Christopher M. Johnson

Chief Appellate Defender & Professor of Law

B.A., Carleton College
J.D., Harvard University School of Law

Biography

Updated: Sept. 20, 2007

Articles

Not for love or money: Appointing a public defender to litigate a claim of ineffective assistance involving another public defender, in progress.
The New Hampshire Appellate Defender Program: An Apprenticeship Clinic, 75 Mississippi L.J. 825-43 (2006).
The Law’s Hard Choice: Self-Inflicted Injustice or Lawyer-Inflicted Indignity, 93 Kentucky L.J. 39-141 (2004-05).
Franklin Pierce: Courtroom Orator, America’s Lawyer-Presidents, pp. 106-15 (ABA Museum of Law, Northwestern University Press: 2004).
Why I Teach, The Law Teacher, Fall 2004.

Other

Briefs filed in the New Hampshire Supreme Court, on behalf of Indigent Criminal Appellants

State v. Kerwin Dimitroff, No. 2007-0015 (filed 7/17/07).
State v. Angel Cosme, No. 2007-0072 (filed 6/29/07).
State v. Paul Mills, No. 2006-805 (filed 5/23/07).
State v. Andrew Cook, No. 2006-764 (filed 5/1/07).
State v. Joseph Teitler, No. 2006-378 (filed 3/27/07).
State v. Francis L’Ecuyer, No. 2006-600 (filed 2/26/07).
In re Juvenile (C.B.), No. 2006-406 (filed 2/13/07).
State v. Robert Buzby, No. 2006-501 (filed 1/31/07).
State v. Keith Ingraham, No. 2006-547 (filed 1/30/07).
State v. Daniel Sodoyer, No. 2006-541 (filed 1/2/07).
State v. Vicki Hodges, No. 2006-513 (filed 12/26/06).
State v. Stephen Deschenes, No. 2006-456 (filed 12/14/06).
State v. Stephen Deschenes, No 2006-455 (filed 12/14/06).
State v. John Egan, No. 2006-428 (filed 11/17/06).
State v. Stephen Baptiste, No. 2006-146 (filed 10/13/06).
State v. Saad Moussa, No. 2006-0044 (memo) (filed 9/15/06).
State v. Scott Veale, 919 A.2d 794 (2007) (filed 9/15/06).
In re Juvenile (I.M.), No. 2006-259 (filed 9/5/06).
State v. Thomas Jurentkuff, No. 2006-0174 (filed 8/21/06).
State v. Darin Parker, No. 2005-859 (filed 7/24/06).
State v. Juan Acosta, No. 2004-470 (filed 2/6/06).
State v. Thomas Hersey, No. 2006-132 (filed 7/10/06).
State v. John Buchet, No. 2005-359 (filed 6/26/06).
Jamie Hrycuna v. Commissioner, Dept. of Corrections, No. 2005-583 (filed 5/30/06).
State v. Adam Lavoie, No. 2006-0036 (filed 5/5/06).
State v. William Dodge, No. 2005-705 (filed 3/20/06).
Petition of State of N.H. (State v. Richard Marcoux), No. 2005-226 (filed 3/13/06).
State v. Randy Brasseau, No. 2005-735 (filed 3/10/06).
State v. Lyle Whitehouse, No. 2004-575 (filed 2/21/06).
State v. George Corrado, No. 2005-0675 (filed 1/23/06).
State v. James Murray, ___ N.H. ___ (filed 11/21/05).
State v. Graham Gibson, ___ N.H. ___, 897 A.2d 957 (filed 9/29/05).
State v. Sidney Henderson, No. 2005-0263 (filed 9/19/05).
State v. Daniel Fichera, ___ N.H. __ (filed 8/8/05).
State v. Joseph Morabito, __ N.H. __ , 893 A.2d 691 006) (filed 8/5/05).
In re Juvenile 04-861, No. 2004-861 (filed 7/15/05).
State v. James Joseph, No. 2004-599 (filed 6/16/05).
In re Juvenile 04-604, No. 2004-604 (filed 5/31/05).
State v. Leton Adumene, No. 2004-858 (filed 5/25/05).
State v. Michael McCarthy, No. 2004-0759 (filed 5/11/05).
State v. Derek Pierce, 152 N.H. 790 005) (filed 4/15/05).
