Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Race, Gender, and Social Justice

Talking Fighting and Winning Against a “Qualified Immunity” Defense with Attorney Christopher Brown

Season 3 Episode 5

Christopher Brown

Before Ahmaud Arbery, Elijah McLain, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Michael Brown there was Wayne Jones. Mr. Jones was a schizophrenic, unhoused Black man living in West Virginia when a random encounter with the police resulted in Mr. Jones being shot 22 times.

In this conversation I speak with Christopher Brown, the attorney who took the Jones family's case, where the police had successfully argued qualified immunity, all the way to the Fourth Circuit court of Appeals. There he did something almost never accomplished, he won. 

In this moment of heightened attention on interactions between police and the Black community this conversation could not be more important.

In addition to talking about this specific case Christopher has some really excellent, concrete suggestions for how we change this system. Listen, and please, pass this episode along to everyone you know. 

Christopher E. Brown, Esq. is the principal attorney of The Brown Firm PLLC. During his career as a litigator, he has represented a wide variety of clients in several different areas of the law. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University where in addition to his studies he played football.

After receiving his degree in philosophy and history, he set his sights on law school and received his JD from Georgetown. In the Wayne Jones case he did what has rarely been accomplished, he successfully argued a case with the controversial practice of qualified immunity for the police at its center. 

For a written transcript of this conversation click here.

Connect with Christopher:
Website

Credits:
Harmonica music courtesy of a friend.