Shelby County Juvenile Court officials said the 66-year-old Brown was sentenced to five days in jail after causing an outburst Monday in a courtroom hearing.
A spokesman for the Shelby County Juvenile Court, chief Magistrate Judge Dan Michael, said Brown appeared to have been representing a client who was accused of not paying child support.
Michael said Brown caused a spectacle in court by yelling and repeatedly challenging the juvenile court magistrate's authority.
Joe Brown is currently running to be the top prosecutor in Shelby County. Memphis is the county seat.
Officials with juvenile court and the sheriff's department don't know if Brown has a lawyer.
