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also known as Scott Johnson, Scott W. Johnson
Born and raised in Spokane, Scott is a true Eastern Washingtonian. Scott attended high school at Gonzaga Prep where he was a student body officer and national debate champion. After graduating Gonzaga Prep in 1990, Scott attended Pacific Lutheran University, graduating in 1994 with a double major in history and political science. From Pacific Lutheran, Scott moved east, and attended the University of Baltimore School of Law, in Baltimore, Maryland. At the University of Baltimore, Scott was one of an 8-member mock trial that advanced to the national finals in 1996 and 1997. Scott graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1997.
During law school, Scott had the privilege to work as an intern for Federal Judge Marvin Garbis, of United States District Court for the District of Maryland, as a legal intern for the Maryland law firm Reese and Carney, and as a legal intern for the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office in Kennewick.
After graduating from the University of Baltimore, Scott was happy to return home to Eastern Washington, and honored to accept a position as a deputy prosecutor with the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office in 1997. Scott worked in District Court, Juvenile Court, where he was promoted to Chief Juvenile Court Deputy, and Superior Court, where he was further promoted to Chief Deputy of the criminal division. Scott prosecuted criminal cases ranging from DUI, to livestock rustling, to complex white collar theft, kidnapping, rape, and murder. Scott has argued extensively in Division III of the Washington State Court of Appeals and has argued before the Washington State Supreme Court. After over 12 years of public service at the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office, Scott left the office in 2009 to go into private practice.
In 2009, Scott joined Sal Mendoza Jr. and Shawn Sant at the Mendoza Law Office. After Shawn was elected Franklin County Prosecutor, Scott became partners with Sal Mendoza and the two formed Mendoza & Johnson in 2011. Sal then became a Benton County Superior Court Judge and later a United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Washington. Scott then became law partners with Mia Mendoza. Scott handled all levels of criminal cases and select civil litigation at Mendoza and Johnson.
In October of 2015, Scott was presented with an opportunity to start his own firm. Seeing a need in the Eastern Washington legal community for highly skilled attorney services with rapid crisis response, and without layers of bureaucracy separating the client and lawyer, Scott formed the law firm of Johnson and Orr, with partner Deric Orr. Scott and Deric have been able to implement their philosophy of offering client’s rapid crisis response from highly skilled attorneys that client’s actually have access to.
Scott has tried over 200 jury trials and countless bench trials. Scott's cases have been featured by local, regonal, national, and international press outlets. Scott has had significant success in having clients found not guilty in extremely serious cases. Scott has also been able to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards and settlements for his civil clients.
5
Practice Areas
27 years
27 years
27 years
16 years
Free Consultation
$0 first 60 minutes
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Chat withState: Washington
Acquired: 1998
No misconduct found
1038 Jadwin, Richland, WA, 99352
27 Client Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 5 reviews | Compassion
Posted by anonymous | May 23, 2017 | Hired Attorney | White Collar Crime
Brilliant, Ethical, and Courteous.
I was being accused of Financial Exploitation. After meeting with Scott, he was the right attorney for me. He is Brilliant, Ethical, and Courteous. I have never been in trouble in my life, and being accused of this, was the most stressful thing I had to deal with. Scott listened to my concerns, ...
Posted by Henry | February 10, 2017 | Divorce & Separation
Hired for Divorce
Mr. Johnson cared little to nothing about my case, and despite me paying him $5000+ dollars over a years time for my case to just be continued and continued for no apparent legitimate reason, I ended up getting screwed over and basically nothing at the end of it all. I got the minimum "every other w...
This accuracy of this review is questionable, at best. Child support is fixed by a formula, so the fact that child support was ordered happens in every case with children. While I love dogs, I have never had a case where there was a fight over custody of a dog. Finally, there would be a court record if a judge said that a decree was written poorly. No such court record exists.
