Normally when you see former TV Judge Joe Brown, he is calm and does not tolerate ignorant behavior. He has been seen many times on TV berating plaintiffs and defendants for bad courtroom behavior. Now, he has been reprimanded. The former TV show host was acting as free legal counsel for a juvenile court child support case. When Brown moved for dismissal of the case against his client, Juvenile Court Magistrate Harold Horne refused the motion. Brown challenged the judge’s decision not to dismiss the case against his client and then went off on the judge asking, “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!” Brown would not be silenced, and the judge held him in contempt of court and had him arrested on the spot.
Brown was led away yelling, and as the bailiffs took him from the courtroom, the judge increased his original sentence of 24 hours in jail to five days. Brown yelled that the court did not have the authority to do anything other than fine him $10. Brown is also heard on the court recording that he would shut the judge’s whole operation down. Brown only spent a total of four hours in jail and stated that his arrest was a personal and political attack because he is running for elected office. Brown was released on his own recognizance and is now comparing his arrest and experience to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Listen to the recording here.
Judge Joe Brown Goes Off in Court
