Memphis, TN — Judge Joe Brown, the popular TV court judge, was recently arrested and found in contempt of court. He was sentenced to 5 days in jail for each charge. But what did he do? Apparently, he was defending a woman in Memphis’ Shelby County Sheriff’s Office who had approached him about her child support case. He kept insisting that the woman’s charges be dismissed, but the magistrate asked him to be quiet because he was not a lawyer. When he refused, he was locked up.Brown later insisted that the man presiding over the case was not a judge, but rather a lawyer who did not have the authority to do anything more than fine him. However, the courthouse said that the magistrate has the full authority of the court in sentencing.
Brown has since been released and says he felt the arrest was “dirty politics”. He commented, “I’m a little hot under the collar. In 40 years, I’ve never seen such a circus as they’ve got down there.”
Brown, who is now 66 years old, starred in his own syndicated reality TV show called “Judge Joe Brown” for 15 years until it was canceled last year. Ironically, just last month he announced his candidacy for the Shelby County district attorney post. Because of the timing, many think what he did was a publicity stunt.
“If it was a stunt, I am a master at doing it. I just happened to by chance run into a woman in need. That’s one hell of a thing to be able to pull off,” he said. “Considering my ratings and the fact that I’ve been coming into the homes of just about everybody with a TV set in Shelby County for about 15 years, what was there to promote? Everybody knows who I am.”