BRATTLEBORO -- A Hartford, Conn., man busted three years ago in a drug house on Elliot Street bowed his head as a Windham County Judge sentenced him to three-to-six years to serve for a number of drug trafficking offenses.
Before Judge Michael Kainen rendered his judgement, he heard from the mother of Brandon Brown, now 30, his best friend since childhood, the officer who conducted the investigation, and the state and Brown's defense counsel.
"You seem like an intrinsically good person, probably because you were brought up by a good mother," said Kainen, who noted that over the three years the case has been pending, Brown has not violated any of the conditions of his release.
"There are certainly people who I think we do a disservice by granting bail and they're out and then they continue to commit new crimes, only exacerbating their situations," said Kainen. "In this case, I would say for Mr. Brown, the court delays have actually counted in his favor. I do consider the fact that he's been out on conditions and he has lived a productive, law-abiding life. There have been no violations of conditions of release filed, which is frankly a bit exceptional, and there haven't been any new crimes."
Kainen also credited Brown for being "a stay-at-home dad" to his 2-year-old twins, who have displayed developmental delays.
And though Kainen was impressed by Brown's turnaround in the past three years, he also spoke about the effect Brown's drug dealing had on the neighborhood and the larger community.
"We have people falling off our docket almost every month because they're dead. And you, Mr. Brown, although you probably weren't thinking it through, you were part of it."
Brown was what's called "a plug," someone sent from cities usually in Connecticut to run drugs in small towns like Brattleboro. He was one of five people arrested in August 2023 by the Vermont Drug Task Force when the Elliot Street apartment serving as a drug den was raided.
Brattleboro police, along with federal and other state law enforcement officials raided the apartment and came away with 140 grams of crack cocaine, 1,000 bags of fentanyl, $10,000 in cash and a pistol.
Brown was the last to be sentenced and received the harshest sentence because he would not divulge any information on who was supplying him with drugs out of fear for his life and his family.
The state had asked for a sentence of six to twelve years to serve, arguing that the amount of drugs and money in the residence in the Green Street School neighborhood had caused significant harm to the community.
Deputy State's Attorney Steven Brown said the state believed a longer sentence was necessary to reflect the harm and to deter similar conduct.
Defense attorney Kathryn Pakbaz, of Burke Law, asked the court to impose a three‑year minimum, emphasizing Brown's compliance with court orders, his efforts to distance himself from past associates, and his responsibilities as a father to three young children.
She told the court that Brown had used the past year to reflect on his choices and had begun planning for a more stable future.
Brown's mother, Christy Brown, testified that her son had become a devoted parent and an important source of support for his children's mother, who has limited family resources.
She described him as "very nurturing" and said he had been closely involved in the developmental needs of his 2‑year‑old twins.
"They light up when they see him," she said. "He's become a very devoted father, and his mindset is different now."
Judge Kainen acknowledged the family's testimony and said he believed Brown's incarceration would be difficult for his children.
"You won't be there to love them, to see them get off the bus," he said. "I think you're probably a good role model right now."
He contrasted Brown's situation with that of other defendants he sees, saying that in some cases, incarceration can be stabilizing for children, but that "you're different."
At the same time, the judge said he could not ignore the broader impact of drug activity on the community. He spoke at length about the strain that drug‑related crime has placed on Brattleboro and other Vermont towns, describing a pattern of addiction, property crime and violence that has affected neighborhoods and families.
Kainen said the purpose of individualized sentencing is to understand the person behind the charges, and he credited Brown's upbringing and family support as stabilizing influences.
He said he believes Brown would do well in custody and benefit from educational programs while incarcerated.
"I'm quite confident you'll get out on your minimum,"he said, adding that ongoing supervision after release would help ensure Brown continues on a positive path.