Judge Judith Sheindlin, known to most as Judge Judy, made a name for herself with her no-nonsense
attitude, tough talk, and long, belittling lectures she gives to people who appear before
her. But there are some other details about this legal lady and her show that she doesn't
talk about all that much. Since she's too modest to reveal them herself, we've compiled
them here for your viewing pleasure.
Ambulance chasers
The defendants and plaintiffs who appear before Judge Judy are neither assigned to her, nor
do they seek her out. All of that is handled by the honorable judge's producers. According
to a letter obtained by Radar Online, the producers headhunt through small claims courts
for cases that'd be fun for the rest of the country to watch on television. In the letter,
producer Julie Turner entices a defendant into bringing his or her case to Judge Judy
with the promise of appearing on television, because let's face it there's no better place
to have a personal matter settled.
Producers pay the fines
Even though the show claims all of the decisions are legally binding, they really aren't. That's
because the fines Judy doles out aren't paid by the cases' losers, as would happen in real-life
court cases. They're actually paid by producers. In the same letter inviting the unknown defendant
to appear on the show, Turner promises that even if this anonymous person loses the case,
he or she won't be responsible for any fees or penalties. Any money comes from the producers,
which is a sweet deal for most of the people who appear on the show, as they tend to have
little money. If only real court cases worked this way! And that's not the only money to
switch hands on behalf of the good judge...
Everyone gets paid
While it may not be as profitable as hitting the Powerball, appearing on Judge Judy is
a financial win-win situation for both the plaintiffs and the defendants. If anything,
it's probably the closest thing to an all-expenses-paid vacation that some of them will ever see.
Turner's letter goes on to say that in addition to paying for the case's outcome, the show
also pays appearance fees to all litigants who appear on the program, along with travel
expenses for them and any witnesses they wish to bring along. Of course, those witnesses
have to have something to do with the case, but still, a free trip to Los Angeles will
entice anyone to say anything, which often leads to Judge Judy's next little known fact.
Fake cases?
Obviously, learning that parts, if not all, of a reality show are staged isn't much of
a surprise these days. But the makers of Judge Judy can deny responsibility for some of the
fakery...because some of the people who appear on the show simply fabricate entire cases
for them. Back in 2010, Vice reported that Jonathan Coward and his friends Brian and
Kate concocted an insane story involving two broken televisions and a dead cat in order
to get on the show. Coward got the idea from another friend who appeared on the show in
the '90s, with an actual case. Producers took the bait and flew Coward and his three friends
out. After the taping, the trio celebrated by renting a convertible and drinking champagne
in a hot tub for the rest of the day. How did it feel to take advantage of Judge Judy?
When asked, Coward said, "It felt awesome! It felt so good." And no, he shouldn't feel
bad, because...
She's not a judge
Though Judith Sheindlin was appointed a judge by Mayor Ed Koch in 1982, she does not preside
as a real judge on television. The set has all the accessories and details of a courtroom,
but what Judge Judy does at most is arbitration. As reported by Consumerist, Judge Judy, and
other television courts, operate under a contract of adhesion, meaning they "are not bound by
real rules of procedure, evidence, or even behavior." So on her show, Judge Judy isn't
a judge making a legal decision. She's more of a mediator trying to solve other people's
problems. So at most, she's just a glorified middle school vice principal.
She might've taken down a school
When Tony Robb's mother sent him to Cornerstone Christian School in Clearlake, CA, she didn't
think her son would get locked in a storage closet for hours a day, but that's what happened.
They later appeared before Judge Judy, hoping she could get them their tuition money back.
They never could have predicted what followed. The defendants' testimony revealed that the
majority of the staff not only lacked the necessary skills to deal with special-needs
students like Tony, but they even lacked Bachelor's degrees. The principal only held an Associate's
degree. In case you're not informed about the requirements of a school administrator,
they go far beyond attending a two-year school. Even worse: the superintendent only had a
high school diploma. Following a justifiable tirade, Sheindlin awarded Tony and his mother
the total of the tuition money. Sometime later, the school was apparently closed down completely.
She's inspired others to do good
Marilyn Mosby, who prosecuted the 2015 case for the wrongful death of Freddy Gray cut
her teeth on Judge Judy. Back in 2000, the then-Tuskegee University student appeared
before Judge Judy, suing her neighbor for throwing a baby shower in her apartment, which
destroyed the residence. That must've been one wild shower. According to the Daily News,
Mosby handled herself like a pro, bringing photographic evidence of the destruction with
her. She ultimately won her case, and from there, went on to study at Boston College
Law School. The rest is history. Talk about stepping up in life.
Thanks for watching! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more videos like the one you
just saw. And leave us a comment to tell us what surprised you most about Judge Judy...