Pubdate: Wed, 22 May 2002
Source: Messenger-Inquirer (KY)
Copyright: 2002 Messenger-Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.messenger-inquirer.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1285
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

NEW PARTY CHIEF CONVICTED OF COCAINE POSSESSION 20 YEARS AGO

FRANKFORT -- The Kentucky Democratic Party's new chairman, Jerry Johnson, 
was fined and put on probation 20 years ago after being convicted of 
cocaine possession.

Gov. Paul Patton named Johnson to the post last week. Johnson had worked in 
the governor's office since 1995.

A spokesman for Patton's office said Monday that the governor was aware of 
the conviction before he brought Johnson into the governor's office staff 
at the outset of his administration.

"Jerry has been forthcoming about this from the beginning. We reviewed the 
record of this case and discussed it with him before he was hired in 1995," 
said Denis Fleming, general counsel for Patton. "Though this was a serious 
conviction, the governor believes strongly in giving a person a second 
chance. Jerry had paid his debt to society, and the governor was convinced 
he could make a contribution to his administration."

Johnson, 46, was convicted in March 1982 in Harlan County of cocaine 
possession and was fined $5,000 and placed on probation for five years.

Johnson had long been active in Democratic politics when Patton brought him 
to work in the governor's office. In his application for a state job, 
Johnson checked "yes" to a question asking if he'd ever been convicted of 
violating any law. He listed the conviction as "controlled substance 
violation."

Fleming said a key factor in Patton's decision to hire Johnson was a letter 
from the prosecutor, former Harlan County Commonwealth's Attorney Ron 
Johnson, to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as part of 
Jerry Johnson's effort to regain the right to own firearms.

"I am as strongly in favor of him (Jerry Johnson) being restored to his 
rights to bear arms as I was in the prosecution of him," Ron Johnson wrote 
in 1988.

Ron Johnson, who is no relation to Jerry Johnson, is now circuit judge in 
Harlan County. He said Tuesday that he aggressively prosecuted Jerry 
Johnson and opposed his probation.

Jerry Johnson was indicted on a charge of trafficking in cocaine after 
allegedly attempting to sell to an undercover state policeman, but a jury 
found him guilty of the lesser charge of possession.

Jerry Johnson said, "This is obviously something I have a great deal of 
regret about. I'm very sorry it happened, but because I couldn't go back 
and change it, I decided to use it to drive me to be a better person. And I 
think my record of public service over the past 16 years shows I have been 
able to make a contribution."

Patton is on an economic development trip to Japan this week and 
unavailable for comment.

Ellen Williams, chairman of the Kentucky Republican Party, said of the past 
conviction, "It's all a bit troubling to me for what it says about the 
governor, not really about Jerry.

"It brings into question the types of people who are among the governor's 
very closest advisers," she said. "This was 20 years ago, but it's a very 
serious conviction."
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