Judge Judy 1996

Overview

Judge Judy is an American arbitration-based reality court show that premiered on September 16, 1996. The series features retired Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin as she adjudicates real-life small claims disputes within a simulated courtroom environment. All participants involved in the cases are required to sign contracts agreeing to arbitration under Sheindlin. The program is distributed by CBS Television Distribution and is presented in first-run syndication. In these proceedings, Sheindlin utilizes a no-nonsense approach to resolve cases where damages of no more than 5,000 dollars can be awarded. The series, which was created by Sandi Spreckman and Kaye Switzer, features appearances by Petri Hawkins Byrd, Jerry Bishop, and Jean Fuentes. The show is credited with revitalizing the court show genre, following only The People's Court and one other arbitration-based reality court show that preceded it. The production ran from 1996 until 2021, documenting Sheindlin as she makes judgments on various legal conflicts brought before her.