Hon. Gerald G. Johnston (Ret.) joined JAMS in 2024 after serving over 24 years as a judge with the Orange County Superior Court. From 2014 to 2023, Judge Johnston was the supervising judge of the Probate and Mental Health Division. From 2016 to 2019, he was appointed by the chief justice as a member of the Judicial Council Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Johnston served as deputy secretary for law enforcement and general counsel for the California Environmental Protection Agency. He began his legal career as a deputy district attorney in Orange County. Over the past 20 years, Judge Johnston has taught trust, probate, conservatorship and mental health law and proceedings for the Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER).
During his tenure as a judge, Judge Johnston has overseen thousands of trust, probate, guardianship, conservatorship, elder abuse and mental health matters.