@vidabjohnson

Professor of Law, Director, Georgetown Criminal Justice Clinic. Co-Director, E. Barrett Prettyman Fellowship. Opinions my own.

Joined September 2014
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40Media
I really believe that we need to stop prosecuting poor people because they are poor and people of color for petty crimes, ending the prosecution of non-violent misdemeanors is a great place to start. washingtonpost.com/opinions/…

Opinion | Misdemeanor court has been closed for a year. Keep it that way.

When the pandemic threat ends, this policy change for nonviolent misdemeanors should stay.

washingtonpost.com
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If you are a 3L or recent law school grad who wants to represent people accused of crimes with low case loads, excellent training and supervision- the @GeorgetownLaw E. Barrett Prettyman fellowship may be for you. Applications are due in two weeks: apply.interfolio.com/189979
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DC Friends- Vote for Janeese Lewis George for Mayor, Robert White for Congress, & Oye Owelewa for at Large. If our values align, do NOT rank Kenyon McDuffie or Brooke Pinto for Congress. Wealthy donors love them and they both receive money from Republicans.
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If you want to see something silly & Christmasy people.com/did-santa-commit-…

Did 'Elf's' Santa Commit a Crime When He Took Buddy to the North Pole? A Law Professor Explains

Did Santa kidnap Buddy the Elf at the start of 'Elf'? A law professor explains whether or not Santa committed a crime — and what other hijinks might have gone down in the film.

people.com
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Something not mentioned in this @NYT article is that the superior court grand jury sits inside of the United States Attorneys Office. nytimes.com/2025/09/30/us/po…

In Unusual Move, Prosecutors Secure Federal Charges From Local Grand Jury (Published 2025)

A judge, Zia M. Faruqui, said that what appeared to be a kind of grand jury forum shopping seemed to have broken “decades-long norms and the rule of law.”

nytimes.com
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Kristi Noem personally joined an ICE raid in Chicago. They arrested two U.S. citizen by mistake. They were woken up by their front door being blown off. ICE released it all on video even after the arrest was proven to be a mistake.
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With ICE agents covering their faces, not wearing uniforms or badges, driving unmarked cars, and reports of men pretending to be them, it is not going to be easy for prosecutors in DC to win assault on a police officers or resisting arrest cases.
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If you want to learn the truth about D.C.'s bail system: bloomberg.com/news/audio/202…

Bloomberg Law: Fed Governor Sues Trump & Cashless Bail - Bloomberg

Host June Grasso speaks with prominent attorneys and legal scholars, analyzing major legal issues and cases in the news.

bloomberg.com
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This: washingtonpost.com/opinions/…

Opinion | I was incarcerated as a child. D.C.’s second-chance laws changed my life.

Washingtonians should feel safe. And these are not soft-on-crime measures.

washingtonpost.com
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Are you a 3L or recent grad who wants to be a public defender? If so, apply to be a E. Barrett Prettyman fellow @GeorgetownLaw. You will get excellent supervision, robust training, a low caseload and get to fight for the residents of DC! apply.interfolio.com/170321
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Ohio has multiple cities with more crime than DC. washingtonpost.com/nation/20…

Republican-led states to send hundreds more National Guard troops to D.C.

National Guard troops in Washington may soon carry weapons, a reversal of their initial orders.

washingtonpost.com
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Are you a rising 3L or recent law grad and an aspiring public defender? Want great supervision and low caseloads? If so, consider applying for the E. Barrett Prettyman fellowship. apply.interfolio.com/170321
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The application is open now and closes in early October!
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courtexcellence.org/news-ite…

New Report on Jail Confirms Unsafe Conditions and Rising Deaths, Calls for Immediate Action

CCE, in partnership with the Office of the D.C. Auditor, released "Urgent Need for New D.C. Jail," an audit report that details dangerous and deteriorating conditions at the D.C. Jail between 2023...

courtexcellence.org
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Georgetown Law’s Prettyman Fellowship Marks 65 Years of Preparing Lawyers to Defend the Underrepresented law.georgetown.edu/news/geor…

Georgetown Law’s Prettyman Fellowship Marks 65 Years of Preparing Lawyers to Defend the Underrepr...

In 1960, Georgetown Law founded the E. Barrett Prettyman Program, which was – and still is – an innovative fellowship that trains recent law school graduates to represent indigent clients. On May 31,...

law.georgetown.edu
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This Juneteenth, please join me in supporting @BlackVotersMtr blackvotersmatterfund.org/

Black Voters Matter

Our goal is to increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. Effective voting lets a community determine its own destiny.

blackvotersmatterfund.org
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Prettyman Fellows Reflect on 65 Years of Developing Public Defenders and... youtube.com/shorts/k9ct8AwAt… via @YouTube
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Apply to be a Prettyman fellow if this appeals to you: Prettyman Fellows Reflect on 65 Years of Developing Public Defenders and... youtube.com/shorts/k9ct8AwAt… via @YouTube
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DC residents- be outraged! washingtoncitypaper.com/arti…

D.C. Purchased a Controversial Web-Surveillance Platform But Won’t Say How They’re Using It

A leaked training manual for Cobweb Technologies’ surveillance software uses Black Lives Matter DC as an example of the targets its clients can monitor.

washingtoncitypaper.com
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Vida B. Johnson retweeted
The Hill
@thehill9 Nov 2024
DOJ sues Mississippi state Senate for paying Black staffer half the salary of white staffers trib.al/rVkEHzF

DOJ sues Mississippi state Senate for paying Black staffer half the salary of white staffers

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a lawsuit Friday against the Mississippi state Senate for discriminating against a former Black staffer.  The woman, a former staff attorney in the state’s…

thehill.com
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