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88-468: Judge Mathis is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by Judge Greg Mathis , a former judge of Michigan 's 36th District Court and Black -interests motivational speaker/activist. The series ran for 24 seasons from September 13, 1999, to May 25, 2023. The series ran in first-run syndication during its active years. The series saw Judge Greg Mathis adjudicating small claims disputes from his studio courtroom set. The series

176-402: A basic setup that represents the most widely used approach in the present-day judicial genre. Beyond the use of arbitration, other key elements include a simulated courtroom as the main setting in these programs (in some of these court shows, an area just outside the courtroom is regularly used to tape litigant feedback after their case), and one to four hearings typically take up the entirety of

264-400: A basic setup that represents the most widely used technique from the original era of judicial programming. This setup was a mock trial , which saw dramatized court case proceedings being heard and eventually ruled upon by an actor-judge or actors-jury. Roles were made up of plaintiffs, defendants, and judges; and frequently lawyers, juries, and witnesses. Unlike the present-day where the norm is

352-418: A biological father can be named as the parent of a child conceived or born during a marriage. In most states, any claim of non-paternity by a husband must be heard by a court. If parents litigate a divorce case without raising the issue of paternity, in most states they will be barred from disputing the husband's paternity in a later court proceeding. Depending upon state law, it may nonetheless be possible for

440-431: A conditional requirement to participate in these televised programs. Court show programs are a staple of daytime television, often airing once or twice every weekday. With minimal production costs (under $ 200,000 a week, as opposed to entertainment magazines' hefty $ 1,000,000 ) and an evergreen , episodic format, court shows are easily and frequently rerun . Like talk shows, the procedure of court shows varies based upon

528-433: A court and thus bound by the rules and regulations of the legal system. Jerry Springer noted that most attorneys can get the "special certification" required to serve as an arbitrator and host a court show with only a day's training: "if you're a lawyer, it's almost automatic unless you've killed someone." The setting in these types of court shows is not a legitimate court of law, but rather a studio set designed to look like

616-470: A courtroom. In this respect, arbitrators are not legally restricted to mandatory courtroom/legal policies, procedures, and codes of conduct; rather, they can preside in ways intended for entertainment. Moreover, they have the power to act by their own standards and enforce their own rules and regulations. This power is reinforced through agreements signed by the parties prior to the case proceedings. Once waivers have been signed, arbitrators gain jurisdiction over

704-482: A former news anchor for WPGH Pittsburgh became the show's court reporter. Her role was to interview the litigants after Judge Mathis passed judgment and rendered his verdict on each case. She left the show after season 1. For the reminder of the series' run, Judge Mathis did not have a court reporter. I tried to be like Judge Judy. And she was mean all the time. And then ultimately [my] producers said, ‘Well, no, an older white woman can talk to white folks like that, but

792-417: A judge gave him an ultimatum —either get a G.E.D. or go to jail. At the same time, Mathis found out his mother was dying of cancer . Rushing to her side, he promised her he'd turn his life around, which he did: he attended college, attended law school, earned a Juris Doctor degree, and passed the bar . Mathis had frequently used his courtroom series to highlight his troubled-youth-turned-success story as

880-404: A man claiming to be the child's biological father to commence a paternity case following the divorce. Where paternity of the child is in question, a party may ask the court to determine paternity of one or more possible fathers (called putative fathers), typically based initially upon sworn statements and then upon testimony or other evidence . Once paternity has been legally established, if

968-400: A maximum $ 5,000 claim, a typical amount for small claims court . The producers of the show selected the cases. To acquire cases, the show solicited real-life litigants with pending disputes or individuals with potential disputes. If litigants agreed to be on the show, they were paid a talent fee ranging from $ 150 to $ 300, and they received travel accommodations. Mathis had prior knowledge of

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1056-409: A retired judge. The roles of litigants, bailiffs, court reporters, and announcers were always performed by actors and actresses. While some of these court shows were scripted and required precise memorization, others were outlined and merely required ad-libbing. In outlined cases, actor-litigants and -witnesses were instructed to never get too far off the angle of the case. Under its dramatized format,

1144-643: A season into its run. To date, this represents the earliest into production that any court show has ever received a Daytime Emmy. Moreover, Last Shot is the first nontraditional courtroom series to receive a Daytime Emmy. On June 14, 2013, however, Judge Judy became the first long-running, highly rated court show to receive an Emmy, which landed on its 15th nomination, the court show nominated numerous times before this category existed and competing with miscellaneous talk shows. Judge Judy went on to win 2 additional Daytime Emmy Awards, later along with The People's Court , both matching Christina's Court . Judge Mathis

