Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman: A Distinguished Career Path to Overseeing High-Profile Cases, Including ‘El Chapo’s Son

Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman: A Distinguished Career Path to Overseeing High-Profile Cases, Including ‘El Chapo’s Son

On the afternoon of September 18, Ovidio Guzmán López, also known as ‘El Ratón’, made his inaugural court appearance in the United States following his extradition. This legal proceeding took place in the Northern District Court of Illinois, where Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman presided over the proceedings. She was responsible for formally presenting the five criminal charges against Ovidio Guzmán, who stands accused as the leader of Los Chapitos.

Within the confines of courtroom 1241 at the Everett McKinley Dirksen Courthouse, Ovidio Guzmán, dressed in the customary prison attire, entered a plea of not guilty to each of the charges brought against him. These charges were formally lodged on June 18, 2023, precisely by Judge Sharon Johnson, who boasts extensive experience in the U.S. Judiciary system.

Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman’s Career Journey

Born in 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman has held a total of five official positions throughout her career, including her current role. Public records reveal that Johnson Coleman earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University in 1981, and she obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1984, granting her the credentials to practice law.

In that same year, she commenced her legal career as an assistant state’s attorney in Cook County, a position she held until 1989. Subsequently, for the ensuing four years, she served as an assistant United States attorney in the Northern District of Illinois.

According to her résumé, from 1993 to 1996, she occupied the role of assistant state’s attorney and headed the Public Interest Bureau in Cook County. Following this position, she embarked on her career as a judge in the Cook Circuit Court, also within the state of Illinois. In 2008, she transitioned to the First District Court of Appeal in Illinois, where she remained until 2010.

Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman: Praised by President Obama and the ABA

On February 24 of that year, President Barack Obama nominated her to fill a seat on the Northern District Court of Illinois. During her nomination, the former president lauded her as “the best and brightest judge in the entire nation.” Concurrently, she received a resounding endorsement from the American Bar Association, which wholeheartedly supported her judicial career.

Finally, on July 12, 2010, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved Coleman’s nomination with 86 votes in favor and none against, solidifying her position on the Northern District Court of Illinois. In her current role, she presides over one of the most significant cases involving Mexican organized crime: that of Ovidio Guzmán, the eldest son of ‘El Chapo’, who is facing justice in the United States for the first time.