Johnson was nominated by President George H. W. Bush on May 17, 1991, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York vacated by Judge Joseph M. McLaughlin. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 27, 1991, and received commission on July 2, 1991. He assumed senior status on June 1, 2003. Johnson died on October 10, 2022, aged 88.
