Judge Judy is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court judge Judith Sheindlin. The show featured Sheindlin as she adjudicated real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated courtroom set. Prior to the proceedings, all involved parties signed arbitration contracts agreeing to Sheindlin's ruling. The show aired in first-run syndication. As it was during its active years in production, it continues to be distributed by CBS Media Ventures in syndication, now in reruns that still draw notably high ratings.
The series premiered on September 16, 1996, and concluded on July 23, 2021. The court show ended with its 25th season after Sheindlin and CBS renewed their contract for the final time in 2017. During its run in new episodes, the show did not release airings in the order they were taped. Thus the final filmed case of the series aired on June 8, 2021. While later seasons of the show are currently airing in syndication, the first three seasons are on Pluto TV's "Judge Judy" channel. Since 2021, the show has also had its own active YouTube channel as well along with its sister show Hot Bench.
Judge Judy had an impact on courtroom programming, reviving the genre as a whole. It was the highest Nielsen-rated court show for the entirety of its 25-year run in original episodes, also frequently ranking as highest-rated television broadcast in daytime television and syndication. Of the court shows with a single series run (without on-and-off production from cancellation turned series revivals/recasting), Judge Judy had the most seasons. The series also won three Emmy Awards; earned Sheindlin a Guinness World Records recognition for longest serving television arbitrator; and originated many courtroom programming trends, from use of eponymous show titles to cold open trailers.
Two court spin-offs have generated from Judge Judy: Judy Justice (2021–2026), starring Sheindlin as judge; and Tribunal Justice (2023–present), featuring Byrd as bailiff. Like Judy Justice, Tribunal Justice is created by Sheindlin and streamed on Amazon Freevee.
Background
Origins and development After Joseph Wapner was released from The People's Court on May 21, 1993, Sheindlin called up the program's producers, Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions and Warner Bros. Television, and offered to do the show in his place. The receptionist who answered the phone responded "Are you crazy, lady?" before hanging up on Sheindlin. Earlier that same year in February 1993, a Los Angeles Times article on Sheindlin's reputation as one of the toughest family court judges in the country, written by Josh Getlin (inspired by his wife, Heidi, both of whom Sheindlin credits with her stardom) caught the attention of 60 Minutes, which aired a segment on her on October 24, 1993. The segment brought her national recognition, and days later from its airing, led to Sheindlin receiving an offer from a literary agent to write her first book. Sheindlin accepted the offer, writing Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining, published on February 7, 1996. Its publisher, HarperCollins, expressed disapproval of her book title, claiming no one would promote it under that kind of name. Sheindlin stood her ground on the use of the title and ended up selling 216,709 copies.
In March 1995, two talent scouts (before that, former People's Court producers) from a talent agency that was later called "Rebel Entertainment", Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman, asked Sheindlin if she would like to preside over her own courtroom series. Sheindlin eventually accepted, and the "Rebel" talent agency used a pilot episode to pitch to then-Big Ticket Television president Larry Lyttle in 1995. Switzer, Spreckman, along with Rebel Entertainment Owner Richard Lawrence later sued CBS and Sheindlin numerous times over allegedly owed profit shares for their part in commencing the program and introducing the two parties.
Sheindlin originally wanted the show title to be "Hot Bench", and the network and various news publications even promoted it as Hot Bench for some time prior to débuting, but Big Ticket Television ultimately decided on "Judge Judy". The Hot Bench title was eventually used by Sheindlin, however, for a different court show she later created (2014–present), which does not feature Sheindlin herself, but rather a panel of judges she cast for the series.
Petri Hawkins-Byrd, referred to on the program simply as Byrd or Officer Byrd, was the bailiff on Judge Judy for the show's entire 25-season run, making him the longest-serving bailiff in court television history. Byrd's professional relationship with Sheindlin predates Judge Judy as he was her bailiff throughout her career in the Manhattan family court system. When Byrd found out about Sheindlin's show, he sent her a congratulatory letter, stating, "If you ever need a bailiff, I still look good in uniform." She phoned Byrd at his home in California to accept his offer, and he ended up replacing the unaired pilot episode bailiff. Sheindlin has stated that the show's producers wanted various individuals for the role of bailiff, but she refused.
Sheindlin has revealed that from the start, she envisioned her courtroom program lasting only 2 to 3 seasons, acknowledging that most TV ventures fail. Sheindlin appeared again on 60 Minutes on April 30, 2003. During the interview, Sheindlin stated: I have a contract with the company to do the program through the 2006 season. At that point, we will have produced this program for 10 years. Right now, I would be satisfied with a good 10-year run. I think that would really be phenomenal. It would be lovely if we could end on a high note and for me to say "10 years and I still had people watching and I had a second career that was a blast."
