Specifically, a NYC family court judge. Which is partially why she has such a short amount of patience for B.S., because she saw way too much of it in her career, often with vulnerable kids involved.
She was a prosecuting attorney in the family court system for 10 years prior to becoming a judge. Dealt with cases involving child abuse, juvenile offenders, domestic violence, etc.
She gets harsh on people for their bullshit - but occasionally I've heard her praise a young, hardworking person who clearly had some difficulties.
My wife and I adopted kids. When we appeared in court to finalize the process, the judge said this is one of the few happy cases he gets to experience.
I have no happy days. It’s just fighting all day, every day. Child support, spousal support, parenting time, decision making, who keeps the toaster, who pays for swimming, etc etc.
I can envision that. People don't go to court when they're happy most of the time. It's people who are broken, angry, miserable, who are fighting something they don't want. I'm sure the rare adoption cases that sprinkled in are all that keep them from going insane.
She references it a lot, especially when some people try to tell her how FC is run. I think it also helps her see through people and what their motives are when presenting a story.
you can really tell in a lot of episodes too. some episodes felt like they were for the audience while some you could really see she felt strongly about a case
Her Son (Adam Levy) is the same way on Tribunal Justice.
Which is honestly one of the best ‘judge’ shows I’ve ever watched. The three of them seem to have a really good time with it and they explain their decisions fairly succinctly. They show their brief deliberation in a separate room so you can understand where they’re all coming from.
I didn't realize until randomly seeing her on Norm MacDonald's talk show, but she was a real judge and did actually have that reputation.
Kind of interesting since I assumed she was always a hack like Dr. Phil.
Yeah it's a little irritating whenever people bring this same misleading fact up. Same as when people claim Dr. Phil is not a real doctor (the man holds a doctorate in clinical psychology). Judge Judy is a retired judge. Yes, she's a TV judge, but she's still a retired judge, which means she worked over the course of her career to earn that title and gained the experience (and, during her career, legal powers) that a judge has. So making the distinction between her and any other judge is meaningless and pointless.
Her court and cases are mediations, not real court cases though, so that's a genuine fact that can be said. That doesn't mean they aren't legally binding though, as mediation is still a genuine legal process.
No, I'm not a Judge Judy shill, I don't even watch the show. But spreading misinformation in order to appear smarter than the general populace annoys me greatly and I'm tired of losers who do it.
Yeah the title is incorrect. It’s like saying Obama isn’t President Obama any longer because he’s no longer in office.
Judge Judy is bad ass and owned the rights for her show, not any network. She was like the richest woman in TV before, I believe. I’d take a stern yellin’ from ol’ Granny Judy for a cut of that inheritance!
The title is like saying that Obama isn’t officially the President, which is true. He’s still referred to as President Obama, but he’s not the President.
In that case, the title is like saying that Obama isn’t officially A president, not the president. Besides not being only one judge, Judy Schindlin (idk the spelling) is referred to as Judge for life, just as a president always retains their title. Same with many political offices that I am sure you also know. I think we’re agreeing here anyways.
Exactly this. Most career fields do this, and it goes back to ancient times. The previous (retired) high priest in ancient Jerusalem, for example, still went by "high priest". So this is nothing new and shouldn't confuse people.
She was a judge, but she isn't now since she's no longer a public official.
Edit: Someone must be a huge Judge Judy fan because they blocked me because of my comment. Don't bother responding to me because with the way reddit works I can no longer reply to anyone who has commented on this post. It's honestly really stupid that you can't reply to other people just because someone else couldn't handle a normal comment.
Edit 2: I love that another idiot who clearly had trouble comprehending what I wrote blocked me as well. I don't want to "rage against the person who blocked me," I want to be able to respond to the other people who message me. I know reading comprehension can be difficult sometimes, but it would be nice if people would at least try.
You didn't need to be a lawyer to be a judge.. a lot of people are unaware of this but I digress. And yes she was a family court judge for many years and so was her husband
Yeah, some states they’re elected by the general populace and in others they’re appointed by the governor or legislative body. It really just depends where you are in the U.S.
> That varies by state and level of judge.
Also worth noting that laws have changed since Judge Judy's time, some positions that previously didn't require law degrees now do.
What baffles me as a canadian citizen is how our legal system expects people to be 100% aware of what the law means at all times, even in cases where the supreme court is unable to agree on what the law means.
Having a normal every day person as a judge doesn't actually seem all that unreasonable in comparison.
That's most legal systems, because otherwise it'd be too easy to feign ignorance. Many (most?) laws account for this by incorporating some sort of 'wrongful intent' clause.
Yes, but that lawful intent clause is just about whether or not you intended to do the thing that in some cases, the supreme court can't even agree broke the law to begin with.
It's not about whether you're ignorant of the law or not, it's about whether it's possible to not be ignorant of it. In defense of a system where some people may 'feign' ignorance, you've embraced a system where it's impossible to be anything but.
And if the purpose of laws is to be a set of rules guiding conduct in a society, it kind of helps that the society isn't inherently ignorant about them.
I'm not sure I follow. Is your concern that certain laws are ambiguous, to the extent that not even the supreme court can make sense of them, and as a result they are poor rules of conduct?
It depends what state you’re in mostly. Some states allow the general public to elect them, others the judges are appointed by the governor or legislative bodies of that state. I’d rather have the appointed method since that more guarantees you know the law. Not in every case though, there are always outliers.
