Former TV court judge Joe Brown has been arrested and charged with contempt after yelling at a judge while representing a client in a child support case in Memphis, Tenn.
According to the Associated Press, the 66-year-old was sentenced to five days in jail after getting into a heated argument with another judge. A witness said Brown "challenged the authority" and got "pretty raucous" during his appearance in court.
Several reports stated that Brown allegedly became verbally abusive, even after being warned to calm down. He was sentenced by Juvenile Court Magistrate Harold "Hal" Horne but was later released on his own recognizance, CNN reported.
"He all but had that courtroom in a riot,'' Juvenile Court Chief Magistrate Dan Michael told the Commercial Appeal.
Michael stated that Brown, who is running for Shelby County District Attorney, entered the court house and began strolling through the halls shaking hands and asking for votes. But after waiting in the courtroom for 20 minutes he reportedly began to complain to Horne about delays.
"Excuse me ... you need to straighten yourself out," Brown told Juvenile Court Magistrate Harold "Hal" Horne in audio obtained by Commercial Appeal and TMZ. "Now if you want to get into this, let's get into this. This sorry operation needs to stop."
Michael said that the judges and staff "were all kind of floored" by Brown's behavior. But Brown's political campaign team reacted to his arrest by changing his profile photo on Facebook with one of African American activist, Martin Luther King, Jr. being arrested.
"Judge Joe Brown, jailed in Memphis!" the photo's caption reads. "This is not any different than when Martin Luther King was jailed repeatedly, while fighting for our rights. The only difference is that he will not be a Martyr."
Brown hosted his syndicated reality court TV show, "Judge Joe Brown," for 15 years, before it was canceled last year.
