Who’s the TV Judge You Love to Hate or Hate to Love?

Question of the Week

Who’s the TV Judge You Love to Hate or Hate to Love?

Posted Sep 17, 2008, 09:51 am CST
By Molly McDonough

For us, Judge Wapner is far-and-away the king of daytime television jurisprudence. Who can forget the dun-un-dunt intro to the People's Court?

Judge Judy, Judge Mathis and the new People's Court jurist, Judge Milian, while entertaining, have yet to reach his level of influence and pop-culture status.

Yet we learned this week that another judge is vying for TV judge royalty acclaim.

Former suburban New York DA Jeanine Pirro premieres Monday on the CW Television Network to preside over small claims matters.

Pirro's recent appointment to the TV bench made us wonder what you think about "reality" courtrooms.

So tell us, who's the TV judge you love to hate, or hate that you love?

Answer in the comments below.

Read last week's question and answers about interview feedback.

Our favorite answer from last week:

Posted by Non-trad: "I’m in a firm with nearly 500 attorneys world-wide. I consider that 'BigLaw.' Believe it or not, firms do have interest in tier-2 schools. I am proof.

As for feedback - I got feedback from two or three firms that rejected me after the on campus interview. I got that feedback because I made the effort to get it - I called the interviewers and asked them to tell me what I was doing wrong. 100% of them were willing to spend 5-10 minutes giving me advice."

Comments

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Posted by cjt - 3 months, 3 weeks, 15 hours, 55 minutes ago

That female judge from the new show “Rasing the Bar” is pretty obnoxious. Between throwing out agreed plea deals and just being all around spiteful, she takes the cake.
Posted by Gerald Simpkins - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 20 hours, 8 minutes ago

Marilyn Milian is far and away the most beautiful of the TV judges. She is also very smart and a very nice person. Judge Judy is probably the most fun to watch simply because she says what is on her mind.
Posted by TV junkie - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 19 hours, 45 minutes ago

I generally avoid TV judge shows. Call me a naive recent law school grad, but I expect justice from a courtroom. Entertainment should just be a fringe benefit. Grandstanding for the camera, either by judges or lawyers or litigants, is a massive turn off. That said, my favorite TV “judge” is probably Tom Colicchio from Top Chef.
Posted by HKlawyer - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 19 hours, 42 minutes ago

Judge Mathis!
Posted by Dana - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes ago

WIth the increase in TV judge shows, I watch only the earlier originals - The Peoples Court, Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown and Judge Mathis. By far Judge Mathis is the most entertaining! I could never “cheat” on these shows with the newer ones (Lopez, Alex, etc.)
Posted by Debbi - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 19 hours, 28 minutes ago

The first time I happened to catch Judge Judy in action, I thought, “Now that’s a judge!”

Since then, the proliferation of TV judges seems more than a bit over the top to me. I’ve never liked reality TV or most legal shows—shows with celebrity judges tend to combine the worst aspects of both genres.
Posted by BC - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 19 hours, 24 minutes ago

Even though he was only on TV for a few weeks, I LOVE the pansy judge who oversaw the Anna Nicole child custody case. When he cried on camera for the baby and Anna…wow…that was TV magic!
Posted by Todd - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 19 hours, 1 minute ago

Judge Mathis is the real deal. If I have time, I like to check out his show, because he always seems fair and really tries to encourage litigants to better their lives. His own personal story is also an inspiration.

Judge Judy, on the other hand, is vicious. I wonder if she weren’t on TV whether somebody would have filed a complaint against her and she would be off the bench? Nobody should treat other people like that in the justice system.
Posted by Scott - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 18 hours, 33 minutes ago

Haven’t watched a TV show about lawyers since LA Law, and don’t intend to start now. The real world is strange enough!
Posted by Brian - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 17 hours, 29 minutes ago

There can only be one choice—the stern but caring (and hopelessly un-cool) Uncle Phil, Judge Philip Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Posted by Bob - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes ago

Mathis and Milian have the right balance of letting their sideshow litigants embarrass themselves, while retaining control of their court rooms. Judy shuts her litigants down too tight, while Joe Brown has a nice manner, but zero control.

I flirted with Judge Alex a few years back, but one episode he annoyed me by repeatedly talking about “welshing” on a deal - a frankly racist turn of phrase.
Posted by Ally Howell - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 14 hours, 52 minutes ago

Judge Joe Brown is my favorite. It was Judge Judy, but she yells too much and is to “theatrical:”.
Posted by Emjaycee - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 14 hours, 17 minutes ago

Judge “Rude-y” is the most obnoxious, unprofessional apology for a “judge” I have ever seen. She goes out of her way to be ill-mannered and spiteful. She’s in a “crass” by herself. Her disgraceful behavior would never be tolerated if she were a real judge. She is utterly unwatchable.
Posted by Robert - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 14 hours, 8 minutes ago

Judge Judy is bar far the best TV judge. She usually gets it right and doesn’t let creative liars make a mockery of her court. She’s fair, she’s usually right, and she’s the aunt I never had. Aunt Judy :)
Posted by Dennis Hennen - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 13 hours, 55 minutes ago

The TV Judge shows featuring blacked robed professionals yelling, screaming and generally making the litigants look stupid do as much damage to our profession as the lawyer advertisement featuring slogans like “Crash Cash” and “Wreck Check”
Posted by M.G. Burns - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 11 hours, 23 minutes ago

Judge Wapner was the most professional of all the Judges.When listenening and seeing him it was as if you were in a real courtroom
Posted by Amy - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 8 hours, 40 minutes ago

Judge Mablean is fabulous. She is feminist and level-headed and fair. I just love to watch her. She puts me in a good mood, knowing there are such sensible judges out there!
Posted by KellyP - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 8 hours, 20 minutes ago

Judge Judy because she does not let the litigants creatively answer (lie) her. I really like how she constantly reminds the women of how stupid they are for meeting a man and less than a month later co-signs for the guy.
Posted by Algera M Tucker - 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 7 hours, 57 minutes ago

Television court shows give litigants the wrong idea about our justice system. While I find Judge Judy entertaining, who among us has appeared before such an obnoxious judge?
Posted by Senior Judge Chuck Edelstein - 3 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, 12 minutes ago

Judge Judy would be removed from office if she were a Florida Judge. Her ratings are a a sad commentary on the viewing public.
Posted by Mark Raymond - 3 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 39 minutes ago

Judge David Young is by far the most entertaining and compassionate. If all Judges had his heart and soul we would never care about what Judge was assigned to our latest case! Plus, he sings show tunes!!
Posted by RStutes - 3 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 38 minutes ago

I agree that Judge Kessler (played by Jane Kaczmarek) in Raising the Bar is the judge I love to hate - or maybe that I just hate. Granted, she’s faced with behavior that is a pathetic attempt to show “passion” by the litigants, but when I think of the Judge’s who could tell me “stop arguing NOW” with an arched eyebrow or stern expression, the fact that she has to SAY “stop arguing NOW” and “quit whining” and whatever pops into her mind is exasperating.
Posted by Kara Smithers - 3 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 16 hours, 56 minutes ago

Judge Judy, all the way!
Posted by Andrew Casanave - 3 months, 1 week, 5 days, 15 hours, 5 minutes ago

The only TV judge that ever seemed real to me was Judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson) on “Night Court”.

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