Richard Brown, the former state Supreme Court judge who led the Queens district attorney's office for nearly three decades, has died. He was 86.

Chief Assistant District Attorney John Ryan announced the news in an email Saturday morning. He praised Brown's efforts over his nearly 28 years in office for helping make New York City the safest big city in America.

“Judge Brown loved working for the people of Queens” Ryan said in a statement. “He would often be the first person in the office and very likely the last to leave every day—and sometimes on weekends too. He was known to visit crime scenes, meet with victims and work tirelessly to give them justice.”

Brown's long battle with Parkinson's Disease led to his decision earlier this year not to seek reelection for a seventh term. He intended to step down as DA in June due to health issues.

Brown entered the office after being appointed by Gov. Mario Cuomo in 1991, amid the peak of violent crime in the city. That year saw the second most murders in the city's recorded history, following the record-setting 2,605 the year before. Brown's tenure overlapped with the long reversal of that trend. Last year police accounted for 295 murders across the city, according to police department stats.

Ryan pointed to what he described as innovations implemented by Brown that “contributed greatly” to this trend, including drug and mental health courts, new bureaus and units focused on domestic violence and immigrant affairs, and more recently programming to address the rise of opioid addiction-related crimes.

In a statement, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his father's recognition of Brown's “brilliance” was proven right over the years.

“Today we mourn the loss of Richard Brown, a giant of the legal community and dedicated public servant who spent six decades serving the people of New York,” Cuomo said. “We are forever indebted to Judge Brown for his service to this state; he will be sorely missed.”

Recent trends in crime and incarceration have led to a new examination of law enforcement practices that saw the Queens DA's office come under scrutiny. Brown's office appeared resistant at times to changes adopted by other DAs in the city who took office in the current millennium. While a deemphasis on marijuana arrests and conviction review units have been embraced largely in the city's other boroughs, Brown's office has been slow to follow suit.

This shift in voters' expectations of law enforcement, along with concerns over Brown's failing health, gave rise this year to a substantial electoral challenge unseen in years past. One of the earliest Democrats to declare a run for office was City Councilman Rory Lancman, who issued a statement shortly after news broke of Brown's death circulated.

“I am saddened to learn of Judge Brown's passing. Judge Brown dedicated his life to public service, and he was deeply committed to the people of Queens,” Lancman said.

A crowded field of candidates will seek to become the first Democrat to be elected in Queens not named Richard Brown since 1993. The primary is scheduled for June 25.

Funeral arrangements for Brown will be announced in the near future, according to Ryan.

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