Joe Brown (judge) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judge Joe Brown
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| Born |
Joseph Blakeney Brown Jr.
July 5, 1947 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Other names | Judge Joe Brown |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA, JD) |
| Spouse(s) |
Deborah Herron
(m. 2001; div. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
Joseph Blakeney Brown Jr. (born July 5, 1947), better known as Judge Joe Brown, is a former American lawyer and television star. He was a real judge in a criminal court in Shelby County, Tennessee. He is most famous for his popular reality court show, Judge Joe Brown, where he settled disputes.
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Early Life and Schooling
Judge Joe Brown grew up in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles. He was a top student and graduated as valedictorian of his class from Dorsey High School.
He went on to earn two degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He received a bachelor's degree in political science and later a law degree, called a Juris Doctor. While studying to become a lawyer, he also worked as a substitute teacher. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
A Family of Activists
Brown's family has a long history of standing up for what is right. His grandfather was a doctor who worked with the grandfather of Alex Haley, the famous author of Roots. His family was also involved in bringing the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) to Kansas City. His grandmother, who was part Choctaw, donated land to Lane College, a historically black college in Tennessee.
His family often fought against racism and unfairness. Brown has said that his childhood shaped his views on life. He explained that he grew up in a tough neighborhood, similar to the one shown in the movie Boyz n the Hood. He said, "I watched my parents tough it out on a daily basis, and I saw that what really kept them going was making a difference to others."
Career as a Lawyer and Judge
After law school, Brown moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He first worked as an attorney for the Legal Services Corporation, helping people who couldn't afford a lawyer. He later worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which fights for fair treatment at work.
In 1978, Brown became the first African-American prosecutor in Memphis. A prosecutor is a lawyer who tries to prove that someone is guilty of a crime. Later, he ran the public defender's office, which provides lawyers for people who cannot afford one. He then started his own law firm.
In 1990, he was elected as a judge for the State Criminal Court of Shelby County, Tennessee. As a judge, he was known for giving out unusual sentences. For example, he once ordered someone to apologize for their actions in a newspaper letter.
Becoming a TV Star
Judge Brown became famous across the country when he was involved in the final appeal of James Earl Ray. Ray was the man convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Brown was asked to look at the case again, but he was later removed from it.
His work on this high-profile case caught the eye of the producers of the TV show Judge Judy. They liked his style and offered him his own show. From 1998 to 2013, he starred in the court show Judge Joe Brown, which was very popular.
Life After Television
After his show ended, Judge Joe Brown became involved in politics.
In March 2014, he won the Democratic primary election for district attorney in Shelby County. However, he lost the main election to the Republican candidate, Amy Weirich.
In 2015, Brown had a disagreement in a courtroom where he was acting as a lawyer for a friend. He was held in contempt of court, which means the judge found that he was being disrespectful to the court's authority. He spent a few days in jail as a result.
Brown later ran for mayor of Memphis in 2023 as an Independent candidate, but he was not elected.
Personal Life
Judge Joe Brown has been divorced twice and has two sons from his first marriage.
