Former Florida Judge of Compensation Claims C. Douglas Brown (1934-2025) passed over the July 4th weekend, 2025.
Judge Brown was well-known in the workers' compensation and Panama City communities. He was born in McComb, Mississippi, north of Baton Rouge. He earned his Bachelor’s from the University of Southern Mississippi (1956).
After college, he married and moved to Miami, Florida, where he worked as an insurance adjuster. Several years and three children later, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida (1966). He began his legal career in Panama City, Florida, and was only the 25th attorney in town at that time.
In addition to practicing law, he began investing in real estate throughout Bay County. He gained national attention after winning a case in Panama City against Dow Chemical and Shell Oil. After that, he was asked to join a larger case against them in San Francisco, where he lived for six months and where he once again prevailed.
He was appointed Judge of Compensation Claims by Governor Lawton Chiles in 1991, was reappointed by Governor Jeb Bush, and continued until his retirement in 2001. He was the first to serve as JCC in what was initially District A-Central, as that area was carved from the long-standing A-West (Judge DeMarko) and A-East (Judge Fontaine).
Judge Roesch was appointed to succeed him, and she served 2000-2016. She was succeeded by Judge Walker 2016-2020, and then Judge John Moneyham, who served in PMC until that office was closed in 2022. Judge Brown thus served Panama City for about a third of the time that District existed.
Outside of the OJCC, Judge Brown was a highly accomplished pianist. He was a country gentleman, an intriguing storyteller, and a friend to so many. He will be missed across the panhandle. Godspeed, Judge Brown.
