Delaware's State Senate reinstated Sen. Darius Brown (D-Wilmington) to his committee appointments on Tuesday after a jury acquitted him of two misdemeanor charges in January.
Brown will return to his position as chair of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee and as a member of the Capital Improvement Committee when the state legislature resumes its session next week.
Delaware State Police arrested Brown in Wilmington last May after he allegedly punched and threw a glass of water at a woman while the pair dined at a restaurant.
He was charged with misdemeanor offensive touching and disorderly conduct; both charges carried a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail.
A Wilmington jury later acquitted Brown of both charges after his attorney argued the woman had lied about the incident to damage Brown’s reputation.
Senate President Pro Temp David Sokola (D-Newark) removed Brown from his committee assignments after the incident. Brown has also faced scrutiny for getting into a verbal altercation with State Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown (D-New Castle) during an event in November. It remains unclear whether he will be disciplined for that incident.
Sokola said he believes Brown’s year-long removal from his committee positions was appropriate.
