Education

Tony distinguished himself by having the lowest academic average in his graduating class at Walton High School in DeFuniak Springs Florida.  He attended George Washington University and Graduated from American University in Washington D.C. with a BA in the Administration of Justice.

He received a Juris Doctor degree from Stetson College of Law in Gulfport Florida.

 

Marine in Vietnam

At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Marines because he was afraid the war in Vietnam would be over before he could get there.  They held it open for him.  He arrived less than two months before the TET offensive.  He writes about his experience as a young Marine in combat.

Police Officer and Detective, Metropolitan Police Department, Washington D.C.

Tony served for 5 years as a police officer and Detective.  One year was an undercover assignment with a motorcycle gang and another year was with the Special Operations Division, a tactical strike force and what would later be referred to as a SWAT team.

 

US Secret Service Special Agent

Assigned to the Tampa Field Office, Tony traveled as far away as Hawaii protecting heads of state as well as US presidents and vice presidents and members of their families.  Because of his experience with undercover assignments he was called upon to serve in that role on several occasions.

 

Naval Intelligence Officer

Commissioned as an Ensign in the Naval Intelligence reserve program he was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Naval Special Warfare Unit 4, Special Operations Command, Naval Forces Central Command and ended his career as the Commanding Officer of the Navy Reserve Intelligence Unit of the Southern Command.

He deployed to Bosnia as a member of the Stabilization Forces in 1999 and made several trips to the Middle East.  He was called to active duty on the afternoon of Sept 11, 2001, and was on the ground in the Middle East 3 days later.

He retired as a Captain.

Tony Johnson in Bosnia

 

Assistant State Attorney

For 3 years Tony was a prosecutor, trying cases ranging from DUI to murder in the 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida which covers Orlando.

County Judge

Three years after graduating from law school he ran for office as a County Judge in Orange County Florida and was elected.  He served in that capacity for 6 years before resigning half way through his second term.

 

Captain of a Charter Sailboat

Between serving as a County Judge and Circuit Judge he worked as the Captain of a charter sailboat in Key Largo, Florida and later in Clearwater, Florida.

 

Circuit Judge

For 14 years he served as a Circuit Judge in the 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida in Orange and Osceola Counties where he handled felony criminal cases and juvenile dependency cases involving neglected and abused children.

 

Builds and Flies Experimental Aircraft as well as World War II airplanes

 

Sailor

He first started sailing on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis MD while working as a police officer in Washington D.C.  He has participated in races from St Petersburg to Key West and Havana and cruised in the Bahamas.  He looks forward to spending some time in the Caribbean on his Cheoy Lee 43 Motor Sailer Magic Dragon.