Orangeburg criminal defense attorney named municipal judge

Orangeburg criminal defense attorney Virgin Johnson Jr. was appointed May 1 to serve as the city’s new municipal judge.

Orangeburg City Council voted 5-2 to pick Johnson to replace Judge Barney Houser, who retired in January after 18 years on the bench The Times and Democrat reported.

Johnson’s term will last for two years and he will choose two others to serve in a rotation during that time.

Johnson earned his B.A. from Benedict College in 1976 and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1988.

In addition to criminal defense, he has also worked as a personal injury and family law attorney.

He moved to Orangeburg in 1991 to work for the law firm of Johnson and Williams before moving to private practice.