On September 14, 2015, Sheindlin began celebrating her 20th season anniversary presiding on Judge Judy. The program is the first in the court show genre to make it to 20 seasons without cancellation, as well as the first to make it to this extent under one arbitrator. Three years later by September 2018, the Judge Mathis court show entered its 20th season and became the second and only other court show to accomplish this feat. Sheindlin's distinction as television's longest-serving judge or arbitrator won her a place in the Guinness World Records on September 14, 2015. Judge Judy completed its series run at 25 seasons. In honor of the 25th and final season of the program, Josh Getlin published another article on Sheindlin. The Los Angeles Times article, published on June 8, 2021 (the same day as the airing of the final filmed case), shared background details about the 1993 article that catapulted Sheindlin's television career and his relationship with Sheindlin.
On-air format Each episode of Judge Judy begins with a cold open trailer of the main case, sensationalizing various moments of the case with brief soundbites accompanied with dramatic music, voice-over commentary, graphics, etc. This is followed by the show's title sequence music video. At the beginning of each court proceeding, information regarding who is suing whom and what for is provided by voice-over commentary. When Sheindlin made her entrance, the courtroom audience was brought to order and instructed to rise by Byrd. He then informed Sheindlin of the docket number on the court calendar in the midst of providing Sheindlin a file of legal statements about the case, and directing audience members to be seated.
Sheindlin typically began each case by summarizing the disputed matters brought before her. This was followed by preliminary questioning of the parties as to dates, times, locations, and other scene-setting facts before addressing the crux of the lawsuit. Governing the discourse throughout the cases, Sheindlin typically allowed only brief portions of each of the testimonies; having read the parties' sworn statements before the taping, she was quick to reply and disallow responses that were not concise or which interrupted her. Less frequently, Sheindlin allowed one or both of the opposing litigants to recount the entirety of their testimony. During the proceedings, Sheindlin required the parties to adhere to her policies: participants were not allowed to tuck hands in pockets, drink water (unless they ask first), fold arms, chew gum, appear for court dressed revealingly or casually, speak out of turn, hesitate in answering questions, offer statements of hearsay, assert to the knowledge and thoughts of others, and had to maintain eye contact with Sheindlin while relaying testimony, among other things. If Sheindlin deemed that children were not needed to testify, she directed Byrd to escort them out of the courtroom at the outset of the proceedings. If children testified, occasionally teens as well, Sheindlin would have them sit on the witness stand next to her, which Byrd typically stood in front of. Sheindlin would also have Byrd give her important documentation related to the case such as pictures, letters, contracts, bills (medical bills, auto repair bills, etc), and later, text messages. Byrd would also play videos and give Sheindlin Kelly Blue Book car values (such as on a Dodge Dakota). Judy also made phone calls from her office if she deemed it necessary.
Like most modern court shows, cases on Judge Judy imitated small claims court cases in which civil trials (non-criminal cases) were heard and ruled on. Typically Sheindlin handled cases among former lovers, disputing neighbors, couples, or family and friend relations. Disputes generally revolved around issues such as broken engagements, unpaid personal loans, contract breaches, personal injuries from other litigants or their pets, minor property damages (e.g., fender benders, carpet stains, etc.), jointly purchased household appliances, landlord disputes, and rightful ownership of property. As is standard practice in small claims court and most reality court shows alike, Judge Judy proceedings operated in the form of a bench trial (as opposed to its more common counterpart, the jury trial). Lawyers were not present, and litigants had to represent themselves. Generally each show presented two cases, but infrequently, an episode would present a single long case, three shorter ones, or four shorter ones. Some cases took two episodes or more to resolve, and some involved the plaintiff and defendant switching sides halfway through.
After expressing her views of the circumstances and behaviors of the litigants with regards to their testimonies, Sheindlin rendered the judgment either by finding for the plaintiff (typically by stating, "Judgement for the plaintiff in the amount of x dollars,") and a closing exclamation, (such as "That's all," "We're done," or "Goodbye!"), or by dismissing the case specifically with or without prejudice. After she ruled and exited the courtroom, Byrd stated: "Parties are excused. You may step out," after which he escorted the litigants out of the courtroom. Any counterclaims filed were handled similarly. If Judy recalled a case, Byrd would state: "Parties are excused. This case will be recalled," and once the case continued, Byrd would say "Parties are reminded you're still under oath."
At the end of each case, there was typically a fourth-wall–breaking segment during which litigants, and sometimes their witnesses, expressed their feelings regarding the case directly to broadcast viewers. Sometimes, however, these segments were omitted, especially after cases involving resentful litigants, too upset over the circumstances to remain in the studio and provide comments.
Production