Earlier this week, liberal Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson left a public event at the University of Alaska Fairbanks early due to a family emergency.
She was in the middle of a question-and-answer session at the 900-person event when a staffer approached to inform her of an urgent matter.
Justice Jackson then ended up leaving the stage early.
Alaska News Source described the moment:
A staffer approached Jackson on stage and appeared to tell her there was an urgent matter that needed her attention. Jackson acknowledged the message, and the Q&A quickly wrapped up.
Event organizer Michelle Bartlett addressed the crowd after Jackson departed.
“There was an emergency that the justice needed to deal with,” Bartlett said. “I have no idea what it is. And to all of you who came out, stood in line, whatever you did to make it in here tonight, I am ever so grateful and I apologize.”
This happened on Tuesday night, but we just learned the reason why Justice Jackson cut the event short.
Sadly, her father, Johnny Brown, has passed away.
Here are the tragic details:
Condolences to #SCOTUS Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, whose remarks at an Alaska university were cut short Tuesday by a family emergency https://t.co/qxTC97KnNU Sadly, the emergency was that her father Johnny Brown, a prominent Miami attorney, passed away https://t.co/bVQeFC1glM
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) July 17, 2026
SCOTUSBlog: Johnny Brown, Justice Jackson’s father, passes away at 80
Johnny Brown, the father of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, died on Wednesday, according to an obituary published in the Miami Herald on Friday afternoon. He was 80 years old.https://t.co/gidyGSOjyE
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) July 17, 2026
Johnny Brown was a longtime attorney in Miami, FL.
He died from natural causes at the age of 80.
An obituary on the Miami Herald reads:
Brown worked for the school district’s legal office for more than 20 years, rising to become the district’s top attorney from 1999 to 2005.
He is survived by his wife, Ellery, two children – Justice Jackson as well as Ketajh Brown, a Chicago-based attorney – two grandchildren Talia and Leila, his sister Carrie Mae Stone and his son-in-law Patrick Jackson.
Ellery Brown also worked for many years in Miami-Dade’s public school system, leading New World School of the Arts, a public magnet high school and college, from 1993 to 2007.
Brown is remembered as a “quiet and reserved spirit,” dedicated to both his legal profession and the wellbeing of his family, according to his brother-in-law Calvin Ross, former City of Miami Chief of Police.
“He wasn’t a brother-in-law, he was really a brother. Other folk may have seen him from the business side or from a different social setting, but I was able to see him from a very personal standpoint. Though he was not a blood brother, if I had to choose my brother, he would have been one that I would have chosen,” Ross said.
Brown was also an inspiration to Jackson in her legal journey, which led her to the highest court in the country when she was confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States bench in 2022. Jackson made history as the first-ever Black woman appointed to the role.
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