Disciplinary charges have been brought against Johnson, a justice of the Court of Appeal for this district’s Div. One. A public hearing is slated to commence on Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. at the office of the State Bar Court at 845 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles.

According to charges, Johnson has “engaged in a pattern of conduct towards Justice Victoria Chaney” of his division “that was unwelcome, undignified, discourteous, and offensive, and that would reasonably be perceived as sexual harassment or as bias or prejudice based on gender,” uttered an inappropriate comment of a sexist nature to Justice Elizabeth Grimes of Div. Eight, and has otherwise persistently conducted himself in an unacceptable manner toward female judges and attorneys.

He is also accused of appearing to be drunk in public.

Johnson has denied the charges.

Layfield has been released on bail and is presently residing in Delaware. He is facing a Sept. 10 trial in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.

The prosecution is in connection with Layfield pocketing settlement funds belonging to Josephine Nguyen, who was a client of the erstwhile law firm of Layfield & Barrett. She was to receive 60 percent of a $3.9 million settlement of her personal injury claim, amounting to $2.3 million.

The defendant, apprehended in New Jersey in March, 2018, and incarcerated until August of last year, had previously fled to Costa Rica.

Trial was initially set for May 15, was continued to Aug. 14, was set for Feb. 26, and is now scheduled for Sept. 10.

Layfield’s attorney, Anthony M. Solis, on Aug. 17, 2018, filed an emergency motion for an order modifying the terms of Layfield’s release to permit him to leave his residence to attend classes, paving the way for him to obtain a commercial driver’s license so he could seek employment as a truck driver. The motion was granted and he completed a seven-week course. On Oct. 16, District Court Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald of the Central District of California granted a motion permitting him to accept employment with a trucking company.

Layfield was suspended from law practice by the State Bar of California after he failed to show up for his Jan. 24, 2018 disciplinary hearing. The State Bar Office of Chief Trial Counsel filed disciplinary charges against him on Sept. 20, 2017, alleging that the attorney misappropriated more than $3.4 million from his clients. He was disbarred Oct. 27, 2018.

Layfield acknowledges moving funds from the attorney-client trust account to his erstwhile firm’s general fund, but insists he thought there was enough money in the coffers to cover the clients’ shares of settlements. He ascribes blame to others, including the State Bar prosecutor.