State v. William Carey, No. 2004-544 (filed 4/4/05).
State v. Stephen Daugherty, No. 2004-589 (filed 3/21/05).
State v. Michael Demeritt, No. 2004-611 (filed 3/11/05).
State v. George Knickerbocker, Jr., 152 N.H. 467 005) (filed 3/8/05).
In re Petition of State of New Hampshire (Jesse Labrie), 152 N.H. 185 (2005) (with David Rothstein) (filed 2/2/05).
State v. Frank Simone (#2), 152 N.H. 755 (2005) (filed 12/17/04).
State v. Joseph LeCouffe, 152 N.H. 148 (2005) (amicus) (filed 11/5/04).
State v. Geraldine Spencer, No. 2004-0148 (filed 10/26/04).
State v. Vincent Schonarth, 152 N.H. 560 005) (filed 10/25/04).
State v. Denis Kennedy, No. 2003-0453 (filed 10/15/04).
State v. Michael Rezk, No. 2004-0426 (filed 10/12/04).
State v. Raymond Marbury, No. 2004-0175 (filed 8/16/04).
State v. Robert Libby, No. 2003-0833 (filed 7/27/04).
State v. Barry Gallant, No. 2003-0268 (filed 7/2/04).
State v. James Moran, 151 N.H. 450 004) (filed 6/4/04).
State v. Jason Porter, No. 2003-0555 (filed 5/21/04).
State v. Virginia Anthony, 151 N.H. 492 004) (filed 5/18/04).
State v. Michael Amirault (#2), No. 2004-0004 (filed 4/12/04).
State v. Deborah Moore, 151 N.H. 288 004) (filed 2/23/04).
State v. Eric Smalley, 151 N.H. 193 004) (filed 2/2/04).
State v. Alex Brenes, 151 N.H. 11 004) (filed 12/13/03).
State v. Richard Ellsworth, 151 N.H. 152 004) (filed 11/21/03).
In re Juvenile, 151 N.H. 14 004) (filed 10/20/03).
State v. Lawrence Sleeper, 150 N.H. 725 004) (filed 10/7/03).
State v. Earle Fox, III, No. 2003-0360 (filed 9/17/03).
State v. Earle Fox, III, 150 N.H. 623 004) (filed 8/26/03).
State v. Bruce Woods, No. 2003–020 (filed 7/28/03).
State v. Leonard Brainard, No. 2002-0668 (filed 6/2/03).
State v. Wigburto Burgos, No. 2002-0383 (filed 5/6/03).
State v. Lawrence Woodard, No. 2002-0705 (filed 4/28/03).
State v. Michael Rezk, 150 N.H. 483 (filed 4/28/03).
State v. Joseph Freeman, No. 2002-0372 (filed 1/16/03).
State v. Rodney Smith, 149 N.H. 693 (filed 12/20/02).
State v. Michael Amirault, 149 N.H. 541 (filed 11/18/02).
State v. Nancy Lamprey, 149 N.H. 364 (filed 10/21/02).
State v. Beau Illsley, No. 2002-0211 (filed 10/16/02).
State v. Gerald Galvin, No. 2001-260 (filed 9/12/02).
State v. Vaclav Plch, 149 N.H. 608 (filed 8/23/02).
State v. David Michaud, 150 N.H. 359 003) (filed 8/1/02).
State v. Delbert Stott, 149 N.H. 170 (filed 7/3/02).
State v. Harvey Pratt, No. 2001-748 (filed 7/2/02).
In re Matthew H., No. 2001-621 (filed 6/10/02).
State v. Brian Patten, 148 N.H. 659 (filed 5/13/02).
State v. Miguel Sanchez, No. 2000-366 (filed 4/9/02).
State v. Feliez Medina, No. 2001-086 (filed 4/1/02).
State v. Peter D’Amelio, 148 N.H. 341 002) (filed 3/18/02).
State (Premo, Complainant) v. Angela Martineau, 148 N.H. 259 002) (filed 1/23/02).
State v. Scott Mitchell, 148 N.H. 293 002) (filed 12/21/01).
State v. Bruce Watkins, 148 N.H. 760 (filed 12/13/01).
State v. Mark O’Connell, No. 2001-428 (filed 12/10/01).
State v. Arthur Christie, No. 2000-200 (filed 11/30/01).
State v. Nicholas Connor, No. 2001-244 (filed 11/27/01).
State v. Clifton Bishop, No. 2000-660 (filed 11/13/01).

