Denise R. Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court | |
| In office December 3, 1990 – August 31, 2011 | |
| Appointed by | Madeleine Kunin |
| Preceded by | Louis P. Peck |
| Succeeded by | Beth Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 13, 1947 Wyandotte, Michigan |
| Residence | Middlesex, Vermont |
| Alma mater | Wayne State University, University of Connecticut School of Law (J.D.), University of Virginia School of Law (LL.M.) |
Denise Reinka Johnson (born July 13, 1947) is a Vermont attorney and judge. She was an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1990 to 2011, and was the first woman to serve on this court. One of Johnson's most significant moments was her opinion in Baker v. Vermont in which a majority of the Supreme Court of Vermont ruled the state must establish civil unions for same sex couples. Johnson dissented, arguing that the court should have granted the plaintiffs marriage licenses instead.