The iconic Judge Judy Sheindlin is perhaps the most recognizable face on daytime television. She has been an onscreen judge since 1996 and has presided over thousands of cases during that time. What has made her stand out over the years is her wit, humor, and tenacity. She has complete command of the courtroom and her demeanor is exactly what got her noticed before her first television appearance. Her original broadcast TV series, Judge Judy, ran for 25 seasons through 2021 until getting picked up by Amazon Freevee and being rebranded as Judy Justice.
- Release Date
- September 16, 1996
- Seasons
- 12
The success of Judge Judy spawned numerous copycat shows that capitalized on the format, but none have been able to match Sheindlin’s reign over the genre. For the woman who was making $47 million per year, no fan deemed it to be outrageous. Making as much as an NBA athlete is just another accomplishment for the Brooklyn-born judge. She is known for her tough stance on justice and has an impeccable record. But there are a few cases that fans believe she may have gotten wrong or at the very least require further judgment.
8 Custody Battle
Season 4, Episode 113 – “Annulled Marriage”
Over her 25-season run, this is the only case that was ever overturned. Judge Judy had only been looking to help the couple appearing in her court. But Judge Jeffrey Sunshine later ruled that Judy overstepped in her ruling for what should only have been a case about monetary concerns that wound up encompassing a touchy custody battle. The judge believed it to be inappropriate for custody rulings to take place in such a setting and thus had the case overturned.
Judge Judy Overruled
Judge Sheindlin attempted to clear up the situation stating that she was only attempting to work out an informal child support and visitation deal. Unfortunately for the often-correct judge, she was not able to get her way this time. It is one of the few marks on her career as an illustrious TV judge. But Sheindlin was able to keep moving on to the next case and never lost her edge despite the ruling.
7 Interior Design Mishap
Season 23, Episode 104 – “Bitter About Boy Toy!?/Handsome Lawyer Remodel Fail!”
In one of Judge Judy’s most stupefying cases, she was completely flabbergasted that an accomplished lawyer would fail so miserably to check the background of an interior designer for his office. But poor judgment is how every person winds up showing up in Judge Judy’s court. The lawyer, Paul Overett, hired a former barista to do the remodel at his office despite having limited experience.
Lacking Experience
The supposed designer, who did work for some time at a furniture store claimed to have extensive experience in the field but was not able to follow through on his promise. And the defendant almost got away with it. That was until he handed Judge Judy a doctored invoice.
While Judge Sheindlin did rule in favor of Overett, many fans believe he did not get a fair reimbursement. He was only paid for the materials he paid for and not the time he put in to contact the designer or to fix the walls that were damaged. Due to Overett’s own experience as an attorney, many felt that Judy was especially hard on him in this case.
6 Overly Judgmental
Season 17, Episode 69 – “Father Hates Daughter’s Boyfriend”
While it is part of her job to be judgy, fans have at times found Judge Judy to be overly judgmental in her rulings. And that is exactly what happened in the case against a young girl and her boyfriend who worked at McDonald’s at the time. The father already despised the man and Judge Judy appeared to be no different. The 19-year-old worked part-time at McDonald’s and to Judge Judy was not worthy of his girlfriend.
Poor Judgment
In this case, the girl’s parents return home from going out to find their TV damaged. Due to the father’s hatred for the boyfriend, he immediately assumes him to be guilty. Judge Judy consistently gave the boyfriend a hard time about his place of work and agreed that he was at fault for the situation. While who actually damaged the TV remains somewhat unclear, it is clear Judge Judy was out to get him from the start.
Related
Judy Justice Trailer Brings Judge Judy Back to the Courtroom on IMDb TV
Judge Judy Sheindlin brings her iconic courtroom style to IMDb TV in her new show Judy Justice this November.
5 The Case of the Fake Case
Season 14, Episode 151 – “The Infamous Fake Cat Killer”
Judge Judy wasn’t the only one fooled in this bizarre case. In one of the most well-known episodes of the long-running series, a group of friends conceives a plan to get on the show for some quick cash. In what sounds like the plot of a movie, actually aired on TV and was able to get past all of the show’s producers. The friends later admitted to it in an interview with Vice and apparently made around $1500 for lying in front of the honorable Judy Sheindlein.