Federal Habeas Cases, for New Hampshire prisoners

Locke v. Cattell, No. 2005-125 1st Cir.) (filed 6/14/06).
Porter v. Coplan, No. 03-200-B (D.N.H., first memo filed, 1/5/05).
Locke v. Coplan, No. _________ (D.N.H., filed 4/29/04).
Lavallee v. Coplan, 374 F.3d 4 1st Cir.2004) (filed 3/30/04)
Lavallee v. Coplan, 239 F.Supp.2d 140 (D.N.H. 2003).

Briefs written, or co-written with co-counsel, while acting as a lawyer at the Southern Center for Human Rights

Georgia Death Penalty Cases

Sallie v. State, 578 S.E.2d 444 (Ga. 2003).
Fugate v. Head, 8 F.Supp.2d 1383 (M.D. Ga. 1998), aff’d 261 F.3d 1206 1st Cir. 2001).

Alabama Death Penalty Cases

Martin v. State, 839 So.2d 665 (Ala. Crim. App. 2001).
Adkins v. State, 687 So.2d 155 (Ala. 1996) (mandamus proceeding); 2001 WL 111928 (Ala. Crim. App. 2000) (state post-conviction proceeding).
Smith v. State, 908 So.2d 273 (Ala. Crim. App. 2000).

Speaking Engagements

Continuing Legal Education Events

May 5, 2006 – N.H. Public Defender – Developments in the law, Loon Mountain, NH
September 9, 2005 – N.H. Public Defender – A Sentencing Argument Based on Apprendi and Shepard – Concord, NH
May 5, 2005 – N.H.Public Defender – Developments in the Law, Waterville Valley, N.H.
September 10, 2004 – N.H. Public Defender – Developments in U.S. Supreme Court of the last year – Concord, N.H.
May 6, 2004 – N.H. Public Defender – Developments in the Law, Waterville Valley, NH
March 17, 2004 – N.H. Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers sponsored event, at the law school, dealing with implications of State v. Kidder.
December 12, 2003 – NHPD sponsored event, in Concord, on Preservation of Appellate Issues and new Rules of Appellate Procedure
December 11, 2003 – presentation at Junior Faculty colloquium in Boston, on my article in preparation on the allocation of power to decide between criminal defense lawyers and criminal defendants
November 21, 2003 – “Sentencing from A to Z” – CLE Program sponsored by New Hampshire Bar Association – Panel on Recent Developments in the Law governing Sentencing.
May 23, 2002 – “Review of decisions from the last year in the New Hampshire Supreme Court,” presented at training sponsored by the New Hampshire Public Defender and open to criminal defense lawyers generally, at Concord, New Hampshire.
November 30, 2001 – “Criminal Cases decided in the United States Supreme Court in 2001,” presented at a training sponsored by the New Hampshire Public Defender and open to criminal defense lawyers generally, at Concord, New Hampshire.
2000 – presented a case review at program in Nashville, Tennessee, sponsored by the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Other Speaking Engagements

May 21, 2005 – Advice from the Faculty on occasion of Pierce Law graduation.
Nov. 20, 2004 – Boscawen Historical Society, Boscawen, NH – Lecture on Franklin Pierce at Annual Meeting of Historical Society
June 1, 2004 – Franklin Pierce Homestead, Hillsborough, NH – Presentation on the Legal Career of Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce Law Center – Franklin Pierce, the Lawyer – November 2003. Sponsored by Pres. Pierce Bicentennial Birthday Committee; and Pierce Law
Franklin Pierce Law Center – Forum on the Death Penalty – October 2001.