Joe Brown Biography

Fast Facts

• After catching the attention of "Judge Judy" producers in the late 1990s, he became the judge and arbiter of his own reality courtroom show, "Judge Joe Brown," which ran for 15 seasons, from 1998 to 2013
• After graduating from UCLA, he moved to Tennessee, where he became the first black prosecutor in Memphis history
• Known for giving life advice to plaintiffs and defendants, often about manhood
• Addresses the court in a straightforward, candid manner
• Oversaw the reopening of convicted assassin James Earl Ray's case for the murder Martin Luther King, Jr
• Was honored by the Kennedy Center with The Olender Foundation's Advocate for Justice Award for his work with inner-city youths