Judge Judy, A Real Court?
If you are a Small Claims Commissioner or a Judge Pro Tem, you must cringe each time you watch the Judge Judy TV Court Show. Judge Judith Sheindlin berates and ridicules the people who bring small claims cases to her TV show. However, many viewers of this extremely popular TV court show actually believe this is the way a small claims court is conducted. They think judges actually make fun of claimants.
Two different parties came to me with what they called "horror stories" in reference to their appearance on the Judge Judy TV Court Show.
One of the people who appeared on the show was Angie Marie of LA, who was suing her daughter for money she said she owed her. Ms. Marie said` at the last minute when they were putting a mike on her the producer told her to change her story or she could not be on the show and would have to pay for the production time. So she changed her story. Ms. Marie said on the show Judge Judy question her about being a poor mother years ago, and she lost her claim for money she had given her grown daughter. Ms. Marie says she did not get a fair hearing. But she admitted she signed the Judge Judy Arbitration Agreement without reading it. The agreement says Judge Judy, who is a retired Family Court Judge from New York is the arbitrator and has final say to the out come of the arbitration. Ms. Marie thought this was a small claims court not an arbitration session. The arbitration agreement goes on to say Judge Judy can use the application of any law or principles that she wants to make a decision in the case. Here is a quote out of the Arbitration Agreement: "The Arbitrator's Decision (That's Judge Judy's Decision) and her interpretation and application of laws and principles she uses in arriving at the Decision, shall be final and binding upon the parties hereto and the parties shall not have the right to appeal under any circumstance nor shall they have the right to attack the Decision for any reason whatsoever." It also says they cannot even talk with others about the agreement. That's what you call a "tight" legal agreement. Ms. Mari was not awarded her claim but was paid a $500 appearance fee by the shows producer, Big Ticket Pictures, Inc.
The cases for the show are selected by producers from real small claims court cases that have been filed in a real small claims court. However, the Judge Show is NOT a court at all, it's an Arbitration Session on TV. When the announcer says, "this is Judge Judy's Court," he is playing "TV make believe." Judge Judy does not even have a law license to practice law in California. So calling her a Judge and her TV show a court is simply "Hollywood Talk." Anyone can be an arbitrator.
Another person who took his small claims court to Judge Judy's Show was Dr. Richard P. Perry of Apple Valley, Ca.
Dr Perry said he did read the Arbitration Agreement before he signed it and thought it would be a "true" arbitration of
the facts of his case. He says the TV show did not follow the rules of Arbitration Standards. An attorney for the show
producers, Big Ticket Pictures, told me that the Arbitration Agreement that Dr. Perry signed made it clear as to the
principles that would be followed in the arbitration on the show. Also the attorney pointed out the agreement
clause that says "there is no right of appeal under any circumstances." Dr. Perry told me he wants another
arbitration on the matter and has filed a lawsuit in an effort to over turn the Judge Judy decision.
As Sgt. Friday, of an another famous TV Show of the past, Dragnet, would say, "Just the Facts Mam, Just the Facts!"
So here are the facts about the Judge Judy TV Show:
1) It is in the TOP 10 of Syndicated Shows on TV. It is a big money maker.
2) It is NOT a small claims court, it is a TV show, and Judge Judy puts on a good act and show.
3) When one of the parties wins a judgment, the producers pay that amount of money to the other party.
Both parties are paid $500 each as an appearance fee to be on the show.
4) Judge Judy Sheindlin is not licensed to practice law in California. She is a retired Family Court Judge from New York.
5) The $5,000 limit on claims they use on the show comes from many real small claims courts, but as a limit it does not
apply to arbitrations unless it is written into the agreement.
6) So why doesn't Judge Judy give out more money in cases, well perhaps it's because the production company has to pay
that money, and those folks are the ones to pay her. Maybe a little conflict of interest.
REMEMBER-IT'S JUST TV!
Filed June 6, 2005
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