is judge judy in the courtroom during covid

It was just another tragedy in family court. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. For the nation's courts, that meant reimagining how to administer justice. Over 29 years, shes become more family than friend. Still, according to Petri Hawkins Byrd, who served as Sheindlin's trusted on-air bailiff and sidekick on the original show, she was heavily involved with the show's production. "Tart, tough-talking, and hopelessly blunt, Sheindlin runs her court with an impatience that borders on rage," read a 1993 profile, adding: "Bullying and often rude, Sheindlin scorches people with insults, leaving them speechless.". They accused Douthit and his deputies the supervising producer Victoria Jenest and the co-executive producer Amy Freisleben of fostering a workplace culture in which staffers were pitted against one another, threats of termination were frequent, drinking during work hours was not unusual, cases were manipulated to artificially increase the drama, and a vicious contempt for litigants who appeared before Sheindlin was common. Sign up for NewscastStudio's weekly newsletter. Watch full episodes of TV shows for free on 10 play - Network Ten. That extended to other aspects of the office: Four former employees said the production staff members were told they couldn't get in line for lunch before the judge. The final episode of Judge Judy that star Judith Sheindlin ever taped airs Tuesday on CBS. An Insider investigation involving interviews with 16 former "Judge Judy" employees, as well as a review of thousands of pages of court records, has found that Sheindlin's long-standing executive producer and director Randy Douthit has repeatedly been accused of sexually harassing employees, making inappropriate sexual comments to female staffers, offering preferential treatment to staffers he found attractive, and ordering junior producers to bring fewer Black litigants on the show. "She'd say, 'OK, are they over 40 or under 40 or AA?" Judith Sheindlin has been the sole judge, jury and verbal executioner for the last quarter century on her behemoth TV court show, "Judge Judy." Her trusted bailiff, Petri Hawkins Byrd, has stood by her side during approximately 12,500 cases, and remembers an instance when he thought she got it wrong. But a larger story was just beginning a Great Chain of Serendipity that would change her life and mine. Worst-case scenario someone we know will die. I may have, but I hope not. In her summary judgment ruling against Griggs, the judge referred to Barry's statement and said that "there was only one explicit sexual proposal made to a receptionist and it is unclear when that was made and there is no evidence that it was generally known among the employees. Get our L.A. By Erik Ortiz. . During some. The deal was reportedly the largest-ever first-season order of a single show by a streamer. Following a public dispute with CBS said to be over money and, improbably, Drew Barrymore's talk show "Judge Judy" wrapped in spring of this year. But according to allegations in court records, the show had another rule: Douthit told producers he didn't want Black litigants on the show. (Her closest competitors, "Ellen" and "Dr. Phil," pulled in 2.9 million and 3.9 million viewers, respectively. The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments on two challenges to President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. Griggs said Douthit made pig or cow noises when he found litigants unattractive, called a Black guest a "ho," and said he wanted to "get" with litigants he found attractive. "It was always inappropriate," she told Insider. Barry, who later became a segment producer, said in her declaration that she personally witnessed Douthit's behavior, which she characterized as "erratic." Judge Judith Sheindlin, who instantly smelled a rat, probed the defendants rambling excuses and delivered a swift verdict. The Court's judicial directory with assignment information can be found here. In June 2020, an old episode of the reality courtroom show . Former employees said that the result was an environment where manipulating cases, even though they involved real people and were legally binding, was common. "I'm unafraid to call out irresponsible, un-American behavior. The show is comfort food for those who love it when the bad guys get their comeuppances. Do you have a story about "Judge Judy" or another television show? Sebastien alleged that when he complained, Douthit replied that the producers "had no choice, they had to book white upscale, pretty people," and that they should instead send their "Black cases" to "Judge Joe Brown," another Big Ticket Television program, which starred a Black judge. In the 1980s and 1990s, back before she ever set foot in Hollywood, Sheindlin had already built a reputation as a firecracker judge in the New York Family Court system. Former