A litigator has to follow a lot of rules in the courtroom, but there are special rules when you appear on TV. If you come before Judge Judy you are not allowed to hesitate while speaking before her. You are also required to maintain eye contact with Judy throughout.
She’s intimidating enough on television; it must be quite an experience in person. Other rules in the room include, no speaking out of turn, and no speaking to anyone but the judge herself.
Speaking The Truth
Not everyone is a fan of Judge Judy's style, but her words are often more popular than the star herself.
A critic once said that the show stars an "endless parade of idiots," that the Judge, no matter how famous, must continue to deal with. You have to show some respect for her sheer self-control.
Careers And Cancellation
Judge Judy was never the only court genre show on television. There was "Divorce Court," and "The People's Court," but only Judge Judy and Judge Mathis have avoided temporary cancellations during their television runs. Judy and Mathis are also the only two television judges that have hosted their own programs for the entire run of their respective series'.
Judge Judy is now the longest serving courtroom judge on television. Mathis holds a strong position as the second longest serving judge on TV.
The Joy Of Success
Judy's success has continued. Another 10 years has come and gone. In 2015 the show and the judge celebrated not one decade, but two decades of success. It's the first court genre program that has reached the two-decade milestone without being cancelled.
The show is also well known for lasting two decades without having to replace its star.
Real World Real Jobs
Who else on set is as real as Judy herself? Officer Byrd is both a bailiff on the show and a bailiff in real life. He earned his BSc from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 1989. He started his career in Brooklyn Family Court before moving to the Manhattan Family Court where he first met the woman we all know as Judge Judy.
“We [the court officers] used to call her the Joan Rivers of the judicial system,” he mentioned in an interview in 2004. “She was just hilarious.”