You talk. I finish. That’s the rule.
Court is back in session.
Judy Justice is a streaming reality court show that is presided over by Judith Sheindlin. It is both Sequel Series and a Spin-Off of her earlier show, Judge Judy. The show features Judge Judy Sheindlin adjudicating real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated courtroom set. The show again features real legal disputes from typical small claims courts. The program is currently being produced by Amazon Studios and is broadcasted exclusively on Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) streaming service. It was reported to have been picked up for 120 episodes and has already been confirmed that Judy Sheindlin has signed on for 2 seasons. Meanwhile, Judge Judy is continuing on terrestrial TV in reruns.
While Judge Judy is back doing what she has always done, she is joined by a new cast: bailiff Kevin Rasco, replacing Judge Judy bailiff Petri Hawkins Byrd; court stenographer Whitney Kumar; and Sarah Rose, a law clerk and also Judge Judy’s granddaughter.
The series premiered on November 1, 2021 with new episodes to be released every weekday. Unlike the final season of Judge Judy, there is a studio audience and the judge is back hearing the cases in person, but they are physically distanced due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Judy Justice was renewed for a second season in March 2022, with the show having become the most popular on the IMDb TV platform in terms of "first streams and hours watched." According to Variety magazine, more than 25 million hours of the series had been streamed as of that date. Season 2 premiered on November 7, 2022. On May 2023, it was announced that the show has been renewed for an additional 2 seasons. In additional, the show will be broadcast in syndication on network stations in Fall 2024.
This show provides examples of:
- An Aesop: Most cases ends with Sarah talking with her grandmother about the case that just happened and what people can learn from it, such as Never lend money without a contract, Control your temper, Don't come to court with unclean hands, Don't drive while drunk or high, etc.
- Ascended Extra: Kevin Rasco, Judge Judy's new bailiff, previously worked on Judge Judy as head of security.
- Beware of Vicious Dog: As with the original show, many of the cases Judge Judy hears involve dog bites, most often with pit bulls. In one case, Her Honor had her granddaughter look up the number of fatal pit-bull bite cases versus the number of fatal chihuahua bite cases in the litigants' jurisdiction over a five-year period. The result: pit bulls 185, chihuahuas 2.
- Both Sides Have a Point: While Sarah and Judge Judy rarely disagree with each other, one case involving a dog bite had Sarah disagree with her grandmother's ruling which her honor ruled in favor of the plaintiff.note Sarah felt the case should have been dismissed for suing the wrong party involved as the home owners insurance should have covered it and because the defendant was also injured, while Judge Judy felt the defendant was the one who lost control of the dog. However, both agreed with each other's points while also agreeing the plaintiff should have been upfront about why he wasn't suing the owners.
- Catchphrase: Many of Judge Judy's most familiar ones from her first show remain in use.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Long time Judge Judy bailiff Petri Hawkins Byrd was Put on a Bus with the transition to Judy Justice and replaced with a new bailiff, Kevin Rasco, whom Judy calls "one of the warmest of people." Judy has only said publicly that although she had 25 wonderful years working with Byrd, Judy Justice is a fresh new show and she was ready for a change. Byrd has since been rehired for Tribunal, an upcoming Freevee show created by Judge Judy which will be a semi-reboot of Hot Bench with two of that series' judges.
- Al Murdock is the new announcer, taking over from Steve Kamer (who replaced the late Jerry Bishop for the final season of Judge Judy).
- Drunk Driver: Or high driver. In a Season Two case involving two estranged sisters, video was introduced of one of the sisters smoking a blunt while driving to confront her sister. Judge Judy called her out for this and, during her post-case discussion with Sarah, noted that even though recreational marijuana use is now legal in many states, drivers must still use it responsibly and never drive while high, the same as they wouldn't drive while drunk.
- Everything Is Racist: On occasion, some litigants who lose their cases blame it on racism, usually on the part of whatever police officer was involved in the case, but at least one litigant hinted that he believed Judge Judy herself was guilty of racism. This defendant, who happened to be Latino, was being sued for damages incurred to a watercraft when his 14-year-old son drove and wrecked it. After he lost the case and was ordered to reimburse the plaintiff for the damages, he suggested during the post-case interview that he had only lost the case because of his race (the plaintiff was white).