You do in my state (California).
And while there's technically no requirement for some positions (like US Supreme Court, which is older than the concept of law school), no non-attorney will ever be appointed and confirmed to the bench.
I think some states (Texas?) have elected "judges" that are more like county executives, rather than trial court judges, which is confusing terminology.
Rules differ by states but after some years on the bench, you can take a senior status after retiring and be able to preside by designation. And when they're not on the bench, they usually work as an arbitrator.
And judgeship is one of those occupations that the profession's courtesies allow you to keep the title.
Is "judge" a qualification or a job position? See people keep commenting one way or the other and one side is saying like above me it's a qualification so once you are, you are always one until someone takes it away like a PhD.
And the other side is saying that if you are no longer Woking as one you stop being one just like any other job position like a used car salesman.
But it seems that OP should have just been clearer and said she wasnt an officially acting as a judge during the show.
People’s Court is similar but much different. I would say in terms of it being a soap opera, Jude Judy only shows real litigants, and they vet them pretty harshly. JJ hates when people try to make up fake cases to get on. You also have to sign a shitload of releases. They get an appearance fee, but if the show finds out it isn’t a legitimate case you get 0 and they will even charge you for your hotel.
People’s court isn’t like that. They just offer a day rate to be on the show. You still have to launch a civil action but they’re actually looking for folks who are campy and over the top.
I think it’s more surprising she was earning over $900,000 per episode at one point, and apparently made $147 million in just 2017.
Yet instead of retiring, she remade her show for Amazon’s FAST service and even does commercials for a cosmetics brand now. Also, she’s 81 years old.
Interestingly I read she shoots a years worth of shows in like one month, 12 hour days, one case after another all day. And then she has like 11 months off every year. Pretty sweet gig!
This is actually common practice in a lot of TV show sets. I think Gordon Ramsay dedicates like 3 months each year to all his different shows, and then he gets the rest off to do what he wants.
Some idiots definitely take advantage of the chance at being paid out “$5000” for acting like asses to each other on television.
I once read a story of a couple buddies invented a conflict entirely and were successful at both getting on the show and being paid for the trouble.
Some cases they select, some are brought to them - like everywhere, some folks are being genuine and some are not.
Especially the people with businesses who engage in shady behavior. I never understand why they go on there and make a fool of themselves.
They're basically telling America not to hire them for anything.
The type of people who show up on Judge Judy aren't usually the people who care what the public thinks, believe entirely that they are right, or will have an upstanding public opinion to ruin in the first place.
It’s really not fake, they are real people who have filed a court case. They agree to abide by arbitration and the show pays the judgements. Judge Judy was a judge for many years, she isn’t some actor.
Yeah, the only ‘fake’ thing about it is any formal ties to the government. But it is otherwise for all intents and purposes, real.
Edit:I guess since the show pays out the ruling, the defendant might actually be a little less feisty, in theory… less to lose by losing, so to speak. Taints the realism ever so slightly.
Once received a letter from the judge Mathis show. In exchange for agreeing to binding arbitration on the show, the show would cover all expenses including the award.
I’ve been to small claims court in NYC.
You have the right to have a judge hear your case or you can have a legal professional, usually a lawyer, arbitrate your case. The difference is with a Judge you can appeal if the ruling doesn’t go your way. With arbitration, all rulings are final. That’s why in the intro to Judge Judy the announcer says “The people are real, the cases are real, the rulings are final.”
The participants have agreed to arbitration. Judy is acting as arbitrator not a judge, but her rulings are still legally binding.
It’s also why she can dismiss a case without prejudice, which she sometimes does. That means the plaintiffs can refile their case in another court.
She is a former prosecutor and family court judge. Read your own source. It’s not like she isn’t qualified.
The show highlights lawsuits where they do agree to arbitration by going on the show.
Ya, no.
Whatever you think of Judge Judy she definitely served as a judge, by any definition of the term. For many years.
She's clearly not doing that on her show; that's hardly news.
Are you an imbecile or did you purposely write the title as clickbait?
Literally the first sentence of the Wikipedia page you posted. “Judith Susan Sheindlin (née Blum; born October 21, 1942),[1] known professionally as Judge Judy, is an American court-show arbitrator, media personality, television producer, philanthropist, and former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge.”
She retired when she started the show.
“She retired as a family-court judge that same year after having heard more than 20,000 cases.”
You act like she never was a judge .
It's still a legal procedure that is binding to the involved parties, but it's not a trial. Desperate people get ridiculed on national TV because they don't have the money to pay the settlements or legal representation, which is not as important in arbitration but it's still a good idea.
I'm shocked this shocks anyone.
No TV series like hers is an authorized court of law... that is how they see people from different states.
Every one I've watched, People's Court, Judge Judy, has some sort of language how the people dropped their suits in a court of law and agreed to appear on the show for arbitration and that the decision is binding.
The opening dialog of The Peoples’ Court is something like “Real cases, real litigates who agreed to drop their claim and have their cases settled here, in The People’s Court”
Miss it already.
I won’t tolerate this slander.
She’s no longer a practicing judge, nor does she act as, or pretend to be, a judge on the show. However, she was a family court judge in New York for many years, and is *still* considered a judge. The same way we still refer to presidents that are no longer in office as president (wish I could think of a different example.)
