Inmate smeared toothpaste on his face for court appearance

It looked like Michael Brown's face was bandaged when he appeared in court on charges he assaulted two corrections officers but it turned out he had spread toothpaste all over it. Brown, 54, of Myrtle Avenue in Jersey City, refused to speak when he appeared on two counts of aggravated assault against corrections officers inside the Hudson County jail in Kearny on July 18.

Brown appeared via video link from the jail and Central Judicial Processing court Judge Richard Nieto repeatedly asked him if he was Michael Brown but Brown would not respond. Brown was flanked by corrections officers in the jail's video conferencing room and Nieto asked one of them if he could hear him and the officer responded, "I can hear you clearly."



Wondering if Brown could not speak because of an injury, Nieto addressed the officer again saying, "I see that he is bandaged officer." The officer responded, "He put toothpaste on his face and refused to take it off." Nieto ordered Brown to undergo psychological evaluation.

Brown was in jail on a theft charge which the prosecutor described as an alleged shoplifting gone bad. At the hearing in Jersey City, Nieto set Brown's bail on the aggravated assault charges at $30,000 cash or bond. Brown never said a word during his entire hearing and after his bail was set Nieto told him he could leave the room.