High-profile Harris County judge back on bench following dropped DWI claims

HARRIS COUNTY - The Honorable Judge Kelli Johnson, who serves the 178th Criminal District Court in Harris County, returns to the bench after clearing her name from suspected DWIs.

Harris County judge back on the bench

What we know:

Judge Kelli Johnson was initially suspected of two DWI's, several months apart, due to erratic behavior. She was later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, stemming from a severe head injury.

Timeline:

The incident began on Valentine's Day 2024, when the judge fell off a scooter, leading to a series of misdiagnoses and legal challenges before her condition was correctly identified.

Two months after her fall, she started having panic attacks, which had never happened before. She could tell her behavior was changing, but didn't know why or what to do about it.

Then she was pulled over for a suspected DWI, and then again two months after that. It was puzzling, because results showed she didn't have drugs or alcohol in her system. Finally, after going back to the hospital multiple times, and after being wrongly treated for mental anguish, she was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

‘I had a lot of healing to do’

What they're saying:

"I had a lot of healing to do on my head, I thought I was over the worst part and little did I know that in the months to follow, my whole life would be changed because of this. Brain injuries steal pieces of you. They steal your identity. They steal moments of joy in your life. They steal friendships. They affect your work, your close friends. It affects everything. You have to be vigilant, you have to ask questions, you have to stay on doctors to give them the answers and make them figure out how healing is the best for you individually," explains Judge Johnson.

"If a doctor in the emergency room had told her if you watch out for this in a couple of months, you might have this problem, if they'd told her that - she wouldn't have any of these issues because if her family had been warned, if she'd have been warned, she could have gotten the help immediately, because they would have known the signs, they'd have seen it coming, and she'd have taken action at the first onset of the symptoms, instead of everyone, including me, steering her in the wrong direction," says Tritico.

What's next:

Johnson plans to use her experience to advocate for increased awareness and education on head injuries, aiming to prevent similar situations for others.

Dig deeper:

Johnson's story highlights the importance of understanding and recognizing the symptoms of head injuries, which can have profound impacts on personal and professional life.

For more information on post-concussion syndrome, visit the Concussion Legacy Foundation website and the CDC's Concussion Information.