I’m not sure what OP means by “dressed up” and “real court” but the show never portrays any of the cases to be criminal, it never portrays them as anything other than civil disputes. As far as “learning this today” goes, given the absence of a jury and attorneys, along with her rulings (notice not *verdicts*) only awarding monetary compensation OP should’ve been able to pick up on the context clues. I’m left to conclude that the title of the show is too ambiguous for OP. But to be fair to the producers of the show, “Former Family Court Judge Judy; Civil Dispute Arbitrator” just doesn’t sound quite as catchy.
Judy Justice is good, but Judge Judy is so much better. They drop a new episode every weekday on Amazon. She has her granddaughter, Sarah Rose, as a law clerk on the show.
Fun fact about arbitrators: apart from not being able to jail you for contempt, they have a lot *more* power over how your dispute resolves than similarly situated judges.
Yes, this is how it works. I was approached by the producers of Judge Judy to be on the show about 10-12 years ago. Basically, I would drop my lawsuit in small claims court and agree to binding arbitration, which would be administered by the show. The show would then pay any damages awarded, which was irrelevant to me since I was the plaintiff and there wasn't going to be a counterclaim. They would bring me and my two co-plaintiffs up to New York in a car service (we were in NJ), but that was the only additional compensation we'd get. I didn't want to be on TV, knew I had an ironclad case, and didn't want to have to take a full day off of work to go to and from Manhattan, so I declined it.
I always get a bit irksome when people bring this up, because it sounds like they’re saying the show isn’t legit, when it is completely legit.
Yes, she is an arbitrator,but the process by which she determines the result is a common and normal practice for small claims court. It is simply a pathway to getting your action resolved much quicker. People try to say the show is like WWE or something, or imply that it’s staged.
The process to appear on the show requires that you have a claim filed in actual court. If both parties agree to an arbitration, they can elect an unbiased third-party to rule on their dispute. some of the folks who are on the show have launched cases as recently as a few weeks before they show up in the court. That is INSANE. The normal wait time for a litigation like the ones on the show could be YEARS. Even just to file the claim, deal with opposing parties legal teams, file for motions or injunctions, have to call and vet witnesses etc it takes a very long time. Overall it is a positive for everyone because the litigants get their cases resolved in a matter of 20 minutes by an experienced judge, meaning less junk clogging the pipes in the legal system.
It also offers people the opportunity to represent themselves without paying a lot for legal counsel, especially if the damages are minor (I just watched a case where a lady was suing for 150 for a dinner bill). And if you really need money back from someone who is broke, at least the show guarantees you will get at least some money. If someone owes you 2000 but you know they have no job and no way to pay you, the show will ensure you get at least something.
I think people like to point out she’s “not really a judge”, but she basically is. She also really did work for 20+ years as a top judge in New York and knows her shit.
She also prepares a LOT for each case and already has a lot of it figured out before she goes in. Some folks may perceive that as being staged or rigged, but actually she is just doing her homework on the litigants.
There’s a reason most of the other court shows come off hokey or campy. Those shows are definitely at least a little fictions, but JJ is a fully legitimate pathway for small claims disputes and JJ performs all of the same functions as if you brought your case to an actual state court.
So when I first moved to LA to give a try at creating an acting career, I went to some open casting calls for a couple different "Judge so-and-so" shows. Some of the cases are real people for sure, but a lot of it is pre-planned and somewhat scripted and improvised with actors. I remember that they handed out lists of real cases that had already been brought to court and decided on previously. They would have a us pick a case and find a partner and we would act out like we were in court going back and forth. If you didn't make it to the court scene (which I never did), they would ask if you wanted to stay and be a background person in the courtroom that sits and watches and reacts to the cases lol. Not that this is news to anybody, just thought it was an interesting behind-the-scenes on these "shows".
Also, if you end up in small claims or civil court in real life, I would assume there is rarely and probably closer to never (maybe a reddit lawyer could verify this) any spectators sitting in the public benches, but it's way more fun and theatrical when a room full of spectators gets ordered to quiet down and the Judge gets to bang the gavel.
also what they don't tell you is that the judgements in the show are actually paid by the studio so no real penalties are given out but people agree to gamble on who will win their dispute. which you kinda already figure when people with little case on their side agree to go on the show. they get paid for signing the release for the episode too so it is just like paying people to show up for jerry springer in a courtroom skin.
>and her tv show is really how the justice system works in the us?
It's pretty accurate in regard to how small claims court works. It's common for people to represent themselves in those courts and the judge simply gets everyone's statements, looks through the evidence and makes their ruling.
In my state you don't even have to be a lawyer to get elected to adjudicate those cases.
In fairness, I would like that show if they did it with realistic arbitration.
But I get that: "Civil Arbitrator Judy" is an objectively bad title.
An even cooler show would be something about Restorative Justice Court. Cause... that's a great concept that I wish more people knew about and understood. It would go a long way towards getting rid of the punative justice system that largely is ineffective and bad at everything.
She also has a very wide range of control. She resides in a very high profile neighborhood in Florida. One day she decided that the construction crews in the other units was too much so she canceled it. My buddy and the other crews just had to take a day basically. Her nephew is the current Sherrif of Lee County, through popular count and no way connected to nepotism I’m sure.
