A. Benjamin Johnson Jr., retired criminal defense lawyer, dies at 90

A. Benjamin Johnson Jr., a retired criminal defense lawyer, died on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. He was 90.

Affectionately known as “Ben,” he was the oldest son of seven and was born to the late Alexander Benjamin Johnson Sr. and Remember Johnson in Athens, Georgia.

His parents relocated to Philadelphia and raised their children under strict family values. Johnson raced track for Central High School while working odd jobs, notably on the docks with his father. He graduated from Lincoln University and in 1958 became the first Black man to graduate from Villanova School of Law. He often boasted that part of his education was memorizing the Bible.

“Ben’s reputation as the go-to criminal defense lawyer was such that his clients were willing to wait years rather than have someone else represent them,” said fellow lawyer Thomas McGill. “All of the former DAs who tried cases against Ben have stories about his brilliance and tenacity in the courtroom.”

After being mentored by Cecil B. Moore, Johnson soon found his own rhythm and began practicing law on his own. His first law office opened a block away from his home in South Philadelphia, and it wasn’t long until he opened an office in Center City.

Eventually, he partnered up with other up-and-coming attorneys. He was featured in magazines like Jet, Ebony and Philadelphia Magazine. He was involved in the organization known as People United to Save Humanity and was the founding president of the Philadelphia chapter. He also campaigned for the offices of judge, mayor and senator.

Johnson loved high fashion, fine dining and sports. His favorite pastimes were watching basketball, tennis, football and cooking. He was also a big supporter of the arts and a patron of plays, musicals and performing artists.

His family recalled that he and his wife, Ellen W. Johnson, were escorted to front-row VIP seats at the Blue Note in New York.

“They were the only African-American people there to attend the Oscar Brown Jr. performance,” the family said in a tribute. “The establishment assumed that Ben was the headliner’s brother.”

He is survived by his siblings, Anthony Johnson (Karen), Steven Cohen, Brenda Sabika (Mohamed) and Bernadette Johnson; daughters, Sheryl, Sharon and Shawne; and other family members and friends.

Services will be held on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, 6361 Lancaster Ave.

Services begin at 10 a.m.

A streaming link will be available at www.aecst.org.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the “A. Benjamin Johnson Jr. Endowed Scholarship” at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, 229 N. Spring Mill Road, Villanova, PA.