 He moved to New York County, New York (modern-day Manhattan) and was a member of the New York state assembly from 1787 to 1788.Brooks then moved to Dutchess County, New York and again was a member of the New York state assembly from 1794 to 1796.In 1795, Brooks was also made a judge of Dutchess County, a job he would keep until 1807 in spite of the fact that, at various times, he would be concurrently a state or federal legislator or a federal officer.