1232-568: A series of cancellations/revival reincarnations and shifting arbitrators, Judge Mathis had not. Consequently, of the court shows with a single production life, Judge Mathis was the second longest-running (second only to Judge Judy by three seasons). During its final 2 seasons, it reigned as one of the longest running court shows (having premiered in 1999) with only 2 other programs: Divorce Court (1957) and The People's Court (1981). Of these three court shows, only Judge Mathis had not suffered temporary cancellations amid its series run. Also of

1320-510: A simulation of a small claims courtroom inside of a television studio. As an exception, from 2020-2021, numerous aspects of this genre were largely forsaken due to COVID-19 , such as hearings transpiring from simulated courtroom studio sets. More so than other genres, court shows withstood transformations stemming from the pandemic that were drastic and conspicuous, due to their unorthodox process of interchanging defendants for each individual episode. Court shows first began in radio broadcasting in

1408-415: A state may legally bar a third party from disputing the paternity of a child born within an intact marriage. Some paternity laws assign full parental responsibility to fathers even in cases of women lying about contraception, using deceit (such as oral sex followed by self- artificial insemination ) or statutory rape by a woman ( Hermesmann v. Seyer ). If the context of inheritance rights, it will be

1496-593: A studio audience. The show paid for the litigants' travel and hotel fees, provided by a small stipend for those selected to appear before Mathis, standard practice for courtroom television programming. Mathis, which filmed from the NBC Tower in Chicago, Illinois , reported that production consulted him about shooting the court show from Los Angeles, California . Production had expressed interest in Mathis being closer to

1584-432: A way of motivating and inspiring his audience (especially the youth audience) that there's no adversity that they can't pick themselves up from. It was from his background that Mathis derived much of his arbitration formula and television show theme. For example, the court show's title sequence music video throughout the early seasons of the program consisted of a brief dedication to Mathis's life story, Mathis narrating with

1672-458: A young black man can't.’ So I learned that lesson early on. White folks love to see black people sing and dance. So instead I decided to just be myself. Court show#Arbitration-based reality court show A court show (also known as a judge show , legal/courtroom program , courtroom series , or judicial show ) is a broadcast programming genre comprising legal dramas and reality legal programming. Court shows present content mainly in

1760-710: Is NAACP Image Award winning, as well as the first court show featuring an African American jurist to win Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program . The series was produced by Telepictures Productions and AND Syndicated Productions, while distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution . The courtroom series was filmed in front of a studio audience at the NBC Tower in Chicago , but included cases and litigants from other U.S. jurisdictions. As Divorce Court and The People's Court faced numerous judge-role casting changes, Mathis

1848-463: Is $ 25 Million. He is well known for his successful profession in motivational speaker, judge, actor, qadi, author, and TV producer. As a child and teenage delinquent , Mathis found himself embroiled in frequent legal woes. He was a member of a street gang in Detroit, and he was arrested and sentenced to jail for illegally carrying a firearm when he was 17 years old. Mathis was brought up in one of

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1936-497: Is conducted in the form of a bench trial (as opposed to its more common counterpart, the jury trial ) as only the court show's arbiter may rule on the dispute. Another example, there are no lawyers present and litigants must defend themselves. An additional example, the maximum award limit is $ 5,000. As indicated below, the only traditional court shows still in original episodes from the 1990s or prior are The People's Court (1981) and Judge Mathis (1999), thus making Judge Mathis

2024-401: Is entitled Mathis Court with Judge Mathis , which began in syndication by September 11, 2023 on Justice Central. Judge Mathis currently continues to air in reruns. Mathis typically began proceedings by immediately giving the plaintiff the floor, having him/her expound on their side of the dispute in its entirety to gain insight into the matters. Mathis subsequently granted the defendant

2112-497: Is left up to the victors to collect. During its first 1981–93 life, The People's Court with Joseph Wapner existed as a nontraditional court show, featuring real-life arbitrations in an era of dramatized court programming . It is the first "arbitration-based reality" court show to air, beginning in 1981. In addition, it is the first popular, long-running "reality" court show. Prior to the arrival of The People's Court , real life elements were next to nonexistent on court shows, with

