That sounds like a lot of "who shot John?".

[Mr_Luke]

Did this remind you of someone?
Judge Judy says this sometimes. I've been watching a lot of her reruns lately.
There is a Judge Judy channel on the Pluto Network now.

She's really smart. I agree with most of her decisions, but not all.
She really cracks down on people if their dog hurt someone else's cat or dog.
I like that about her.

 

[97prizm]

For being a daytime "entertainer " and judge she makes crazy money.

 

[CarLuver]

i asked my cousin who is an attorney that the behavior of judge judy would be what i would see in a court room. she said it would be unacceptable. people think that judge judy is a real court, but in fact its a stage and the participants agree to whatever she decides .

 

[MRC01]

That's what I've read - it's a televised arbitration hearing dressed up to look like small claims court. I believe it always was, even back to Judge Wapner days.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

That's what I've read - it's a televised arbitration hearing dressed up to look like small claims court. I believe it always was, even back to Judge Wapner days.

"10 minutes to Wapner"

 

[Mr_Luke]

people think that judge judy is a real court, but in fact its a stage

If it wasn't real, I wouldn't be interested in it.
I don't believe it's staged at all.

 

[Mr_Luke]

I used to watch Judge Wapner often. I also liked Judge Koch, the former NYC Mayor Koch.

I also liked Judge Judy's husband, I think his name is Jerry Sheindlin.
IMHO he's a lot like Judge Judy, their legal minds are very much alike.
Some of the Judge Judy binge shows are interesting but I can't get interested in a lot of them.

I used to kind of like Judge Joe Brown fairly well also.

 

[GON]

This is the only judge I desire to watch:

 

[wpod]

I am amazed that people think their Tv programs are real.

 

[Mr_Luke]

I am amazed that people think their Tv programs are real.

I'm amazed how some of you don't think they're real cases.

 

[Mr_Luke]

"Well, not staged in strict terms.

Two things: it's not a court. It's a binding arbitration where the arbitrator is funded by the sale of television advertisements rather than arbitration fees because the binding arbitration will be televised. Second, the parties aren't actually paying anything. Instead, they are being paid as amateur actors for a television appearance. Usually this is 5000$. Therefore, let us suppose the winner is awarded 3000$. All this means is that the “loser” has their television appearance fee garnished to pay the “winner”, both parties having signed a contract that this is a thing and their real actual cases will be subject to an agreed order in the real court dismissing the real case with prejudice, having elected to resolve the dispute in binding arbitration.

Again focusing on the original question-is it staged? In as much as the process I just described couldn't be any further from a Court, it's not staged, as I said, per se. But it's also not a court case, it's not a court, and follows zero things that are not at all trivial in a real court. Things like evidentiary rules, rules of civil procedure, examination and cross, re-cross, etc- when did you ever see a litigant or attorney take an examination during the “Court” (using the word very loosely) of Judge Judy? Exactly never. The arbitrator-Judy-asks all the questions. In my real actual custody case for example, it was an all day trial. I was on the stand for hours. My ex about half as much time. At the end, the judge has two questions. TWO. That's a court.

Additionally, Judith Sheindlin IS, if I am not mistaken, a retired actual judge. However, if she acted like that in her actual career in an actual courtroom, she wouldn't be retired, she'd have been disbarred years ago. That and overturned on appeal like literally 92% of the time.

So staged? No. But know what you're watching: A made for TV binding arbitration with evidentiary rules, testimonial rules, and literally every operational aspect decided by the producers and MAYBE the networks attorneys, but importantly agreed to as a way to resolve a real dispute by two parties NOT AS a court, but in lieu of one.

So if by staged,I take you to mean are outcomes predetermined, is it scripted? No I do not believe so at all, principally because totally untalented actors could never be that entertaining if following a memorized script. But it's definitely not a court and no real life Judge hearing real cases is demeaning and lecturing litigants and having emotional outbursts every 43 seconds, screaming at, interrupting, and teaching life lessons that have ZERO to do with law to citizens before a real court.

If there is or ever was a judge acting like the TV judge Judy, 50 different lawyers in the judicial circuit have filed an ethics complaint with the state bar because they feel duty bound out of respect for the profession to have a judge removed who is so prejudicial to one litigant or the other and so unprofessional in flying off the handle every 45 seconds. That's great TV but I would not believe she was like that as an actual Judge."

 

[kschachn]

Just shoot me if my life comes to watching these shows and being invested in their legitimacy as a life concern.

 

[RhondaHonda]

She lives in Naples, FL part of the year. I’ve seen her tiny, bad self driving her Rolls Royce. Allegedly, her husband was having an affair with a waitress at a small diner near my in-law’s place. She banned him from going back.

 

[Mr_Luke]

I’ve seen her tiny, bad self driving her Rolls Royce

She may be tiny, but calling her "bad" is just your opinion of her.
She's a smart lady and I'd be glad to meet her.
She'll be 80 this fall.

