Rowan County Chief District Court Judge Charlie Brown has been reappointed as chairman of the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission by Chief Justice Paul Newby.

“I am pleased to reappoint Chief District Court Judge Charlie Brown as Chair of the Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission,” Newby said. “His extensive experience on the bench and the commission eminently qualifies him for this position. I look forward to his continued service and leadership.”

As chairman, Brown presides over the 28-member commission and its subcommittees. The Commission is charged with monitoring the criminal and juvenile justice systems and reporting to the General Assembly. Most recently, the Commission has published reports on proposed legislation, juvenile recidivism and program effectiveness, statewide statistical information on felony and misdemeanor convictions, and population projections for prisons, jails and youth development centers.

Brown has extensive experience in the court system and deep knowledge of the work of the commission. He took over leadership of the organization in 2017 after serving as a member for nine years. He has served on seven commission subcommittees, including leading the pivotal Justice Reinvestment Act Subcommittee. Additionally, he has represented the commission at several national conferences, including the annual conference of the National Association of Sentencing Commissions.

“I’m honored to be reappointed to lead the Commission, and I’m proud of the work that we’re doing together,” Brown said. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic over the past year, we continued to focus on important criminal justice issues including forecasting the prison population, examining sentencing practices across the state, and studying juvenile recidivism.”

Brown is a past president of the Conference of Chief District Court Judges. He was elected to the district court bench in Rowan County in 1998 and appointed chief district court judge in 2001. He has more than 29 years of experience in the North Carolina court system, having served as a private attorney, Department of Social Services attorney and assistant district attorney, in addition to chief district court judge. Brown continues his regular duties, in addition to leading the commission.

Brown received his bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and studied law at the University of South Dakota School of Law and the Wake Forest University School of Law. He lives in Salisbury with his wife, Emily Ford. They have three children.