Raymond A. Brown

Raymond A. Brown (1915 – October 9, 2009) was an American criminal defense lawyer who represented a wide variety of high-profile clients, ranging from politicians to accused spies, including New Jersey state senator Angelo Errichetti (convicted in the Abscam case), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and "Dr. X" physician Mario Jascalevich.

Early life and education Brown was born in Fernandina Beach, Florida and moved as a child to Jersey City, New Jersey. He attended the historically black college Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and earned his law degree at Fordham University School of Law, while working as a longshoreman to cover the costs of tuition. He went into solo practice during a time when few large firms would hire African American attorneys. While serving in the United States Army, he saw how poorly African American soldiers were treated.

Legal career During the 1960s, he worked on defending African Americans arrested during the Civil Rights Movement. He defended students who had been arrested for taking part in building takeovers during the Columbia University protests of 1968, including his own son. Brown worked with National Guard troops during the 1967 riots to help quell the violence and was later appointed by Governor of New Jersey Richard J. Hughes as vice chair of a commission that investigated the causes, response and possible solutions to the rioting. Brown would also represent H. Rap Brown, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Black Panther Party. Chesimard (Shakur's married last name) later escaped from prison and has since been in exile in Cuba. (For a similar case ruling in Washington state, see Theodore Rinaldo § Appeals.)

In the 1980s, Brown represented Camden, New Jersey mayor and State Senator Angelo Errichetti who was convicted for his role in the Abscam sting, in which U.S. law enforcement officials pretended to be representing wealthy Arab sheiks.

Death A resident of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, Brown died at age 94 on October 9, 2009, at Saint Barnabas Medical Center because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was survived by his second wife, the former Jennie Davis, as well as by two children from his first marriage, two stepchildren and seven grandchildren. His first marriage ended with the death of his wife, the former Elaine Camilla Williams.