John L. Brownlee
 |
John Brownlee | |
|---|---|
| File:JohnLBrownlee.jpg John L. Brownlee (Center) | |
| Republican candidate for Attorney General of Virginia | |
| United States Attorney | |
| Succeeded by | Julia C. Dudley |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Lee Ann Necessary Brownlee |
| Children | 2 Thompson Ann Brownlee Catherine Harris Brownlee |
| Residence | Roanoke, Virginia |
| Alma mater | Robinson High School Washington and Lee University College of William and Mary |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Website | Campaign Website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army (1987–1997) Judge Advocate General's Corps (1997– 2007) |
| Rank | Major |
John L. Brownlee is a Republican from Virginia, and Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
Personal
Brownlee is the son of hard working and dedicated public servants. John’s mother served as a public school teacher for over 40 years – the last 17 in Fairfax County, Virginia. John’s father was a decorated Army officer and Vietnam veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat and earned two Silver Stars for valor. John’s father retired in 2004 as the acting Secretary of the Army.
John attended Robinson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and received three varsity letters in football. After high school, Brownlee attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, on a ROTC scholarship. At Washington and Lee, Brownlee received a B.S. degree in Business Administration and Accounting, earned three varsity letters in football, and earned honors as a distinguished military graduate.
He received his J.D. degree from the College of William and Mary in 1994.
U.S. Attorney
Former U.S. Attorney John Brownlee has spent the last 20 years serving the citizens of Virginia and the United States. As a young military officer, John volunteered for the Infantry and successfully graduated from the Army’s rigorous Airborne and Ranger programs. In 2001, President Bush appointed John as United States Attorney. As the top federal law enforcement official, John successfully prosecuted some of our nation’s most corrupt corporations and dangerous criminals. As one of Virginia’s leading crime fighters, John has earned the reputation as a tough prosecutor who knows how to keep our communities safe from violent criminals and drug dealers.
In January 2005, Brownlee convicted defendant Brent Simmons for the 1996 murders of two James Madison University students. Simmons had traveled from Florida to Harrisonburg and then shot and killed the two students. After a mistrial in state court, Brownlee developed a novel legal theory by using the Violence Against Women Act, which had been enacted only 13 days before Simmons killed the students, to bring the case into federal court. Brownlee convicted the defendant of both murders, and the jury sentenced Simmons to life imprisonment with no chance of release.
Two years later, John convicted a defendant for committing a violent prison murder. The jury imposed the death penalty, and Brownlee became the first federal prosecutor in over 30 years to successfully prosecute a capital murder case in his judicial district.
In May 2007, after a five year investigation, Mr. Brownlee and Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell convicted the maker of the pain medication OxyContin of intentionally misbranding their highly addictive and dangerous drug. The company and executives were convicted of misbranding OxyContin and paid over $634 million in fines. The criminal fine was one of the largest financial penalties ever imposed on a drug company.
2009 Elections
In 2008, Brownlee announced that he was running for Attorney General of Virginia.