Black state trooper for every white state trooper until racial parity was achieved.
External links