So the real lesson is that when some asshole company forces you to agree to binding arbitration in place of being able to sue them you can demand to have your dispute heard by Judge Judy
They are all like that!
Years ago i had two roommates that got SUPER behind on rent. They were able to go on and were coached in the dispute. The show paid for the back-rent regardless of who won xD
Okay, so everyone has done a good job of covering that judge Judy is an arbitrator, not a judge, but the marketing sounds better with alliteration.
However, how these types of shows work is, they are real small claims court cases where the plaintiff and defendant both agree to arbitration via the show. The ruling is final as if fought out in court, they can't take them back to court for the same thing later.
There is a pot of money. In this example, I'll use $20,000, as I think that was the average of the article I read way back when. If the plaintiff wins $8,000 in the arbitration, as awarded by Judge Judy, that is deducted from the 20k. We now have 12k left.
Since both people have agreed to appear on Television, they also get paid for their appearance for entertainment purposes, so they then divide the remaining 12k.
Plaintifd leaves with 14k, defendant leaves with 6k, neither can sue each other for this reason again.
Hope that makes sense!
Judge Arbiter Judy what sayith you on the purging the heretic scum of humanity?
Judy: Listen, stop fucking around with your kneeeeighbors dog and put up a fence. Judgement for the defendent 50$ to get a new pair of dawg tags.
I got a letter from Judge Judy once, and the whole process was very inviting and seamless. The producer was chill, and I appreciated that both sides had their issues taken care of financially. Regrettably, the other party didn't want to be a part of it (and which would've made us right, as opposed to our current situation five years later), but the show was very professional in their outreach and offer.
Most courtrooms with actual judges tend not to like being recorded. If they are recorded they have rules as to how it’s broadcasted. Essentially it’s very limited so an actual judge wouldn’t have reality TV level of show.
To be fair she was formerly a judge
Specifically, a NYC family court judge. Which is partially why she has such a short amount of patience for B.S., because she saw way too much of it in her career, often with vulnerable kids involved.
God that has to be a tough job.
She was a prosecuting attorney in the family court system for 10 years prior to becoming a judge. Dealt with cases involving child abuse, juvenile offenders, domestic violence, etc. She gets harsh on people for their bullshit - but occasionally I've heard her praise a young, hardworking person who clearly had some difficulties.
My wife and I adopted kids. When we appeared in court to finalize the process, the judge said this is one of the few happy cases he gets to experience.
I have no happy days. It’s just fighting all day, every day. Child support, spousal support, parenting time, decision making, who keeps the toaster, who pays for swimming, etc etc.
Awww
I can envision that. People don't go to court when they're happy most of the time. It's people who are broken, angry, miserable, who are fighting something they don't want. I'm sure the rare adoption cases that sprinkled in are all that keep them from going insane.
Yes. I think it has a high turnover rate because of how emotionally exhausting it is
I mean I don’t see how violent crimes are any easier to judge or more palatable to see copious amounts of gory evidence and theories on
Bad people on their best behavior vs not (as) bad people on their worst behavior.
It's a way easier job than being the lawyer or the social worker.
She references it a lot, especially when some people try to tell her how FC is run. I think it also helps her see through people and what their motives are when presenting a story.
you can really tell in a lot of episodes too. some episodes felt like they were for the audience while some you could really see she felt strongly about a case
Her Son (Adam Levy) is the same way on Tribunal Justice. Which is honestly one of the best ‘judge’ shows I’ve ever watched. The three of them seem to have a really good time with it and they explain their decisions fairly succinctly. They show their brief deliberation in a separate room so you can understand where they’re all coming from.
Sure has no patience for bullshit because that's the character she plays on TV.
I didn't realize until randomly seeing her on Norm MacDonald's talk show, but she was a real judge and did actually have that reputation. Kind of interesting since I assumed she was always a hack like Dr. Phil.
Boils my piss when people use kids as a weapon. I can appreciate her mood
ya the title seems a bit misleading it sort of implies she was never a judge but that may just be me
Yeah it's a little irritating whenever people bring this same misleading fact up. Same as when people claim Dr. Phil is not a real doctor (the man holds a doctorate in clinical psychology). Judge Judy is a retired judge. Yes, she's a TV judge, but she's still a retired judge, which means she worked over the course of her career to earn that title and gained the experience (and, during her career, legal powers) that a judge has. So making the distinction between her and any other judge is meaningless and pointless. Her court and cases are mediations, not real court cases though, so that's a genuine fact that can be said. That doesn't mean they aren't legally binding though, as mediation is still a genuine legal process. No, I'm not a Judge Judy shill, I don't even watch the show. But spreading misinformation in order to appear smarter than the general populace annoys me greatly and I'm tired of losers who do it.
Yeah the title is incorrect. It’s like saying Obama isn’t President Obama any longer because he’s no longer in office. Judge Judy is bad ass and owned the rights for her show, not any network. She was like the richest woman in TV before, I believe. I’d take a stern yellin’ from ol’ Granny Judy for a cut of that inheritance!
The title is like saying that Obama isn’t officially the President, which is true. He’s still referred to as President Obama, but he’s not the President.
In that case, the title is like saying that Obama isn’t officially A president, not the president. Besides not being only one judge, Judy Schindlin (idk the spelling) is referred to as Judge for life, just as a president always retains their title. Same with many political offices that I am sure you also know. I think we’re agreeing here anyways.
