About Judge Chris Brown
Before he was a judge, Chris Brown was the oldest of three kids to Louis and Roma Brown. He grew up in Merion Village on the south side of Columbus, and is a proud graduate of Columbus South High School, Class of ‘98. Chris attended THE Ohio State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2002. After college, he graduated from Capital University Law School in Downtown Columbus in 2005.
Upon passing the bar exam, Chris worked as an Assistant Prosecutor in Franklin County. For four years, he was a member of the Special Victims Unit, prosecuting sexual assaults and crimes against women and children. In 2012, he switched careers to become a private defense attorney, representing and defending the rights of individuals charged with a wide array of offenses, ranging from Aggravated Murder to traffic violations. This unique experience in criminal justice, serving as both an assistant prosecutor and defense attorney, made Brown an ideal person to serve on the bench. In 2014, he was elected to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General Division, where he presides over felony criminal cases and civil lawsuits in excess of $15,000. Judge Brown was re-elected in 2020.
Chris and his wife Jen are the proud parents of two wonderful daughters, Emerson and Parker. Judge Brown remains active in the community, as a member of the Southeast Lions Club, where he regularly moderates the “South Side-South End” Debate. Judge Brown also serves as a board member for the Bexley Education Foundation, which helps further educational and growth opportunities for students in Bexley. From 2015-2019, Judge Brown served on the board for Alvis 180, a nonprofit human services agency providing tools to help rehabilitate and re-establish offenders in the community.
In his free time, Chris likes playing basketball (even though he’s probably too old for it). Chris also likes gardening and spending time with his family, including their rescue dog Samson. Chris is an avid bicyclist, and has participated in Pelotonia several times, raising over $33,000 in donations for cancer treatment and research through Ohio State’s James Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Judge Brown grew up here, went to school here, and lives here. He knows that justice is local.
