Charles L. Brieant

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Charles L. Brieant Jr. (born 1923 in Ossining, New York) is a Federal District Judge in the Southern District of New York. He received his BA from Columbia University in 1947 and his LLB from Columbia Law School in 1949. He also served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, from 1943 to 1946.[1]

While practicing in White Plains, New York, Brieant served Water Commissioner for Ossining from 1949 to 1951, at which point he was elected Town Justice. He went on to serve as Village Attorney for Briarcliff Manor (1958-1959), Special Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County (1958-1959) and Town Supervisor of Ossining (1960-1963). He was elected to the Westchester County legislature in 1970. On June 24, 1971, he was nominated by President Richard Nixon to fill the seat vacated by John F. McGohey in the District Court for the Southern District of New York. Brieant was confirmed by the Senate on July 29, 1971. He also served as Chief Judge for the Southern District from 1986 to 1993, replacing Constance Baker Motley, who assumed senior status.[2] Judge Brieant took senior status on May 31, 2007.

Judge Brieant is known as "Charlie" by his close friends and colleagues. He is also renowned by members of the bar for his Rollie Fingers-style mustache.

In the late 1990's, he was sent a box of chocolates by an anonymous admirer. His wife ate several of the candies, and became violently ill. Investigation determined that the chocolates had been sent by an ex-convict John Buettner-Janusch, the former chairman of the New York University (NYU) Anthropology Department, who had been sentenced by Judge Brieant to a short term in jail after being convicted of making synthetic illegal drugs. He was convicted of attempted murder.[3]