The Judy-Verse: Judge Judy/Judy Justice/Tribunal Justice

[Mel O'Drama]

For some inexplicable reason, my partner surprised me a couple of years ago by becoming hooked on repeats of Judge Judy whilst ironing.

It's a series I'd gone through a phase of watching at some point fairly early on in its run but drifted away from and felt that I'd ticked that box. However, since my partner has dutifully sat through many of the soaps and sitcoms I've watched and rewatched over the years, I felt it only fair that I should show willing and sit through some early evening Judy. As so often happens with these things, my cynicism gave way to genuine human interest and I found myself enjoying it all over again.

A couple of years ago, along came Judy Justice, a new spin on the series which felt a little odd at first but which I've come to thoroughly enjoy (we've whizzed through each of the two seasons far more quickly than I'd care to admit).

Then around a month ago, my partner found yet another Judge Judy creation: Tribunal Justice. Judy herself is not present, but Byrd is back (his absence in Judy Justice was apparently viewed as controversial, though personally I really like Bailiff Kevin Rascoe who seems more cheerful). My verdict after the initial episode or two was that it was a couple of Judy-a-likes and a reserved male judge. After giving the series time to settle I've changed my view quite drastically. As I've got to know each of the judges, their different styles and energies all working together has become really interesting, and the backroom view into their process of reaching a verdict has proved fascinating and sets it apart from the other two series since there are no unilateral decisions so it sometimes involves heated debate, dissension and compromise.

People are no doubt going to have opinions on the spinoff series featuring Judy's family members. Judy Justice has faced accusations of nepotism for featuring Judy's granddaughter Sarah as the law clerk who gets a lot of screen time. This article suggests Adam Levy appears to have openly addressed this when it comes to own presence in this Judy-created series. Apparently yet another spinoff is to feature Judy's son-in-law, and terms such as "nepo-babies" have been associated with the Freevee spinoffs as a whole.

It reminds me a little of when Angela Lansbury got her brother in as Executive Producer of Murder, She Wrote. There's a sense of creating financial security for the family and how that's viewed will vary. That said, I'm happy that I wasn't aware of these relationships when I began watching so I could take them on face value. Adam in particular has impressed me enough that I can believe he'd be there regardless of family roots. An early-ish Tribunal Justice episode that hooked me was when he read the riot act to somebody who wasn't being honest and I realised there was a lot more to him than initially met my eye.

While the world and his wife are no doubt familiar with original recipe Judge Judy, I'm curious to know if anyone has also experienced the others and what you like about all three series.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The series’ views towards social attitudes proves interesting.

My discomfort with Judy’s attitudes towards, say, couples who live together “without the benefit of marriage” (I have to remind myself she’s approaching this from a legal point of view) is balanced by how equally she treats genders when it comes to matters like unpaid child support (many women seem shocked when the reasonable question of why they haven’t financially contributed to the child who lives with their father or other family members is put to them, which really gets one thinking about imbalances in societal roles).

Something I’ve noticed about all series to some degree, but Tribunal Justice in particular, is there isn’t an acquiescence towards what seem almost universally unspoken rules when it comes to trending social issues.

As an example, in Episode 49 of Tribunal Justice, which I watched just last night, the judges gave an incredibly hard time to a woman who did what so many on this series do: weaponise gender politics to gain sympathy by fabricating sexual harassment which never occurred. Patricia DiMango likewise shut someone down for playing the "Mom" card to gain sympathy, and Tanya Acker has pulled someone up for unfounded accusations of racism. An episode I watched last night saw a woman who had got a delivery driver sacked for running over her dog when her own video evidence showed her own negligence was the reason (adding insult to injury, the woman who'd maliciously cost a woman her job was the person bringing the case in an attempt to further punish her and assassinate her character). None of the judges bought into the manipulatively emotive pleas, and they were actually sorry that the defendant didn't have a counter-suit for defamation.

In another arena, a rebuttal of these accusations might well go unheard, but not here. It's incredibly refreshing to see how effectively these allegations are stamped on in 2023.