Posted by Josh | November 03, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense
Hired Scott for a Federal Probation Violation Revocation Hearing
I hired Scott as my defense atty. For a federal probation violation, he was prompt, easy to communicate with and personable. I highly recommend his services and feel he is the best defense attorney in our area. He replied to emailed questions, even though I was asking a lot of questions, all the time...
Posted by anonymous | October 27, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense
Great experience
Scott was a perfect lawyer for this misdemeanor case. He immediately responded to any of my emails and made this case as efficient as possible for me. He made sure I got in and out of court as fast as possible and completely fought for my case. He actually cared about the outcome of my case and what ...
Posted by anonymous | August 18, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense
Scott will fight for you
Having Scott Johnson as my attorney was a positive experience. All of my adult life, I’ve been a rule follower and have never had any trouble with the law; thus, when I found myself arrested and charged, I was very confused, lost, and overwhelmed. A friend referred me to Scott, so I called and made...
"Scott is a preeminent criminal defense attorney in Central Washington. As a former prosecutor and former public defense attorney, he has a wealth of experience in criminal law. He is a zealous advocate for his clients and is not afraid to go to trial. I have and will continue to refer people in need of legal help to him."
"Scott Johnson is one of the best trial attorneys I have ever seen. I have gone up against him more than once when he was a prosecutor, getting to see first hand his mastery of the courtroom. I know him to be hard working and committed to his clients. He is well liked and well respected in the community, which is invaluable to anyone who has him for their attorney. I give him my highest endorsement."
"After watching Scott work the courtrooms of our community for over 20 years, I endorse him without reservation. He is a highly skilled criminal litigator with a long and proven record of achieving favorable results for his clients in serious criminal cases."
"I endorse this lawyer. He is tenacious in ensuring that your rights are protected in every step of the process."
"Scott provides aggressive defense for his clients. I frequently refer individuals charged with particularly serious crimes to his office because I know he will zealously represent them."
"Scott Johnson is one of the best attorneys I know. He cares about his clients and is an excellent advocate for those he represents. Scott Johnson takes more cases to trial than anyone else I know with positive results. I endorse this lawyer."
"Scott's presence in the court room is second to none. I have seen him try cases ranging from Driving With a Suspended License to Murder and have always walked away impressed. He is on the short list of people I would call if I ever needed an attorney. I absolutely endorse this lawyer."
"I have know Scott for 10 years and have practiced with him on both sides of the aisle. Scott is a strong advocate for his client and help them navigate through very difficult situations. He is a top trial attorney and is respected by his peers."
Criminal defense lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
Appeals lawyer
Family lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
2017
Notable-Peer Rated for High Ethical Standards, Martindale-Hubbell
1999
Mock Trial Coach of the Year, YMCA Youth and Government
2015 - Present
Managing Partner, Johnson & Orr
2009 - 2015
Partner, Mendoza and Johnson
1997 - 2009
Chief Deputy, Criminal Divison, Benton County Prosecutor's Office
1996 - 1996
Federal Legal Intern, Hon. Marvin Garbis, U.S. District Court
1995 - 1997
Law Clerk, Reese & Carney, LLC
2017 - Present
Washington Defender Association
1998 - Present
Benton Franklin County Bar Association
1998 - Present
Washington State Bar Association
Not Guilty
Not Guilty
Not Guilty
Jury Verdict of Not Guilty
Case reduced from felony to misdemeanor with no jail or probation.
Not Guilty
Not Guilty
Not Guilty
1997
JD - Juris Doctor
1994
BA - Bachelor of Arts
2019
2017
Cross Examining Recanting Witnesses
2014
Successful Voire Dire
2013
Trial Advocacy
2010
Motions Practice In District Court
2009
Jury Selection
2018
2018
English
Legal Answers
Dui ? Charges over 1 year ago still pending in court. Now pandemic lockdown ? What’s gonna happen It’s been a while
04 Feb 2021
Confusion about romeo and juliet law in washington. What is it?
04 Feb 2021
I got a felony delivery for selling weed and worked for the cops . Now I'm being harrased by random people threaten me with guns
04 Feb 2021