Texas House of Representatives : Representative Johnson, Ann

Texas House Member

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Rep. Johnson, Ann

District 134

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Capitol Address:

Room E2.412

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0389

District Address:

5601 West Loop S

Suite C218

Houston, Texas 77081

(713) 592-0006

Counties Represented:

Harris (part)

District:


Biography

Representative Ann Johnson is a former Chief Human Trafficking Prosecutor, current teacher, and small business owner who works as an attorney in our criminal justice system for victims of sexual exploitation and those who cannot afford a lawyer.

Ann earned a BA degree from the University of Texas and her law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston. She worked as a briefing attorney for the Honorable Leslie Brock Yates, then a Justice on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals following graduation. She then worked as a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney�s Office until 2005, when she then entered private practice with her father, Jake, at Johnson Law Firm PC. Ann and her father represented individuals in civil, criminal and juvenile matters. One of her most significant cases was In re B.W., 313 SW3rd 818 (Tex. 2010) in which the Texas Supreme Court reversed the Harris County District Attorney�s prosecution of a 13-year-old child for prostitution and created a framework for protecting child victims of exploitation and human trafficking. Ann was a founding member of the Harris County GIRLS Court (now called CARE Court), a special court dedicated to assisting children lawfully brought to the juvenile justice system who may also be victims of human trafficking.

In 2013, Ann returned to the Harris County District Attorney�s Office to be the Human Trafficking Specialist. Ann successfully prosecuted some of the worst traffickers and her work eventually led to the establishment of the Human Trafficking Section where she served as the Chief Prosecutor until 2017. In addition to holding exploiters accountable, Ann worked to modify Harris County�s approach to better identify victims who were misidentified as offenders with a model of �arrest as recovery, not conviction.� Ann also established S.A.F.E. Court after receiving a Department of Justice grant to provide support to those 17 to 25 - years of age arrested for prostitution.

Ann was a founding partner in private practice with Johnson Martinez LLC working on behalf of human trafficking victims and indigent defendants in our criminal justice system. Ann returned to her family firm, Johnson Law Firm PC in 2021, which was established by her father, Jake Johnson, in 1980.

Ann has been an adjunct professor of law at South Texas College of Law Houston since 2001. She teaches courses on voir dire and jury communication, trial litigation and criminal defense. She is also an active member of the Texas Children�s Justice Act Task Force.

Ann is honored to have been elected to serve as State Representative for Texas House District 134 in 2020.

A Houston native and youngest of six children, Ann learned her values and work ethic at home. Ann�s father, former State Representative Jake Johnson from Harris County (59th and 60th sessions. And her mother, Hon Carolyn Marks Johnson, a strong sense of the honor and responsibility of speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Ann and wife Sonya Cuellar, an artist, married as soon as the law allowed. They have three rescue dogs and lots of wonderful nieces and nephews.

La representante Ann Johnson fue, previamente, fiscal jefe en casos de trata de personas. Actualmente, es docente y propietaria de una peque�a empresa. Tambi�n trabaja como abogada en el sistema de justicia penal para v�ctimas de explotaci�n sexual y para quienes no pueden costear los honorarios de un abogado.

Ann obtuvo un t�tulo de la Universidad de Texas, y luego se gradu� de la Facultad de Derecho del South Texas College de Houston. Trabaj� como pasante de la jueza Leslie Brock Yates y, m�s tarde, fue jueza del Catorceavo Tribunal de Apelaciones, despu�s de su graduaci�n. Despu�s, trabaj� como fiscal del condado de Harris hasta el 2005, y luego ingres� a la pr�ctica privada de su padre, Jake, en el bufete Johnson Law Firm PC. Ann y su padre han representado a clientes en asuntos civiles, penales y casos juveniles. Uno de sus casos m�s significativos fue In re B.W., 313 SW3rd 818 (Tex. 2010) en el cual la Corte Suprema de Texas revirti� los cargos de prostituci�n del fiscal del condado de Harris contra una menor de 13 a�os, y cre� un sistema para proteger a los menores v�ctima de explotaci�n y la trata de personas. Fue miembro fundador de la Corte GIRLS del condado de Harris (ahora llamada Corte CARE), un tribunal especial dedicado a asistir a los menores que ingresan al sistema de justicia juvenil de manera legal, pero que tambi�n podr�an ser v�ctimas de trata de personas.

En el 2013, Ann regres� a la Fiscal�a del condado de Harris para trabajar como especialista en trata de personas. Ann enjuici� a algunos de los peores traficantes, y su trabajo llev� a establecer la Secci�n de Trata de Personas, para la cual fue Fiscal jefe hasta el 2017. Adem�s de procesar a los explotadores, Ann trabaj� para modificar el enfoque del condado de Harris para identificar, con mayor precisi�n, a las v�ctimas que hab�an sido identificadas err�neamente como delincuentes con el modelo �arresto como recuperaci�n, no como condena�. Ann tambi�n estableci� la Corte S.A.F.E. despu�s de recibir una subvenci�n del Departamento de Justicia para brindar respaldo a los arrestados por prostituci�n de entre 17 y 25 a�os.

Ann fue socia fundadora de un despacho privado, Johnson Mart�nez LLC, que presta servicios a las v�ctimas de trata de personas y a los acusados indigentes en nuestro sistema de justicia penal. En el 2021, Ann regres� al bufete de su familia, Johnson Law Firm PC, establecido en 1980 por su padre, Jake Johnson.

Ha sido profesora asistente en la Facultad de Derecho en South Texas College de Houston desde el 2001. Ense�a clases sobre selecci�n del jurado, comunicaci�n de los jurados, litigios procesales y defensa penal. Asimismo, es miembro activo del Grupo de Trabajo de la Ley de Justicia para Menores de Texas.

Fue un honor para Ann haber sido elegida para servir en la C�mara de Representantes de Texas representando al distrito 134 en el 2020.

Nacida en Houston, Ann es la m�s joven de seis hijos, y aprendi� sus valores y �tica de trabajo en su casa. El padre de Ann, el representante estatal Jake Johnson del condado de Harris (en las 59.a y 60.a sesiones) y su madre, la jueza Carolyn Marks Johnson, le transmitieron un fuerte sentido del honor, y la responsabilidad de hablar en nombre de quienes no pueden hablar por s� mismos.

Ann y su esposa, Sonya Cuellar, una artista, se casaron tan pronto como la ley lo permiti�. Tienen tres perros rescatados y muchos sobrinos y sobrinas maravillosos.

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