No-bail judge's lefty link
Ex-public defender gave ‘basher’ a break
The Big Apple judge who cut loose an alleged nut accused of randomly attacking a subway cello player is a former Legal Aid attorney with ties to progressive politicians.
Judge Marva Brown, who opted Thursday to release the 23year-old alleged attacker — who has at least eight prior arrests — was only recently elected to her judicial role after nearly two decades as a public defender.
Brown became a Brooklyn civil court judge in November after campaigning as a self-described “zealous advocate, compassionate advisor, respected negotiator and skilled litigator,” according to her campaign site.
The married mom of three was endorsed for the role by a slew of liberals, including Assemblyman Brian Cunningham, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
After her election victory, lefty Brooklyn Councilman Chi Ossé was among those to heap praise on her, describing Brown in a string of tweets as “amazing” and “an indispensable community member.”
Brown is a community board member in her borough who also served on the board of Brooklyn-based nonprofit Families and Friends of the Wrongfully Convicted.
She wouldn’t comment when The Post confronted her Friday over her decision to release alleged violent perp Amira Hunter — especially given her lengthy rap sheet and pleas from Manhattan prosecutors.
“It’s not appropriate,” the judge said outside her home after putting her kids in the car. “I’m with my children.”
At Hunter’s arraignment on second-degree assault charges, prosecutors argued for $15,000 cash bail or $45,000 bond, noting that she failed to appear at three of her five court dates in other criminal cases last year.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Brown, as a civil judge, was assigned the subway attack case out of Manhattan Criminal Court. The state Office of Court Administration didn’t respond to The Post’s queries about her case assignment Friday.
Brown kick-started her legal career back in 2006 as a Legal Aid Society attorney repping those charged with misdemeanor offenses, according to her website.
Subway ‘assault’
The born-and-bred New Yorker started off litigating for Legal Aid in Nassau County before transferring to the society’s Bronx office in 2008 and then Brooklyn two years later.
It wasn’t clear if she retains her role at the nonprofit, which provides resources for people who are incarcerated or have recently been released, and their families, in the wake of her being elected a judge. Reps for the organization didn’t respond to The Post.
Brown set Hunter free on supervised release over the Feb. 13 caught-on-camera subway attack on performer Iain S. Forrest — despite the jurist being able to set bail on the assault charge.
Hunter also had a bench warrant out for her arrest in two cases involving petit larceny.