By Darlene Brace
On January 1st, 2025, Peter Johnson was sworn in as the new Chautauqua County Family Court Judge. This ceremony took place at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown. He was sworn in by his friend and predecessor Hon. Jeffrey A. Piazza. They were joined by about one hundred attendees including friends, family, coworkers, and other local officials. The ceremony was followed by a reception for the new judge and his guests.
Peter Johnson grew up on the north side of Jamestown and attended Jamestown High School. He earned good grades, was very involved in school activities such as the tennis team and band, and he served as a class officer. While being interviewed for this article, he reminisced how his 11th grade English teacher, Grace Dorman, sometimes grew a little frustrated with his extra chitchatting in class. She suggested that he consider becoming a lawyer in the future to use his talking skills for something good. This may have planted the seed for the career path Peter would later take.
He graduated from high school in 1994 and was seventh in his class. He enrolled at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) that fall, but was uncertain of what degree he wanted to pursue. He discovered how much he enjoyed political science and philosophy classes. After freshman year at UB, he decided to pursue a career in law. He studied hard and was very successful. He graduated from UB in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a magna cum laude honor.
After his years at UB, he attended the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana. Even though it was a lot of hard work, he loved law school there. He worked nights at a bakery while attending law school. In his third year, he spent time in a family law clinic where he gained real-life experience representing people in real cases. He gained great experience there, and it gave him a strong sense of the importance of family law.
While he was attending law school, he would come home to Jamestown for breaks and summer vacations. While home on these breaks, he spent time as an intern at a Jamestown law firm called Fessenden Laumer & DeAngelo. While doing this internship, he got to know the lawyers and “got his foot in the door.” He was told that there was a job there when he graduated if he wanted it.
Peter graduated from law school with a Juris Doctorate Degree in May of 2001. At this point, he was not yet a lawyer until he took the bar exam and met some other requirements. Peter continued working as an intern until he took the bar exam and was sworn in. Once sworn in, he was officially hired as a lawyer at Fessenden Laumer & DeAngelo in 2002. Peter continued to work there for the next twelve years as a general practice lawyer where he got to experience all aspects of law. He represented clients from all walks of life, including custody cases, divorces, criminal cases, and more. Peter earned a reputation as a smart lawyer who was willing to stick up for his client’s interests.
Then in November of 2014, his career took another new direction. A fellow lawyer and friend, Jeffrey Piazza, was elected the new Chautauqua County Family Court Judge. Prior to taking the bench, he asked Peter to become his new court attorney, which Peter served as from 2015 to 2024.
In 2012, he met his wife, Lindsey, who happened to be his neighbor living a few houses away down the street. They were married in 2015, and they stay busy raising their youngest three children, Lillian, Julia, and Henry. They have a dog named Teddy, and in Peter’s spare time, he likes to take Ted for long walks.
As a way of giving back to the community, Peter has served voluntarily as Chautauqua County High School Mock Trial coordinator for the last nine years, which is sponsored by the NY State Bar Association. High school students from across the county participate in mock trials, which allow them to experience what being an attorney is all about.
Now fast forward to January 2024. Judge Piazza announced that he decided it was time to retire. Upon learning this news, Peter jumped at the opportunity to run for judge. Peter won the general election in November decisively. “I am humbled and honored to have been chosen by the voters of our county to serve them in their courtroom.” Judge Johnson presided over his first case as a judge on January 13, 2025. Congratulations to the new county Family Court Judge, Peter Johnson!