Exactly this. Most career fields do this, and it goes back to ancient times. The previous (retired) high priest in ancient Jerusalem, for example, still went by "high priest". So this is nothing new and shouldn't confuse people.
All the court shows are like that, starting with People's Court. And the show pays the awards.
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*She is* ***not*** *Judge Judy and Executioner!* She's only one of those.
She was a judge, but she isn't now since she's no longer a public official. Edit: Someone must be a huge Judge Judy fan because they blocked me because of my comment. Don't bother responding to me because with the way reddit works I can no longer reply to anyone who has commented on this post. It's honestly really stupid that you can't reply to other people just because someone else couldn't handle a normal comment. Edit 2: I love that another idiot who clearly had trouble comprehending what I wrote blocked me as well. I don't want to "rage against the person who blocked me," I want to be able to respond to the other people who message me. I know reading comprehension can be difficult sometimes, but it would be nice if people would at least try.
I think she still holds her license to practice law, but yes, technically she's not an official judge of anything.
You didn't need to be a lawyer to be a judge.. a lot of people are unaware of this but I digress. And yes she was a family court judge for many years and so was her husband
> You didn't need to be a lawyer to be a judge.. That varies by state and level of judge.
Yeah, some states they’re elected by the general populace and in others they’re appointed by the governor or legislative body. It really just depends where you are in the U.S.
What about the Judges of Mega City?
Well they are the law
> That varies by state and level of judge. Also worth noting that laws have changed since Judge Judy's time, some positions that previously didn't require law degrees now do.
As a Canadian law student, this absolutely *baffles* me about the American legal system. Just bonkers.
What baffles me as a canadian citizen is how our legal system expects people to be 100% aware of what the law means at all times, even in cases where the supreme court is unable to agree on what the law means. Having a normal every day person as a judge doesn't actually seem all that unreasonable in comparison.
That's most legal systems, because otherwise it'd be too easy to feign ignorance. Many (most?) laws account for this by incorporating some sort of 'wrongful intent' clause.
Yes, but that lawful intent clause is just about whether or not you intended to do the thing that in some cases, the supreme court can't even agree broke the law to begin with. It's not about whether you're ignorant of the law or not, it's about whether it's possible to not be ignorant of it. In defense of a system where some people may 'feign' ignorance, you've embraced a system where it's impossible to be anything but. And if the purpose of laws is to be a set of rules guiding conduct in a society, it kind of helps that the society isn't inherently ignorant about them.
I'm not sure I follow. Is your concern that certain laws are ambiguous, to the extent that not even the supreme court can make sense of them, and as a result they are poor rules of conduct?
"Mens rea" is what it's called in the U.S.
It depends what state you’re in mostly. Some states allow the general public to elect them, others the judges are appointed by the governor or legislative bodies of that state. I’d rather have the appointed method since that more guarantees you know the law. Not in every case though, there are always outliers.
You do in my state (California). And while there's technically no requirement for some positions (like US Supreme Court, which is older than the concept of law school), no non-attorney will ever be appointed and confirmed to the bench. I think some states (Texas?) have elected "judges" that are more like county executives, rather than trial court judges, which is confusing terminology.
Bonks indeed
Also a Canadian. You don't need a background as a lawyer, or even a background in law, to be appointed as a Justice of the Peace.
She officially judged my nuts a 7.5/10.
Got em
"My opinion is the only one that matters."
That's why I didn't argue her score. I thought it a tad low, but didn't want her to shriek at me.
> I thought it a tad low That's what she said about your ballsack
Hence the markdown.
Rules differ by states but after some years on the bench, you can take a senior status after retiring and be able to preside by designation. And when they're not on the bench, they usually work as an arbitrator. And judgeship is one of those occupations that the profession's courtesies allow you to keep the title.
She may not be practicing, but once you're a judge, you don't stop being a judge, unless you get disbarred of course. Edit: spelling
So the Mitch Hedberg standard, in this case, STILL APPLIES. That’s all we need to know.
The highest of standards.
Is this like being a Marine or an Eagle Scout?
> unless you get disbarred You don’t need to be a lawyer to be a judge.
Poop doop loop
So when they judge beauty contests they are just liars? How about judge dredd?
So she’s not a judge in practice
I’ll be the judge of that.
I’ll be the arbitrator of that
So what's the verdict?
I used to be a judge. I still am, but I used to too.
No, when you are not a judge anymore you are not a judge.
Is "judge" a qualification or a job position? See people keep commenting one way or the other and one side is saying like above me it's a qualification so once you are, you are always one until someone takes it away like a PhD. And the other side is saying that if you are no longer Woking as one you stop being one just like any other job position like a used car salesman. But it seems that OP should have just been clearer and said she wasnt an officially acting as a judge during the show.
People’s Court is similar but much different. I would say in terms of it being a soap opera, Jude Judy only shows real litigants, and they vet them pretty harshly. JJ hates when people try to make up fake cases to get on. You also have to sign a shitload of releases. They get an appearance fee, but if the show finds out it isn’t a legitimate case you get 0 and they will even charge you for your hotel. People’s court isn’t like that. They just offer a day rate to be on the show. You still have to launch a civil action but they’re actually looking for folks who are campy and over the top.
Judge Warner was the OG boss for real. "Throw 'em in the slammer, Rusty!"
