sterling johnson jr. (born may 14, 1934) is a senior united states district judge of the united states district court for the eastern district of new york. before his appointment to the bench in 1991, johnson was an attorney for 25 years, specializing in drug enforcement and the prosecution of narcotics cases. as special narcotics prosecutor for the city of new york, he supervised assistant district attorneys and investigators responsible for the preparation and prosecution of more than 7,000 criminal cases. he has been a guest lecturer at many american universities and law schools, as well as in various countries.