- Iconic Outfit: Averted. Judge Judy is discarding her iconic black judge robe and lace collar that she has worn since becoming an official Judge for the family court in New York for a burgundy red robe and shirt collar.
- Improvised Weapon:
- In one case, a plaintiff threw a metal water bottle at the defendant during a road rage incident, splitting the defendant's lip (the plaintiff claimed it was a potato chip can, but witness testimony corroborated the defendant's story about the water bottle). The defendant, who had an underlying cardiac condition, suffered a heart attack due to the stress, and ended up winning the $10,000 maximum on her countersuit while the plaintiff's case was dismissed.
- Another had a plaintiff and his wife use bricks as an improvised weapon against the defendant when he trespassed on the plaintiff's property.Judge Judy: Unless you are using the brick for landscaping, it becomes a weapon.
- Insistent Terminology: The show goes out of its way to avoid referring to Her Honor as "Judge Judy," likely because CBS still holds the rights to that name, even though she will forever be known as this to her fans and even some litigants still call her that. Show promos and closed captions just refer to her as "Judy."
- Instrumental Theme Tune: Unlike Judge Judy and Hot Bench, there is no narration over the opening theme this time, only the new announcer intoning, "This is Judy Justice," before the opening theme begins.
- It Runs in the Family: Sarah has been described as a snarky and opinionated. Just like her grandmother, Judge Judy. Viewers don't get to see much of it though, as Sarah rarely if ever gets to address the litigants.
- Sarah is the daughter of Judge Judy's son Adam Levy, who will serve as part of the three-judge panel on Tribunal, his mother's new Hot Bench spinoff for Freevee.
- Never My Fault: A plaintiff in one case admitted to having a drinking problem but openly blamed the defendant for it, claiming she was so difficult to live with she drove him to drink and that thus, by extension, the defendant was responsible for the damage he caused to her sofa when he urinated on it while inebriated. Judge Judy didn't buy this line of thinking and pointed out he must have had some kind of drinking problem before. It appeared part of the plaintiff's problem was his mother, who didn't understand that her enabling her son was contributing to his problems.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: In a dispute revolving around a dog, the plaintiff contradicted her written statement in court, and then claimed not to know what the word "subsequent" meant (as opposed to "previous"). Judge Judy didn't buy the "playing dumb" act and accused the plaintiff of lying.
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Much to Judge Judy's chagrin, this phenomenon, with regard to smartphones, has gone beyond teens to adults, as Her Honor told her granddaughter following a case revolving around a social-media influencer.Judge Judy: When I go out to dinner with [her husband Jerry], and sometimes I look around and there are groups of four or six people and they’re all at dinner and all on their phones, and nobody is communicating. They’re so used to using that as a form of communication, there’s no social interaction. I think the whole thing is horrifying. I think if you have to think about what human beings are going to look like in 200 years, they’re going to have very little fingers and all have big thumbs.
- Point-and-Laugh Show: Just as before, some litigants try to fool Judge Judy with Blatant Lies or other nonsense. She always sees through it.
- Rudely Hanging Up: One case had Judge Judy call the defendant's mother about a package that was sent to her house while the defendant and his wife were visiting. After Judge Judy identified herself, she hung up the phone on her. Judge Judy said that the mother most likely didn't want to be embarrassed supporting the defendant's lie.
- Serial Escalation: Due to the show using California Law Books, unlike her original show which used New York Law, the Maximum amount someone can sue for is now $10,000 than the $5,000 most other court shows use. This is mainly due to an increase in budget.
- Stern Old Judge: Judge Judy, again being the poster child for this trope, takes zero crap from anyone.
- Title Drop: Well in advance in this case, in the introductory spiel for a case on her first Judge Judy DVD, Judge Judy: Justice Served:Judge Judy: A word to the wise: do the right thing, or face Judy Justice. And that goes for lawyers, too.