 

[Vil_Riker]

i asked my cousin who is an attorney that the behavior of judge judy would be what i would see in a court room. she said it would be unacceptable. people think that judge judy is a real court, but in fact its a stage and the participants agree to whatever she decides .

Apparently she has experience as a judge. But yes, in the courtrooms that I have been, no judge ever behaves half as bad as her. And her decisions are harsh and a lot of times illogical. Which also happens in real court rooms where there are a surprisingly high number of underqualified judges making decisions about peoples' fates.

But that is what makes good TV - gotta have controversy and drama.

 

[LDB]

But it's definitely not a court and no real life Judge hearing real cases is demeaning and lecturing litigants and having emotional outbursts every 43 seconds, screaming at, interrupting, and teaching life lessons that have ZERO to do with law to citizens before a real court.

That may be part of what is wrong with the legal system, not enough how the cow ate the cabbage.

 

[Fitter30]

When Judy started her new show and how she got rid of Bird the bailiff haven't watched it as much.

 

[Malo83]

Can't stand her.

 

[csandste]

OP's description of what you are watching is right on. My daughter and her friends got free tirips to New York to some Jerry Springer wannabe, and that wasn't scripted either...the producers never asked if the story was true or not. They didn't care as long as long as it was entertaining. So much cheaper. Some of her friends made different appearances on different programs as different people. No one scripted, no one cared. Hopefully the people who are in these binding arbitration cases are the real thing, but no reason to pay for scripting.

As to real courts. I remember an introduction from my undergrad state and local government class at South Dakota State in the mid sixties that "People generally have respect for the courts until they actually get in one." His illustration was a speeder that showed up with an attorney at a Justice of the Peace for a speeding charge. The attorney stood up and said "I move that this case be dismissed." The JP said "Does anyone seccond that motion?" The defendant seconded, the JP called for the vote and it was 2-0 for dismissal.

I remember going to a civil case in my small South Dakota town with my cousin cause there was nothing to do that summer day. I was about twelve. Something about some dead cows, lots of yelling and screaming and when the judge broke for lunch, both sides attorneys got into the car with the judge and drove to the town's only restaurant to plan the afternoon action. Remember my cousin and I agreeing that this was staged, just like 1950's wrestling.

A few years ago, I had a tenant that left a trailer in the driveway for three days while they were moving out. Rules said no more than two days. They were gone but I got a notice to appear in municipal court (since everything was corrected, I got a "free get out of jail" card and avoided court costs and fines. I did have to stay for the session, however, as I didn't know of my status until I stood before the bar. We went up before the judge ten at a time, probably about eighty cases that day. They ran through the offenses which were largely lawn height, and junked cars and told that fines would be waived if they paid court costs which I think were roughly eighty bucks. Ka-ching, ka-ching. Eight hundred bucks every six minutes times ten. Nice racket.

One guy emboldened by watching that North Carolina true story murder case on Netflix, copped an Alford Plea on an uncut lawn. This caused the judge to let out a barrage of obscenities and stop the action while he fumbled arround in his desk for an 8x11 laminated card which he was forced to read to the defendant (both sides, about ten different queries, IIRC). When I was told I could go after witnessing an hour's worth of this innanity I almost picked the wrong door and walked into the judgtes chambers rather than the exit door. God knows what kind of fine I would have drawn had that happened.

So show biz and the courts kind of blend together. No wonder Judge Wapner got the idea.

 

[Mr_Luke]

I am amazed that people think their Tv programs are real.

Judge Judy's shows don't seem a bit staged to me, none of it, from the litigants to the audience, to Judge Judy to the bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd (and very few TV shows appeal to me). Passion like hers can't be rehearsed, and I'm willing to bet, it never was.
Different strokes for different folks. I'm sure she never cared what some of you think. The ratings of her shows were always amazing and she became a multi millionaire without the help of a few naysayers like you.

Her behavior took a little getting used to but I eventually got to appreciate her rulings and her POV on most cases.
I got past the hollering, but when she hollers "PERFECT!!" or "GOOD!!!", I find that a bit much, but still.
She got very rich (try about $440M) just by being herself and I'm sure she has and always had a strong following of believers. She makes the audience laugh by things that come out of her mouth, and her mind, not by anything that was rehearsed. I'd bet on it. If anything about it were rehearsed I wouldn't tend to enjoy her show.

She's only 5' 1" tall, but so what? Are you going to attack her on her height? Hahahahaha. Some of you seem jealous of her.
I'd be OK with any ruling in her courtroom.
She has a very good and a fair legal mind, and she loves animals, so if you hurt an animal and get in her court, she will throw the book at you.
She gets upset with irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs roam loose, especially when the owner refuses to take responsibility for their actions.