| Joe Brown | |
|---|---|
"Judge Joe Brown" 2006 |
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| Born | Joseph Brown July 5, 1947 Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | Criminal Courts Judge, TV personality |
| Years active | 1974 – present (as judge), 1998 – present (as TV show host) |
| Spouse | Deborah Herron, 2001 – present |
Joseph "Joe" Brown (born July 5, 1947) is a judge and host of a court show which shares his name.
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Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Brown graduated at the top of his class at Dorsey High School, then earned a bachelor's degree in political science and in 1973 a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at UCLA. While attending law school, Brown worked as a substitute teacher.[1]
Brown became the first African-American prosecutor in the city of Memphis. He would later open his own law practice before becoming a judge on the State Criminal Court of Shelby County, Tennessee.
Brown was thrust into the national spotlight while presiding over James Earl Ray's last appeal of Ray's conviction for the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Brown was removed from the reopened investigation of King's murder due to alleged bias—former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia wrote that Brown told her and the Congressional Black Caucus, unequivocally, that the so-called murder rifle was not the weapon that killed Martin Luther King, Jr.[2] It was during this time that Judge Brown caught the attention of the producers of Judge Judy.
| Judge Joe Brown | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Judge Show |
| Starring | Judge Joe Brown Sonia Montejano Jeanne Zelasko |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Sunset Bronson Studios Hollywood, California |
| Production company(s) | Big Ticket Television |
| Distributor | Worldvision Enterprises (1998–1999) Paramount Domestic Television (1999–2006) CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006–2007) CBS Television Distribution (2007–present) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Syndication |
| Original run | September 14, 1998 – present |
The syndicated "Judge Joe Brown" court show premiered on September 14, 1998. The series is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution, the successor company to its previous distributors Worldvision Enterprises, Paramount Domestic Television, and CBS Paramount Domestic Television, and may be found on local television stations in the United States during the day. Popular musicians Coolio, Ike Turner, and Rick James have all been litigants on the show.
Like many television 'judge shows', Judge Joe Brown is a form of binding arbitration. The show's producers maintain the appearance of a civil courtroom. The program also features a news reporter and bailiff. Sonia Montejano as bailiff joined the show in 2006, succeeding Holly Evans, who had been bailiff since 1998. As of Fall 2010, Former FOX Sports and current MLB Network freelance reporter Jeanne Zelasko is the current news reporter, succeeding Jacque Kessler. Rolonda Watts is the show's announcer, succeeding Ben Patrick Johnson.