Media Contact:
Brandy Tuzon Boyd, Public Information & Communication Officer
SSCPIO@saccourt.ca.gov

Sacramento, CA — Judge Lawrence G. Brown was unanimously elected by the bench last week to serve as the next Presiding Judge for the Sacramento Superior Court.

"Judge Brown’s election as our next Presiding Judge reflects not only his commitment to justice, but also his understanding of the broader challenges that often lead individuals into the justice system,” said sitting Presiding Judge Bunmi O. Awoniyi.

Brown’s two-year term starts Jan. 1, 2026, and will continue through Dec. 31, 2027.

“Throughout his career, Judge Brown has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to collaborative solutions—working hand-in-hand with our justice partners to improve outcomes for our community,” added Judge Awoniyi. “I have full confidence in his ability to guide the court with vision, compassion, and integrity."

Judge Brown was appointed to the Sacramento Superior Court bench in 2010 by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In 2013, Judge Brown was assigned to preside over mental health court, reentry court, drug court, and homeless court. He continued with adult collaborative justice courts and the co-occurring mental health court, while having regular jury trials.

During his time on the bench, Judge Brown presided over the first-ever reentry court graduation in 2015. Since 2020, he has served as the Supervising Judge of collaborative courts, presiding over three Mental Health Treatment Courts, Recovery Treatment and Reentry courts, Veterans Treatment and DUI Treatment Courts, Felony Mental Health Diversion courts, and the Felony Expungement Calendar.

In 2022, Judge Brown was presented with the Sacramento County Bar Association’s “Judge of the Year” award. The annual award is given to a judge who has enhanced the justice system and served the Sacramento County legal community.

Judge Brown was appointed chair of the Judicial Council of California’s Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee by then-state Chief Justice Tani. G. Cantil-Sakauye in late 2022, and reappointed chair in 2024 by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. Brown had served as vice chair of the statewide committee from 2015 to 2022.

“It is a profound honor to have been elected by my colleagues to lead the court. The Sacramento Superior Court, including its nearly 80 judicial officers and over 700 employees, works tirelessly every day to ensure justice is served in our community,” said Judge Brown. “With a modern new courthouse on the horizon and the continued rollout of electronic case management systems court-wide, great strides await. I am deeply grateful to have worked under Presiding Judge Awoniyi as her assistant presiding judge while she ably guided our court.”