Caught In The Act
Despite making it all the way to taping, Jonathan Coward, the defendant in the case said he felt as though the producers were on to them. And by the end of the taping, Judge Judy even got a whiff of their lies and turned on them pretty hard. Judy apparently even made the plaintiff cry. It was too late, however, as the deceivers were awarded their money and never heard anything about it from the production team.
4 Improper Billing
Season 23, Episode 240 – “Cute Service Dogs In The House!; Fight Aftermath!”
Plaintiff Edward Holmok and defendant Shaun Loppe get caught up in a heated debate on this particularly frustrating episode of Judge Judy. In what comes to be due to a debate over the mess the tenant, Loppe, left behind, Holmok takes him to court for reimbursement. Based on the pictures provided and the evidence leading up to the final ruling, everything appears to be going the right way for Holmok.
A Surprising Twist
Despite there being a clear mess left behind, Holmok was not able to be reimbursed for removing the items from the apartment. This was due to Holmok producing a pair of invoices for the damages that listed himself and his girlfriend as the contractors. While it was indeed a sketchy move that made him look guilty, it was clear that the place was left a mess. But Judge Judy dismissed the case after finding the receipts to be doctored.
Holmok had legitimate receipts as well, but those were also dismissed after the improper invoices were provided. Due to this, Judge Judy threw out the whole case, leaving a slightly sour taste in the audience’s mouths who felt the landlord was due at least some partial reimbursement.
3 What’s Sentimental?
Season 14, Episode 47 – “Title Unknown”
When Judge Judy makes her final decision, it is exactly that — final. She does not waver in her opinion and that is part of what makes her so captivating. But for the Dier family, they were left upset by Judge Judy’s ruling on what is sentimental and what is not. Sentimentality is often based on the individual person, so when disgruntled sister, Tracie sued for the value of her late father’s guns, she was left disappointed by the ruling.
A Difficult Decision
Judge Judy may have been pushed to the decision by the bickering family. But most would say that she should have been able to look past that and see that the girls just wanted what they felt was fair in the memory of their father. While guns may not be sentimental for many, it is difficult to say what items can have a personal attachment and what items can’t.
Related
Judge Judy Bailiff Says He Wasn’t Asked to Return for Judy Justice
Petri Hawkins Byrd had served as Judge Judy Sheindlin’s bailiff since Judge Judy started in 1996, but he’s not on her new show at IMDb TV.
2 Missing Jewelry
Season 17, Episode 41 – “Disappearing Jewelry; Father/Son Loss of Deposit”
This is yet another case in which Judge Judy did side correctly with the plaintiff but was blinded by her own judgment in awarding the full value. The plaintiff, suffering from breast cancer, was holding on to the jewelry in case she needed to sell it to pay for her treatments. But unfortunately for her, the jewelry went missing, thus causing her to assume the worst of her roommate.
Not Given The Full Value
After going through with the proceedings, Sheindlin ruled in favor of the plaintiff. When asked about the value of the items, the plaintiff felt that half the value would be about $5,000. But Judge Judy simply smirked, perhaps not believing the plaintiff’s item could be worth twice that value. So she instead ruled for $2,500 to the plaintiff. It is a situation where Judge Judy may have judged the person rather than the truth of the value. The plaintiff was able to get some money back, but the frustration comes from perhaps not receiving the correct value.
1 Cutting Off The Plaintiff
Season 22, Episode 106 – “No One Talks To Judge Judy Like That!; Grief and Trauma Rental”
After losing their co-op, Mason and Ieasha Mekhi, take their former tenant to court over missed rent and attorney fees. In what becomes a heated case with the plaintiffs arguing back at Judge Judy, Judy quickly dismisses the case. Judy can often be seen talking over the plaintiffs and defendants in court in order to maintain order. But some felt as though she was being unnecessarily rude to the couple that were just attempting to help a friend find a place to stay.
Quick to Judge
The Mekhi’s case was flimsy to start due to having illegally rented the unit to the defendant. But they were looking for more clarity from Judy but were routinely steamrolled by the feisty judge. After enough back and forth, Judge Judy simply dismissed the case, no longer wishing to hear from Mason or his wife. While they may not have won otherwise, it displayed Judy’s harsh side and kept the case from being able to reach a typical ruling.