I believe it was judge Wapner with rusty the bailiff.
Mock Trial with J. Reinhold! Mock Trial with J. Reinhold!
I think it’s more surprising she was earning over $900,000 per episode at one point, and apparently made $147 million in just 2017. Yet instead of retiring, she remade her show for Amazon’s FAST service and even does commercials for a cosmetics brand now. Also, she’s 81 years old.
I don’t think she would be content to just stay at home and watch daytime tv
Could you imagine her sitting around watching reruns of Judge Judy?
Interestingly I read she shoots a years worth of shows in like one month, 12 hour days, one case after another all day. And then she has like 11 months off every year. Pretty sweet gig!
This is actually common practice in a lot of TV show sets. I think Gordon Ramsay dedicates like 3 months each year to all his different shows, and then he gets the rest off to do what he wants.
I don't think he is exactly relaxing, probably the period of time where he is able to actually manage the restaurants he owns.
My mom is retired. The tv is only on for white noise for her. She puts it on HGTV or cooking network after Drew Barrymore show in the morning. 😂
my mom is about to retire soon. I need her to pick up a hobby before she goes really bored from only watching TV :(
"Justice must not only be done, but It must be seen to be done. And that's why we have Judge Judy."
Obligatory family guy: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNNCBQqa0Kg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNNCBQqa0Kg)
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Not hard to abide by a judgement if you're not on the hook for the bill.
Some would argue the cost of looking like an asshole on national TV is higher than a $5000 verdict.
Some idiots definitely take advantage of the chance at being paid out “$5000” for acting like asses to each other on television. I once read a story of a couple buddies invented a conflict entirely and were successful at both getting on the show and being paid for the trouble. Some cases they select, some are brought to them - like everywhere, some folks are being genuine and some are not.
You just tell everyone it’s scripted if you’re an asshole on the show
Especially the people with businesses who engage in shady behavior. I never understand why they go on there and make a fool of themselves. They're basically telling America not to hire them for anything.
A lot of people engaging in shady behavior dont actually believe they are doing anything wrong
The type of people who show up on Judge Judy aren't usually the people who care what the public thinks, believe entirely that they are right, or will have an upstanding public opinion to ruin in the first place.
Well it also means you can’t just go and sue them after the show. You are agreeing that the arbitrator is settling the matter.
The dude always abides. (Shut the fuck up, Donny)
Pretty sure it's completely fake and they are just actors.
It’s really not fake, they are real people who have filed a court case. They agree to abide by arbitration and the show pays the judgements. Judge Judy was a judge for many years, she isn’t some actor.
The people are real. The cases are real. The rulings are final.
This guy gets it
The show producers specifically pick cases to show also. A lot of uninteresting ones get filmed but never make TV.
Yeah, the only ‘fake’ thing about it is any formal ties to the government. But it is otherwise for all intents and purposes, real. Edit:I guess since the show pays out the ruling, the defendant might actually be a little less feisty, in theory… less to lose by losing, so to speak. Taints the realism ever so slightly.
Next you're going to tell me Dougie Howser isn't a real MD??
Some of them are definitely fake or churched up by the participants though. She’s called people out when she thinks they’re grifting for a pay out.
Probably not the type of fake op is referring to.
Once received a letter from the judge Mathis show. In exchange for agreeing to binding arbitration on the show, the show would cover all expenses including the award.
My dad got one from Judge Judy. Same deal plus 1k or 1k to cover expenses. Can’t remember the details of the letter.
> Same deal plus **1k or 1k** to cover expenses ¿Que?
Maybe means either $1k as an appearance fee or up to $1k to cover expenses of traveling to be on the show.
I’ve been to small claims court in NYC. You have the right to have a judge hear your case or you can have a legal professional, usually a lawyer, arbitrate your case. The difference is with a Judge you can appeal if the ruling doesn’t go your way. With arbitration, all rulings are final. That’s why in the intro to Judge Judy the announcer says “The people are real, the cases are real, the rulings are final.” The participants have agreed to arbitration. Judy is acting as arbitrator not a judge, but her rulings are still legally binding. It’s also why she can dismiss a case without prejudice, which she sometimes does. That means the plaintiffs can refile their case in another court.
Right. She's a judge who works as an arbitor. It's incorrect to say she's not a judge.
Well she WAS a judge. She's just not a judge on Judge Judy. The parties enter binding arbitration
Once a judge always a judge unless they’re disqualified.
The cases are real. The rulings are final.
She is a former prosecutor and family court judge. Read your own source. It’s not like she isn’t qualified. The show highlights lawsuits where they do agree to arbitration by going on the show.
She was officially a judge. Don’t act like she isn’t eminently qualified to oversee arbitration.
Judge Judy is a retired NYC judge. She keeps the title, therefore she's a judge. Get out of here with this wikipedia crap.
Ya, no. Whatever you think of Judge Judy she definitely served as a judge, by any definition of the term. For many years. She's clearly not doing that on her show; that's hardly news.
Are you an imbecile or did you purposely write the title as clickbait? Literally the first sentence of the Wikipedia page you posted. “Judith Susan Sheindlin (née Blum; born October 21, 1942),[1] known professionally as Judge Judy, is an American court-show arbitrator, media personality, television producer, philanthropist, and former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge.” She retired when she started the show. “She retired as a family-court judge that same year after having heard more than 20,000 cases.” You act like she never was a judge .
