Today Is (D)arius’ Day In Court

Here’s the story:

The trial of state Sen. Darius Brown starts Wednesday in a case that has revealed inconsistencies in how lawmakers are treated and could end the Wilmington Democrat’s legislative career.

It is unclear how long the trial will last, but trials for relatively simple charges in the Court of Common Pleas frequently finish within a day.

If found guilty, Brown would not automatically lose his position as a senator.

However, Gov. John Carney could potentially exercise a constitutional power to remove him. The governor can remove any official who is “convicted of misbehavior in office or of any infamous crime,” though Carney would not be required to do so.

Here’s what I consider most notable:

Brown, who did not respond to requests for comment for this story, has received a noticeably different punishment from General Assembly leadership than other lawmakers who have been arrested or accused of ethical misconduct.

House leadership did not punish Rep. Andria Bennett, a Dover Democrat, after she was arrested following a reported domestic dispute in December 2020. Instead, last year she was given the chairmanship of a low-profile gaming committee. The charges were later dropped.

Senate leadership also did not punish Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, a Georgetown Republican who was arrested in 2017 for a felony gun charge when a Transportation Security Administration agent found a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag at a Maryland airport. Pettyjohn was promoted last year to minority whip.