Legal Momentum remembers with admiration and respect Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, who died of cancer on Sunday, October 9, at age 50. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Thompson was the first black Brooklyn DA and was elected on a platform of reform and racial justice. Since his election in 2013, he earned a reputation as one of the country’s most progressive district attorneys. The New York Times called him “a voice for racial justice at a moment of tension between law enforcement and minority communities.” Governor Cuomo said, “Ken was known as an effective, aggressive civil rights leader — and a national voice for criminal justice reform.” At Legal Momentum, we honor Thompson’s life and accomplishments. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice and his legacy will live on through his contributions to the criminal justice system. We are privileged and proud to have known him, worked with him, and to have called him a friend.