 

[Richard Channing]

I love Judge Judy and have it on in the background nearly everyday while I'm doing my household chores. Apart from the addition of Sarah and the stenographer, and Judy's bun, there's not a whole lot of difference between Judge Judy and Judy Justice, which is a good thing. Although apart from googling stuff, Sarah does feel somewhat surplus to requirements. And I could do without her goody two shoes two cents after every case plus she reminds me of a haunted Victorian doll.

I've never even heard of Tribunal Justice but without Judy I'm not sure how interested I'd be.

On a side note, I'd encourage any of the 'believe all women' brigade to watch a few episodes of Judge Judy as it might encourage them to rethink their stance.

 

[tommie]

Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Apart from the addition of Sarah and the stenographer, and Judy's bun, there's not a whole lot of difference between Judge Judy and Judy Justice

Oh yes, it's definitely a slightly reworked variation on a theme. It's like when a familiar shop closes down then reopens the next day selling the same products with different labels.

apart from googling stuff, Sarah does feel somewhat surplus to requirements. And I could do without her goody two shoes two cents after every case plus she reminds me of a haunted Victorian doll.

This very much echoes my partner's sentiments. He has a soft spot for Whitney the stenographer though.

On a side note, I'd encourage any of the 'believe all women' brigade to watch a few episodes of Judge Judy as it might encourage them to rethink their stance.

Absolutely.

I've never even heard of Tribunal Justice but without Judy I'm not sure how interested I'd be.

I get that and I felt the same way when I first watched and it took me a few episodes for the new faces to click with me, but it helped having Byrd there for some continuity.

This is something I never thought I'd say when I initially watched and felt it was filled with Judy wannabees, but it's a daily fix I now greatly look forward to and (sacrilege) I don't actually miss Judy at all.

I've grown really fond of each of the judges and their different styles of questioning. It's also fascinating to see their discussions away from the courtroom leading up to each verdict, which knock spots off Judy and Sarah's chats.

On the other hand, the upcoming fourth Judy-created series which looks as though it will be reenactments of old cases seems to really be stretching the concept just too thin for my goodwill to even want to watch it.

 

[Richard Channing]

My discomfort with Judy’s attitudes towards, say, couples who live together “without the benefit of marriage” (I have to remind myself she’s approaching this from a legal point of view) is balanced by how equally she treats genders when it comes to matters like unpaid child support (many women seem shocked when the reasonable question of why they haven’t financially contributed to the child who lives with their father or other family members is put to them, which really gets one thinking about imbalances in societal roles).

Yes, that is something I really appreciate about Judy. As she says herself, she's an ecumenical abuser. Everyone gets the same treatment and the same grilling. I also don't always agree with Judy's stance on everything but I'd say about 80% of the time I do.

People are no doubt going to have opinions on the spinoff series featuring Judy's family members. Judy Justice has faced accusations of nepotism for featuring Judy's granddaughter Sarah as the law clerk who gets a lot of screen time. This article suggests Adam Levy appears to have openly addressed this when it comes to own presence in this Judy-created series. Apparently yet another spinoff is to feature Judy's son-in-law, and terms such as "nepo-babies" have been associated with the Freevee spinoffs as a whole.

I don't really have a problem with it, as long they are a good fit for the show. Judy has put in the hours over the years, made a name for herself and made a fortune, and has earned the right to do things however she wants.

weaponise gender politics to gain sympathy by fabricating sexual harassment which never occurred

That's a very popular one, as is weaponizing child protective services, both of which I find particularly abhorrent. Luckily so does Judy so I love it when she comes down hard on those who try to pull that.

This is something I never thought I'd say when I initially watched and felt it was filled with Judy wannabees, but it's a daily fix I now greatly look forward to and (sacrilege) I don't actually miss Judy at all.

I've grown really fond of each of the judges and their different styles of questioning. It's also fascinating to see their discussions away from the courtroom leading up to each verdict, which knock spots off Judy and Sarah's chats.

Ok, in that case maybe I should check it out.

On the other hand, the upcoming fourth Judy-created series which looks as though it will be reenactments of old cases seems to really be stretching the concept just too thin for my goodwill to even want to watch it.

