Judge Vernita King-Johnson

CLEO 1978

Judge Vernita King-Johnson is a native of Marshall County, Mississippi. She is one of four children born to Leslie L. (a retired farmer) and Euretha C. King (a retired educator). She was educated in the public school system of Marshall County and later received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 1978 from the University of Mississippi. In 1981, she received a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Mississippi Law Center.

Judge Johnson carried on a private law practice from 1981 through 1998 in Greenville, Mississippi. Additionally, she has served as a municipal judge in the municipalities of Hollandale, Arcola and Greenville, (all were part-time positions) and as a part-time prosecutor with the Washington County Youth Court for 13 years.

In 1998, Johnson was elected to the position of County/Youth Court Judge of Washington County. She has just begun her third term as County/Youth Court Judge. In this position, she presides over civil cases, eminent domain cases, appeals from all municipal courts and justice courts of the county, termination of parental rights matters as well as all juvenile delinquencies, status offenders, child neglect and abuse cases.

Johnson is a member of the Pleasant Green M.B. Church of Greenville, Mississippi. She is Vice-Chairperson of the Council of County Court Judges, a member of the Mississippi Trial Judges Association, a member of the Mississippi Council of Youth Court Judges and Referees, President, Moderne Arts and Civic Club and former Advisory Board Member of Greenville Daycare Learning Center. She is a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Mississippi Bar and the Magnolia Bar Association. In 2010, she was selected as one of the two team leaders from Mississippi for the Annie E. Casey’s JDAI (Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative). In 2002 and 2011, she received the Mississippi Juvenile Justice Advocacy Award and successfully completed the Applied Leadership Network Training

She is married to Mr. Ivory Johnson, Jr. and they have three sons (Trell, Brandon and Marcus) and raised a niece, Nicole, along with one grandson, Cameron.