Judge Chris Brown won election, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the great Judge Mike Provost, in August of 2022. His commission to serve, signed by Governor DeSantis, was effective January 3, 2023. Judge Brown is currently assigned to the Collier County civil docket where he presides over lawsuits, evictions, civil violations and myriad other matters. Through cross-designation as a Circuit Judge, he backs up other judges by covering such matters as civil injunction hearings and felony trials. He will also cover criminal trials for other county judges, when necessary.

Before taking the bench, Judge Brown practiced criminal, civil and appellate litigation as a partner at the same firm for over 16 years. Overall, he was primarily a criminal law attorney for 21 of his 23 years of practice as a lawyer (the first two were in corporate law). Judge Brown tried well over 150 cases to verdict in state and federal court in addition to arguing dozens of appeals before taking the bench.

For his work as an attorney Judge Brown received industry recognition over the years. In 2007 he was awarded the “Extra Mile” Award for service to the voluntary bar. From 2012 to date he has maintained an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell. This is the highest rating given regarding both competency and ethics. He has also maintained a 10/10 rating from Avvo since that service began to rate him in 2010. In 2018 the Florida Bar Board Certified Judge Brown as an expert trial lawyer. Finally, for the last four consecutive years of his law practice, Judge Brown was featured in Super Lawyers magazine as one of the best criminal law attorneys in Florida.

Judge Brown grew up in Naples and graduated from Gulfview Middle School and Naples High before going on to becoming a Double Gator by getting his bachelors and law degrees from UF (JD 99’). His wife, Lynn Brown was born in Naples and also graduated Naples High before going on to Princeton (99’). She and Chris were married in 2011 and the couple have three kids in school in Naples. Therefore, when not on the bench, Judge Brown spends most of his time at: practices, games, plays, recitals, etc.