Oh dear, that feels totally unnecessary and I can't imagine who would want to watch that. I don't even like reenactments in documentaries so will definitely be giving that one a wide birth.

 

[Richard Channing]

I can't think of anyone else on TV who has as many catchphrases as Judge Judy (not even Rupaul! Who incidentally is a huge Judge Judy fan)
Some of my favourites include:

DO I LOOK LIKE I NEED HELP FROM YOU???

PUT ON YOUR LISTENING EARS!!!!

They don't keep me here cause I'm 5'6 and gorgeous.

Where'd you think you were coming today? The beach/a tea dance???

Beauty fades, dumb is forever.

BALONEY!!!!

 

[Brian Kinney]

I've seen an episode of Judge Judy and it is as unimaginative as the German counterparts on daytime TV. It doesn't give the slightest idea about a real court situation, the production values are mediocre and the cases are amateurishly played 5-minute dramas without...drama. What do I miss about the fascination for these kind of shows? Someone told me these shows are crack for retirement homes, the elderlies love to see an older person lecture younger ones?!

 

[Seaviewer]

I catch an episode every now and then. I find it interesting to listen to the evidence and then see if Judy's ruling is the same as mine. Then of course there's the voyeuristic aspect of watching supposedly real cases.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Some of my favourites include:

Some Judy-isms I enjoy:



"Reeee-diculous"


"If you tell the truth, you don't have to have a good memory."


"'Um' is not an answer" / "Uh-huh is not an answer" / "Mmm-hmmm" is not an answer"


"I don't give a rat's behind."


"Sssshhhhhhhhh!!!"


"Are you trying to talk over me? That's not gonna happen."


"I'm speaking!"


"Just a second"


"That's a whole lot of 'Who Shot John?'"


"Your feelings are irrelevant to me"

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I don't really have a problem with it, as long they are a good fit for the show.

Yes, that the key. And even in a terrible, hand-recorded video, you can see how Adam fits as a force to be reckoned with in his own right, as well as sharing some of his mother's spirit, forcefulness and even phrasing:

That's a very popular one, as is weaponizing child protective services, both of which I find particularly abhorrent. Luckily so does Judy so I love it when she comes down hard on those who try to pull that.

Yes, that's always very gratifying.

It's really troubling to think what could have happened if some of these lies were believed.

 

[Jason73]

"Sssshhhhhhhhh!!!"

"I'm speaking!"

Usually accompanied by Judge Judy loudly tapping the end of her pen on her desk.

"Your feelings are irrelevant to me"

Often followed by "This isn't Dr. Phil."

Frequently at school, some Judy-isms will float through my head but I keep them to myself since it probably wouldn't be nice to direct them at 7 year olds.

Judge Judy and Judy Justice are comfort food viewing for me and have been for many years. After a long day of work my favorite thing to do is enjoy my dinner and several episodes of Judge Judy. It's also a good one to have on while I'm grading papers or working on lesson plans as it doesn't require my full attention. After a year or so of my local channel being stuck in the same season or two of reruns, I was excited this fall when they shifted to a different season which is featuring some reruns that I haven't seen before.

I also regularly watch The People's Court, mainly because I like Judge Marilyn Milian.

 

[Brian Kinney]

Some Judy-isms I enjoy:

One sentence I recall from her: "Stop talking! I'm the show!"

 

[Willie Oleson]

I haven't seen much of this show but I always made an effort to watch an episode of Sex Court (or was it Slut Court?)

 

[Brian Kinney]

"Where the punishment is a pleasure!"

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I find it interesting to listen to the evidence and then see if Judy's ruling is the same as mine.

Same here. I also enjoy those cases where my views towards the parties drastically shift as different facts are unearthed.

Then of course there's the voyeuristic aspect of watching supposedly real cases.

Yes indeed.

But I'm surprised how little of it is real. It's only very recently that I discovered the awards are paid by the production company and not the person being ruled against, which took away a little of my vicarious satisfaction.

Frequently at school, some Judy-isms will float through my head but I keep them to myself since it probably wouldn't be nice to direct them at 7 year olds.