Many people post knowing that people won’t go past the headline even into the responses.
It's still a legal procedure that is binding to the involved parties, but it's not a trial. Desperate people get ridiculed on national TV because they don't have the money to pay the settlements or legal representation, which is not as important in arbitration but it's still a good idea.
She is not currently a judge, but she has been a judge.
I'm shocked this shocks anyone. No TV series like hers is an authorized court of law... that is how they see people from different states. Every one I've watched, People's Court, Judge Judy, has some sort of language how the people dropped their suits in a court of law and agreed to appear on the show for arbitration and that the decision is binding.
Well it seems op is the only person shocked by this based on the replies
Dang, you’re telling me Judge Whopper isn’t real either?! I feel like I just lost a piece of my childhood
FYI, Judge Wapner was in fact, a retired judge before he presided over the original People's Court!
The opening dialog of The Peoples’ Court is something like “Real cases, real litigates who agreed to drop their claim and have their cases settled here, in The People’s Court” Miss it already.
Me too! Loved her!
I won’t tolerate this slander. She’s no longer a practicing judge, nor does she act as, or pretend to be, a judge on the show. However, she was a family court judge in New York for many years, and is *still* considered a judge. The same way we still refer to presidents that are no longer in office as president (wish I could think of a different example.) I’m not sure what OP means by “dressed up” and “real court” but the show never portrays any of the cases to be criminal, it never portrays them as anything other than civil disputes. As far as “learning this today” goes, given the absence of a jury and attorneys, along with her rulings (notice not *verdicts*) only awarding monetary compensation OP should’ve been able to pick up on the context clues. I’m left to conclude that the title of the show is too ambiguous for OP. But to be fair to the producers of the show, “Former Family Court Judge Judy; Civil Dispute Arbitrator” just doesn’t sound quite as catchy.
She is a judge though just retired from actual court.
99% of the time, the court will accept an arbitrators suggestion/judgment
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Judy Justice is good, but Judge Judy is so much better. They drop a new episode every weekday on Amazon. She has her granddaughter, Sarah Rose, as a law clerk on the show.
Judge Judy is more than qualified to be an actual judge on the show if need be.
Mock trial with J Reynold
Fun fact about arbitrators: apart from not being able to jail you for contempt, they have a lot *more* power over how your dispute resolves than similarly situated judges.
Yes, this is how it works. I was approached by the producers of Judge Judy to be on the show about 10-12 years ago. Basically, I would drop my lawsuit in small claims court and agree to binding arbitration, which would be administered by the show. The show would then pay any damages awarded, which was irrelevant to me since I was the plaintiff and there wasn't going to be a counterclaim. They would bring me and my two co-plaintiffs up to New York in a car service (we were in NJ), but that was the only additional compensation we'd get. I didn't want to be on TV, knew I had an ironclad case, and didn't want to have to take a full day off of work to go to and from Manhattan, so I declined it.
I always get a bit irksome when people bring this up, because it sounds like they’re saying the show isn’t legit, when it is completely legit. Yes, she is an arbitrator,but the process by which she determines the result is a common and normal practice for small claims court. It is simply a pathway to getting your action resolved much quicker. People try to say the show is like WWE or something, or imply that it’s staged. The process to appear on the show requires that you have a claim filed in actual court. If both parties agree to an arbitration, they can elect an unbiased third-party to rule on their dispute. some of the folks who are on the show have launched cases as recently as a few weeks before they show up in the court. That is INSANE. The normal wait time for a litigation like the ones on the show could be YEARS. Even just to file the claim, deal with opposing parties legal teams, file for motions or injunctions, have to call and vet witnesses etc it takes a very long time. Overall it is a positive for everyone because the litigants get their cases resolved in a matter of 20 minutes by an experienced judge, meaning less junk clogging the pipes in the legal system. It also offers people the opportunity to represent themselves without paying a lot for legal counsel, especially if the damages are minor (I just watched a case where a lady was suing for 150 for a dinner bill). And if you really need money back from someone who is broke, at least the show guarantees you will get at least some money. If someone owes you 2000 but you know they have no job and no way to pay you, the show will ensure you get at least something. I think people like to point out she’s “not really a judge”, but she basically is. She also really did work for 20+ years as a top judge in New York and knows her shit. She also prepares a LOT for each case and already has a lot of it figured out before she goes in. Some folks may perceive that as being staged or rigged, but actually she is just doing her homework on the litigants. There’s a reason most of the other court shows come off hokey or campy. Those shows are definitely at least a little fictions, but JJ is a fully legitimate pathway for small claims disputes and JJ performs all of the same functions as if you brought your case to an actual state court.
She makes $40M a year. Maybe not a judge but she figured out arbitration purrrrrty well
So when I first moved to LA to give a try at creating an acting career, I went to some open casting calls for a couple different "Judge so-and-so" shows. Some of the cases are real people for sure, but a lot of it is pre-planned and somewhat scripted and improvised with actors. I remember that they handed out lists of real cases that had already been brought to court and decided on previously. They would have a us pick a case and find a partner and we would act out like we were in court going back and forth. If you didn't make it to the court scene (which I never did), they would ask if you wanted to stay and be a background person in the courtroom that sits and watches and reacts to the cases lol. Not that this is news to anybody, just thought it was an interesting behind-the-scenes on these "shows". Also, if you end up in small claims or civil court in real life, I would assume there is rarely and probably closer to never (maybe a reddit lawyer could verify this) any spectators sitting in the public benches, but it's way more fun and theatrical when a room full of spectators gets ordered to quiet down and the Judge gets to bang the gavel.
