Speaker/Host: Judge Craig Johnston

Presented by the Lifelong Learning Institute, Manassas

This event is open to the public. For more information about the Lifelong Learning Institute, Manassas, visit lli-manassas.org

In this presentation Judge Craig Johnston, a retired judge of our Circuit Court, will discuss when and how the Constitution is applied in cases in Virginia Courts, from the lowest to the highest. You will then get the facts of a real case with Constitutional issues, and follow it as it proceeded through the judicial system. At each step, you will try your hand at deciding how the Constitutional issues should be decided, then see how they were actually decided and see whether you agree with the Courts’ actual decisions. (Hint: the various courts which addressed the case did not always agree with each other.) Along the way you will be able to ask questions about how the Constitution actually affects Virginia Courts and the citizens who appear in court. Looking at these issues from a court’s point of view will give you better insight into what is going on in cases of all kinds with Constitutional issues.

Judge Craig Johnston is a semi-retired Circuit Court judge for Prince William County. He and his wife Joyce, a George Mason University adjunct professor and frequent LLI presenter, live in Manassas. He served as a Circuit Court Judge for many years, including as Chief Judge of the Court. Prior to becoming a judge, he practiced law in Manassas for 30 years He is the author of a treatise on Virginia trial procedure and Rules of Evidence in Virginia courts which he updates annually: “Trial Handbook for Virginia Lawyers” and includes extensive discussion of the many ways the Constitution impacts trials in all of our Courts. Since retiring in 2018, he has continued to sit as a judge when requested to do so, and serves as a mediator.