Abbott appoints ex-judge to replace Hawk as Dallas DA

DALLAS (AP) – A former North Texas judge and ex-prosecutor has been named Dallas County’s district attorney.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday appointed fellow Republican Faith Johnson to replace Susan Hawk, who resigned in September.

Hawk, who took office in 2015, quit just weeks after returning to work following inpatient treatment for mental illness. Abbott says Johnson will serve through 2018 to finish Hawk’s term.

Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in community counseling from Georgia State University. She’s a graduate of the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

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Johnson, who’ll be the first black female district attorney for Dallas County, worked seven years as a prosecutor in the DA’s office, then served as a judge for 17 years before opening her own firm in 2009.