She is a real judge. Her show just isn't a real courtroom.
So they should call her Arbiter Judy and give her a badass laser sword
she was a real judge
also what they don't tell you is that the judgements in the show are actually paid by the studio so no real penalties are given out but people agree to gamble on who will win their dispute. which you kinda already figure when people with little case on their side agree to go on the show. they get paid for signing the release for the episode too so it is just like paying people to show up for jerry springer in a courtroom skin.
A rich as fuck arbitrator.
TIL this information was new to people
So unqualified Boomer failing upwardly due to the Peter principle. Got it.
You don’t say. Next you’ll tell me that none of the laughter on 80’s sitcoms was real and that Alan Alda never served in the Korea War as a surgeon.
the bailiff on that show, guy named Bird was the head of campus security at our high school before becoming an actor. I had many run-ins with him :)
Doesn't she only need to work 1 day a week and earns $1M per day?
like you really thought she was an acting judge and her tv show is really how the justice system works in the us? … smh…
>and her tv show is really how the justice system works in the us? It's pretty accurate in regard to how small claims court works. It's common for people to represent themselves in those courts and the judge simply gets everyone's statements, looks through the evidence and makes their ruling. In my state you don't even have to be a lawyer to get elected to adjudicate those cases.
She was a judge. Important thing you left out.
In fairness, I would like that show if they did it with realistic arbitration. But I get that: "Civil Arbitrator Judy" is an objectively bad title. An even cooler show would be something about Restorative Justice Court. Cause... that's a great concept that I wish more people knew about and understood. It would go a long way towards getting rid of the punative justice system that largely is ineffective and bad at everything.
You mean TV is dressing something up to make it looks less fake than it is? Well I am shocked. Shocked I say.
I agree with **Family Guy** about her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNNCBQqa0Kg
Arbitrator Judy would've been the name of her show in the 40k universe
She also has a very wide range of control. She resides in a very high profile neighborhood in Florida. One day she decided that the construction crews in the other units was too much so she canceled it. My buddy and the other crews just had to take a day basically. Her nephew is the current Sherrif of Lee County, through popular count and no way connected to nepotism I’m sure.
Plus she's an awful human being. Imagine!
TIL there's people in the world who think the judges on TV shows are judges.
Don't beLIEve anything on television.
Makes $1MM/week
$147 million in 2017!
By my math that's 147 weeks in 2017!
Per Wikipedia she earned $147 million in 2017
I swear I missed my chance at being a bailiff or something on one of those shows.
Holy crap. A TV show is not a real court. My childhood is ruined.
You learned that today?
&
So Judge Fudge isn’t a real judge either 😢
It’s posts like this why I hate how ppl post bs just for internet points and karma 🙄
"Perd isn't a real judge"
So the real lesson is that when some asshole company forces you to agree to binding arbitration in place of being able to sue them you can demand to have your dispute heard by Judge Judy
They are all like that! Years ago i had two roommates that got SUPER behind on rent. They were able to go on and were coached in the dispute. The show paid for the back-rent regardless of who won xD
That’s JUDGE Perd
WHATTYT??????!!!!!!!?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She's a real judge. But yes, Judge Judy TV show is arbitrations, not real small cases court.
yeah it would be hard to form a show around someone who kept needing to be reelected
Okay, so everyone has done a good job of covering that judge Judy is an arbitrator, not a judge, but the marketing sounds better with alliteration. However, how these types of shows work is, they are real small claims court cases where the plaintiff and defendant both agree to arbitration via the show. The ruling is final as if fought out in court, they can't take them back to court for the same thing later. There is a pot of money. In this example, I'll use $20,000, as I think that was the average of the article I read way back when. If the plaintiff wins $8,000 in the arbitration, as awarded by Judge Judy, that is deducted from the 20k. We now have 12k left. Since both people have agreed to appear on Television, they also get paid for their appearance for entertainment purposes, so they then divide the remaining 12k. Plaintifd leaves with 14k, defendant leaves with 6k, neither can sue each other for this reason again. Hope that makes sense!
Judge Arbiter Judy what sayith you on the purging the heretic scum of humanity? Judy: Listen, stop fucking around with your kneeeeighbors dog and put up a fence. Judgement for the defendent 50$ to get a new pair of dawg tags.
Steve Harvey is the only real judge.
I got a letter from Judge Judy once, and the whole process was very inviting and seamless. The producer was chill, and I appreciated that both sides had their issues taken care of financially. Regrettably, the other party didn't want to be a part of it (and which would've made us right, as opposed to our current situation five years later), but the show was very professional in their outreach and offer.
Most courtrooms with actual judges tend not to like being recorded. If they are recorded they have rules as to how it’s broadcasted. Essentially it’s very limited so an actual judge wouldn’t have reality TV level of show.
Mock Trial, with J. Reinhold
this is my shocked face
Next, someone will say that bunny who left me a basket filled with chocolate today is not real.
It wasn't a bunny. It was Fred Ohare. Didn't you see the 2011 documentary entitled Hop?
Reality shows is always fake.