Ha ha. And if the parents took action it could also lead to a very meta episode.

Judge Judy and Judy Justice are comfort food viewing for me and have been for many years.

That's a big part of the series' appeal for me. It's familiar, quite predictable and often same-y, but in the best kind of way. I enjoy the anticipation that comes when a defendant says something that pretty much invites one of her patented catchphrases, and there's something very reassuring about the familiar setup with Judy herself and the people around her* and the narrator. It's like a reality version of The Golden Girls.


* Even the extras making up the studio audience becomes familiar. While binge-watching Judy Justice I got distracted by seeing the same faces over and over again. There's one woman in particular who always bags a seat directly behind one of the litigants and spends much of her time looking directly at camera. And now I'm spotting many of the same extras in the background of Tribunal Justice.

Sex Court (or was it Slut Court?)

"Where the punishment is a pleasure!"

Just when I think I've seen it all...

 

[Jason73]

While binge-watching Judy Justice I got distracted by seeing the same faces over and over again. There's one woman in particular who always bags a seat directly behind one of the litigants and spends much of her time looking directly at camera. And now I'm spotting many of the same extras in the background of Tribunal Justice.

I've noticed that with the original version of Judge Judy too. There is this nice looking, well dressed, young red-headed guy that is in the audience for so many episodes. It makes me wonder about how the episodes are filmed and how many are filmed in one day and how someone has the time to attend so many tapings. Is he a relative? A superfan? Someone who works on the show?

 

[Jason73]

I just googled to see what I could learn about the audience and found this:

What about the audience?

The seats are filled using an "audience service" -- something very common in Los Angeles.

In fact, most of the people in the audience are aspiring actors.

So I guess that wraps up the mystery of the red-headed audience member.

 

[Seaviewer]

"'Um' is not an answer"

I find that one a little unfair. "Um" is something people say to indicate that they've heard the question and are considering their answer. Of course, I realise that Judy might want them to answer without time to think about it.

But I'm surprised how little of it is real. It's only very recently that I discovered the awards are paid by the production company and not the person being ruled against, which took away a little of my vicarious satisfaction.

My understanding is that both parties receive an appearance fee with the winner receiving their award on top of that so they do come out ahead.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

There is this nice looking, well dressed, young red-headed guy that is in the audience for so many episodes.

Weirdly I haven't noticed it much with Judge Judy, which I'm going to chalk up to the fuzzy picture quality. On the newer series filmed in HD they practically leapt out at me.

I'm going to keep an eye out for red-headed guy over the next few days and see if I can spot him.

I just googled to see what I could learn about the audience and found this:

I did the same thing a while back and felt a bit deflated to find this out.

Off the back of this I've done some more searches and found this article on 10 fake things about the series. Most are probably screamingly obvious, while others confirm suspicions I've felt from watching.

I find that one a little unfair. "Um" is something people say to indicate that they've heard the question and are considering their answer. Of course, I realise that Judy might want them to answer without time to think about it.

Yes, I suspect it's a little cross-examination technique, probably for similar reasons that she frequently stamps on people who repeat her question back at her: to deny people the chance to potentially create or maintain a story that isn't true.

Somewhere along the way I read that another psychological trick she frequently employs is to ask a question in a way that suggests she has damning paperwork in front of her when she's actually just looking at something unrelated. This is probably when she comes out with something like "I want you to be very careful about your answer here".

My understanding is that both parties receive an appearance fee with the winner receiving their award on top of that so they do come out ahead.

Yes, that makes sense, but it still feels less satisfying to me knowing that someone who may have ripped someone off for money not only has that debt paid for them, but gets an appearance fee and an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles.

It helps that their dishonesty is exposed and memorialised on a show screened around the world, but many of them don't even seem to care about that.

On a kind of related note, I followed the link in the article above which went to the full Vice article about that made up story. It seems questionable to say the least. The guy isn't exactly credible, so I'm not sure I believe half of what he claims in the article anyway. Perhaps I'd need to see if I can watch the episode to make some sense of it.