employees said that Jenest encouraged them to alter litigants' cases adding extra claims to a case for juicier television, for example. Seven sources told Insider that Jenest also encouraged the practice through the use of her "count" a tally of cases that producers had booked, and which these people said specifically categorized cases involving Black litigants and people over 40. Court officials say they've developed a plan to balance individuals' right to a trial. There would be four profiles, and the idea for the first one came from my wife, Heidi, a reporter for the New York Daily News. The show's producers would then divide them up and try to recruit the litigants to agree to appear on the show. The presiding judge at the courthouse in Martinez says it . recalled one incident when he was caught doing an impersonation of Judy in her courtroom in New York. The show had some ground rules. With great ceremony, they swore her in as a citizen of New York City. As family members joined with her to celebrate, producers had a surprise: They played a video tribute with cameos by Jimmy Kimmel, Whoopi Goldberg, Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripa, Joy Behar, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Meghan McCain and Wendy Williams. The four Santa Barbara men charged in connection with a fatal shooting on Stearns Wharf in December pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing in Superior Court on Monday. Dont steal other peoples property. "Judy ran the ship, so if she didn't want to do it, you didn't do it," Byrd told Insider. All showered praise on a woman who worked for more than two decades as a family court judge and prosecutor, reinvented herself at age 52 and went on to a brilliant second act. Byrd says he doesnt watch episodes but occasionally catches them playing in the waiting room during visits to the doctor. Kurstin Haynes, a former producer who left the show in 2021, said Douthit frequently mocked the show's guests. In response, she recalled, Lyttle askedsomething like, "If he doesn't like women, why does he hire them?". She wasn't asked to join Sheindlin's new show.). Joshua Mulvey, 26, faces new criminal charges in an Internet fraud. Take this down., HarperCollins bought the book, but we needed a snappy title. That's a rarity, especially in the television industry. She had no food in her fridge, just Kodak film. The receptionist did not return for the show's second season. "Everyone who is there is miserable.". "Judge Judy" averages about 8 million viewers, making it among the highest-rated syndicated series alongside "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy! Still, she continued to employ Douthit, Jenest, and Freisleben, and the trio will continue to produce "Judy Justice" for Amazon. According to Griggs' allegations, Douthit, in the control room, openly talked about female litigants' breasts during show tapings and discussed whether they were "too ugly" or "too fat." Added to the $47 million a year hosting "Judge Judy" and producing "Hot Bench,"Sheindlin is amongAmerica's richest self-made women. I came to Hollywood as a fully-cooked gal.. Producers were expected to find great cases for the show while abiding by rules that made finding cases exceedingly difficult. I had a tuna fish sandwich. It was like one of those instructional videos you half pay attention to on a plane before a flight. The country is reflecting on historic and current inequities with a goal of meaningful change, she says. Magistracy Guidance Coronavirus, Divorce Court, Hot Bench, Jerry Springer, Judge Mathis, Marilyn Milian, The People's Court categories Broadcast Industry News , Featured , Reality Show Production Design You really think that I got it wrong? Byrd recalled, remembering Sheindlins stern look. Asked in a deposition if he grabbed Griggs and kissed her head, he replied, "When I saw her, I grabbed her and hugged her and kissed her on the top of her head and said, 'Welcome back.'". "Whatever Judy wanted to do, that's what got done," he said. Jury trials have been on hold for months, but Maricopa County Superior Court is preparing for their return. Let me start by thanking the two people who actually started my journey, she told her staff. Court cases were delayed, and Franklin's trial, scheduled for a Los Angeles courtroom in March of last year, was taken off the calendar. The success of "Judge Judy" depends on a steady stream of litigants from around the nation, most of whom the show portrays as hapless and undisciplined in the face of Sheindlin's withering gaze. Many of the accusations were made in public lawsuits filed by former employees going back to the early 2000s until 2008, all of which named the show as a defendant and were reported in the media at the time. All rights reserved. It may have been that same natural urge to speak up that got him hired. "As soon as I heard about everything with #MeToo, it was a matter of time for [Douthit], and I'm a little bit shocked it hasn't happened yet," said one former production assistant who worked on the show a decade ago. On March 21, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, City of Ketchikan and City of Saxman issued a Joint Proclamation Under State of Emergency to Shelter in Place in response to the COVID-19 situation. She said he criticized her hair and weight, humiliated her during staff meetings, and once grabbed her and kissed her head. "[Douthit] would be like, 'Who is this disgusting person?'". As a journalist, Ive interviewed thousands of people , but only a handful have turned into sustained friendships like the one my wife and I have with Judy. In a statement, Sheindlin defended her stewardship of the show that bears her name but did not address the accusations against Douthit. She ranked No. The contractors case, running Tuesday, marks the last of more than 12,500 taped by Sheindlin during 25 years in the spotlight. Not everyone reached by Insider was critical of the show. Judge Judy awarded a maximum payout of $ 5, 000, an amount that has been doubled on Judy Justice; it's likely the higher sum is designed to attract more participants. Today, she owns beautiful homes in several states and no longer inhales Tylenols to start her day. , updated One of the toughest barriers to criminal procedure during the pandemic was and remains empaneling juries for trials. And she's said it before that we're friends," Byrd said of Sheindlin. I told her how I felt about it. "These allegations were completely fabricated," a lawyer representing Douthit wrote in response to Insider's questions about Bullock's complaint. The 5-foot-2 family-court judge known for her black robe, lace collar, and acid tongue has been doling out tough-love legal verdicts since the Clinton administration, and the approach has. One night, Judy took Alex, then 8, by the hand to meet Michael Feinstein, a Grammy-nominated performer and music historian, who was a friend. But to me, there are constants: Take care of the children that you bring into this world. from the local health authority and county judge/mayor showing that the consultation has occurred must be submitted with the operating plan. A still from Judge Judy, which concludes its 25-year run on CBS in September. 2, is 'not responsible for politicizing COVID,' Ellen Pompeo says of new pandemic season, you should binge-watch to celebrate Halloween 2020, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Jenest, they said, wouldn't protect them. By Some of the bullet points didn't offer a lot of solace. Douthit's alleged conduct has been the subject of at least three employment lawsuits since 2001, according to an Insider review; all three lawsuits also named "The Judge Judy Show" as a defendant. Contact the municipal court for details on hours and operating procedures. Once Jenest hit this quota, the former producer said, she would stop accepting cases featuring Black litigants. Please be aware, operations continue to change regularly in order to . Viewers have seen Byrd calling the court to order, helping the judge with math problems and escorting unruly litigants out of the courtroom. Byrd says Sheindlins appeal was her King Solomon-like fairness and consistency. Sheindlin, who set the Guinness World Record in 2015 for longest career as a TV judge, was estimated by Forbes in 2018 to be the year's highest-paid TV host. But she found herself working off the clock recently amid the coronavirus pandemic. And that, for me, is her true legacy that there are second, third and maybe even fourth acts in American life. I feel so blessed that youve given me the benefit of your talents over all these years and changed the dynamic of me, my family and friends forever.. Judith Sheindlin occupies a nearly divine perch in television. ", Contributing:Hannah Yasharoff andCydney Henderson, 'Grey's Anatomy'is 'not responsible for politicizing COVID,' Ellen Pompeo says of new pandemic season, The 10 TV showsyou should binge-watch to celebrate Halloween 2020, ShowBiz Minute: Johansson, Judge Judy, Halloween, Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost marry; Judge Judy's next act will be with IMDb TV; Animals at ZSL London Zoo have been enjoying Halloween treats to celebrate the spookiest day of the year. The former producer who left the show that bears her name but did address. Her staff second, third and maybe even fourth acts in American.! Martinez says it smelled a rat, probed the defendants rambling excuses delivered. Address the accusations against Douthit for those who love it when the bad get. Seen byrd calling the Court to order, helping the Judge with math problems escorting... With a goal of meaningful change, she says to appear on the show..... Wanted to do, that 's what got done, '' pulled in 2.9 and! 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