(Memphis) Well-known TV court judge and former Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Joe Brown has been released on his own recognizance from the Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar.
This comes after a request for bail was denied earlier this evening.
We are told Brown showed up to Juvenile Court Monday and agreed to represent someone pro bono in a child support case.
Juvenile Court Magistrate Harold Horne denied Brown’s request for the case to be dismissed.
Brown then reportedly lost control and became verbally abusive saying in part, “On what authority do you sit by the way? As a former judge here, we have a rule in the 30th judicial district that says every single magistrate, referee has to be unanimously approved by every circuit, chancery, and criminal court judge. I don’t recall that your name’s ever been submitted sir!”
Horne warned Brown to calm down, but he did not.
Brown was given 24 hours in jail for contempt of court, but that increased to five days when he continued to yell as he was being removed from the courtroom saying, “This is a circus sir. That’s three days. You can do all you want! Four days. You don’t have the jurisdiction. Five days.”
Brown’s television show was cancelled last year and he is now running for Shelby County District Attorney against Amy Weirich.
After being released from jail, Brown told WREG he feels the arrest was dirty politics.
“I’m a little hot under the collar,” he said. “In 40 years, I’ve never seen such a circus as they’ve got down there.”
Many are wondering, with an election coming up and Brown’s own attorney being with him at juvenile court, whether it was a publicity ploy.
Weirich’s campaign manager released a statement following the arrest, saying, “That sort of disrespectful circus stunt may get Hollywood ratings, but this is real life and real people, and Joe Brown knows better. He should be ashamed of himself.”
Brown held a ‘Man Up’ rally in Memphis Saturday to talk about keeping kids out of trouble.
Juvenile Court Judge Curtis Person said in a statement, “Anyone who comes before the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County will be treated fairly, with dignity and with respect. Anyone who acts in a contemptuous manner toward this Court, toward any member of this Court, toward any employee of this Court or toward any visitor of this Court will be dealt with appropriately according to the laws of the State of Tennessee.”
Some people were not happy with a post on the Joe Brown campaign Facebook page, comparing him to Martin Luther King, Jr.
