Dr. Claudia L. Brown is a Justice of the Peace in Bell County, Texas serving her first year as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4, Place 1. ^[2]She is currently facing charges placed against her by the State of Texas for actions made while in office. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct previously deemed that she "failed to comply with the law and maintain competence in the law." ^[12]

Brown was born and raised in Baltimore City, Maryland. She had lived here for most of her life until 2005 when she decided to move to Killeen, Texas to help her son raise her grandson as his wife is a soldier deployed in Fort Hood most of the time. ^[0]

She graduated with a degree in BS from Coppin State University in 1960 with a degree in Elementary education. In 1977, she then earned her Master of Arts degree in Planning and Administration from Antioch College. In 2004, She received her PHD from Union Institute and University in Interdisciplinary arts and Sciences with a specialty in Urban Education. ^[2]

For 30 years, Brown was a school teacher in the Maryland State Public School. She is a retired elementary school principal. She also worked in the social service fields such as Welfare, Housing, Medical, and Psychiatric for about ten years. ^[0]

From 1997 - 2005, she served as a Maryland State license Commissioner and later on for a few years, a substitute teacher for KISD. And, for about a year, she worked as a Human resources coordinator in the Killeen, Texas, where she currently serves as Justice of the Peace. ^[0]

Brown has done an extensive amount of work in the community for most of her life.

She is the founder and former President of the Park Hill Edgegreen Neighborhood Association in Baltimore, Maryland. She was also President of the Presidents' Council of a Community Corporation. Years later she became a prominent member of the Baltimore City Commission on Women. ^[2]

Also, did her duty as a Secretary of the Killeen Sister Cities, Inc. when she moved there in 2005.

While at Killeen, she became the Second and Third Vice President of the Killeen Noon Lions Club.

She is also the Founder and Coordinator of the Killeen Thundercreek Community Association.

^[2]

Over the years as an educator, a member of the community, her involvement in organizations, and character along with her involvement in different areas, has awarded her many recognitions for her work.

Here are some of the following awards she has received over the years:

Mayors Citation, City of Baltimore - (5)

Baltimore City Council Resolutions - (5)

Unsung Black Heroine Award from Baltimore City Mayor, Kurt Schmoke

Maryland Senate Citations - (2)

Maryland House of Delegates Resolutions - (4)

Senator Ralph Hughes Community Service Award

Fort Hood Texas Women's History Month Award, First Calvary Division

Greater Vision Community Church - Sunday School Teacher Award ^[0]

Brown is currently serving her first year as Bell County Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4, Place 1.

Brown, a Democrat, was elected justice of the peace in November and is undergoing 80 hours of training for the post.

^[2]

Her deceased former husband was a retired Command sergeant major. ^[0]

She is a registered Democrat. ^[5]

On February 9th, 2017, Brown set Antonio Marquis Willis' bail at $4 billion for a charge of first-degree murder, a number confirmed by Killeen police. The amount that she set for the bail may be the highest is American history. ^[4]

Lawyer Jeff Parker said the $4 billion bond could be challenged as unconstitutional.

The Constitution's Eighth Amendment protects against cruel and unusual punishment and specifically refers to protections against excessive bail or fines.

^[3]In addition, at least 7 of Brown's bonds have had to be changed by other Bell County elected officials.

^[10]

Of the action, which eventually led to the State of Texas' petition to remove her from bench, she said, " You know, in hindsight, I would never have done that under normal circumstances and I would never ever do it again, and I regret that I did it at all."

^[11]In front of State Commission on Judicial Conduct, an entity established by the State of Texas to fairly and unbiasedly examine allegations of misconduct and judicial inability, she was publicly reprimanded for failing "to comply with the law and maintain competence in the law,"^[12]backing up statements from local Bell County Attorney Jim Nichols that "Bell County [had] been negatively impacted by Brown’s official misconduct and incompetency." ^[10]

According to two local police departments, she refused to conduct two different death inquests (one deemed unnatural) ^[10], and at least 48 of the 53 she has completed had to be amended or corrected after she failed to complete them properly.

^[10]

After her son Kevin Anton Davis was arrested and charged with a DWI, she arraigned him, possibly violating Article 5, Section 11, of the Texas Constitution and Rule 18b, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, which disqualify a Justice of the Peace from presiding over a case involving a family member.

^[10]When asked about the incident, Brown replied, "I have one person who is close to me who could take my position to do that because I should not have done it.

The consanguinity law says I cannot do that, okay?

But he had asked me to cover for him that morning."

^[11]She was later reprimanded in front of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, as she, “allowed her relationship with her son to influence her conduct and failed to disqualify herself.”^[12]

In publicly endorsing and donating money to Bell County Commissioner candidate John Driver, Brown violated Canon 5 of the Texas Code of Judicial Contact.

^[10]

After being publicly reprimanded by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Brown reportedly hung the newspaper article reporting the event as a "Scarlet Letter", flaunting as a badge of pride her deviation from the rules she agreed to follow in running for an elected position.