Sen. Darius Brown has regained his high-profile General Assembly committee assignments, following his acquittal of misdemeanor charges earlier this year.
A jury in January found the Wilmington Democrat not guilty of misdemeanor offensive touching and disorderly conduct. A woman accused Brown at the time of hitting her in the head and throwing a drink glass that shattered near her while dining at a Talleyville restaurant in May 2021.
Following his arrest, Brown was removed from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chaired.
In November, months after his arrest, Brown reportedly got into a verbal altercation with Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, a New Castle Democrat, during a bill signing press event. It was not clear what the conversation was about.
This led to Senate leadership stripping Brown of his role on the Bond Committee, a high-profile position that helps write the annual infrastructure spending bill.
BACKGROUND:Jury finds state Sen. Darius Brown not guilty of misdemeanor charges
Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola said in a statement Tuesday he has reinstated Brown to these positions due to his “acquittal in court and my belief that the terms of these sanctions have been appropriate.”
Last fall, Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman, who chairs Senate Rules & Ethics Committee, said that her committee should “review the facts of that case and other accusations of abusive behavior that may not have risen to the level of criminal conduct.”
This included the committee adopting procedures to investigate these issues and “making whatever recommendations the committee deems appropriate to the full Delaware State Senate.”
A spokespersonal for the Senate Majority Caucus declined to comment on the committee’s review.
Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 256-2466 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MereNewman.
