Richard Brown

District Attorney Richard A. Brown of Queens County was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, New York. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hobart College in 1953, graduated from New York University School of Law in June 1956 and was admitted to the Bar by the Appellate Division, Second Department in October 1956. Prior to becoming a member of the judiciary in September 1973, Judge Brown spent nine years serving in various important legal positions on behalf of the leadership of the New York State Senate and Assembly and at the 1967 New York State Constitutional Convention and four years as New York City's Legislative Representative in Albany where he managed the City’s Albany office and supervised its legislative program. After serving as a Judge of the Criminal Court for less than two years, Judge Brown was appointed as Supervising Judge of the Brooklyn Criminal Court and assumed full administrative responsibility for the operation of that court and supervision of all judicial and non-judicial personnel. In January 1976, Judge Brown was designated as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. In November 1977, Judge Brown was elected a Justice of the Supreme Court in Queens County. At the end of the following year he returned to Albany as Counsel to Governor Hugh L. Carey where he served as the Governor's chief legal advisor. On March 3, 1981, Judge Brown returned to the Supreme Court and the following year was designated by Governor Carey as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department. He was thereafter twice re-designated as a member of the Appellate Division by Governor Mario M. Cuomo. On June 1, 1991, Judge Brown left the Appellate Division to accept Governor Cuomo's appointment as the District Attorney of Queens County. He was elected to a full four-year term as District Attorney at the general election held in November 1991 and was re-elected at the 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 general election. Under Judge Brown’s leadership, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office has attained an extraordinary reputation as one of the finest prosecutors' offices in the State. Judge Brown is a past President of the New York State District Attorneys Association and a member of the New York State Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association and the Queens County Bar Association, among others. In addition, he serves as Chair of the Albany-based New York Prosecutors Training Institute. Judge Brown and his wife, Rhoda have three children and two grandchildren.