2200-489: Is the first African American presided court show to win the honor, succeeded by Lauren Lake's Paternity Court (cancelled a year later). In June 2021, The People's Court secured its 4th win for the category, which now gives it the most wins for the court show genre. By June 2022 when Judy Justice won for its first season, Judy Sheindlin became the only arbitrator to win this category for more than one television program, both her 2 court shows. The People's Court would win

2288-401: Is the second highest-rated genre on daytime television. The genre's most formidable competitors in syndication have been the sitcom and game show . The beginnings of the court show genre are embedded in radio broadcasting, dating back to the mid-1930s. While television has been available since the 1920s, it would not become the main media venue or even popular until the 1950s. The era from

2376-401: Is the second longest reigning judge in television court show history, behind only Judy Sheindlin ( Judge Judy and Judy Justice ) by 3 years. In February 2023, late into its final season, it was confirmed that the 24th season would be its last. Shortly after, Byron Allen ’s Allen Media Group had ordered a new series starring Mathis and his son Amir as bailiff. His subsequent court show

2464-403: The 24 hour news cycle to recycle content from its existing news broadcasts to create less expensive content, thus reducing the available windows for syndicated programs, which in turn draw lower advertising revenues. Warner Bros. cancelled both of its longest-running entries in the genre, The People's Court and Judge Mathis , in response to these changes. The following court shows all follow

2552-422: The 1930s, starting with The Court of Human Relations , and evolved with the introduction of television in the late 1940s, with programs such as Court of Current Issues , Your Witness , Famous Jury Trials , and more. The most widely-used techniques in the court show genre are dramatizations , featuring scripted or loosely script-directed hearings, and arbitration-based reality shows. The former remained

2640-549: The 2000s is Divorce Court (1957), the court show genre's longest running program. The judicial genre became a category in the Daytime Emmy Awards for the first time in 2008, titled Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program , removing them from competitionn against daytime talk shows in the previously more generic Outstanding Daytime Talk Series category. Up until 2012, all of the annually presented awards went to freshman court shows that had only recently emerged into

2728-621: The 2023 honor in its last season in production with Marilyn Millian. Unlike the original era of court shows, the 2nd era consists of a great deal of ethnic and racial diversity. Few pay much attention to the shifting demographics of court show judges. In 2001, reportedly seven of ten judges were male; however, six of these judges were black, four black males and two black females. Only four were white. By 2008, female television judges had outnumbered their male counterparts. Additionally, four judges were Latina/o and another four were black. Judge Judy Sheindlin and Judge David Young (an openly gay male) were

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2816-511: The 24th season of the program was its last. (2022–23). The success of Judge Mathis was particularly noteworthy in that, generally speaking, court show programming had a very limited shelf life . The programs in this genre are lucky to make it past a few seasons . Judge Mathis was the fourth longest-running courtroom series behind Judge Judy , The People's Court (2nd longest running), and Divorce Court (longest running). Though both Divorce Court and The People's Court have experienced

2904-527: The arbitration-based reality format of its counterparts). Following after Judge Judy , most court shows began using eponymous show titles consisting of the judge's name, and the popularity of impersonal titles dwindled considerably. Judge Judy remained the highest rated court show for its entire 25 season run. It was the highest rated show in all of daytime television programming from 2009 to 2010 television season to its series finale June 2021. Justice David Sills noted in one opinion that "daytime television in

2992-410: The average bench trial in small claims court, tackling miscellaneous civil matters. Unconventional court shows, on the other hand, have their own, very distinct twist that separates them dynamically from traditional courtroom programs and each other as well. Among the list of nontraditional court shows that have been produced include: To date, the only court show that is currently on the air since before

3080-519: The award. In his acceptance speech for his first-ever Emmy win, he credited his diverse staff of females and minorities: On May 4, 2022, Mathis was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Each episode ran for one hour and typically consisted of 4 cases. The show is broadcast five days a week in every U.S. state, as well as Canada through Omni Television . The cases on Judge Mathis were classified as tort law civil disputes with

3168-542: The beginning, he only expected his court show to last 3 seasons. Judge Mathis was one of the longest-running, successful programs in the court show genre. Since the 2018–19 television season, it was one of two courtroom programs to have existed for two decades under one arbitrator. As of fall 2021 with the departure of Judge Judy , Judge Mathis was the only program currently still in production to have existed for over two decades under one arbitrator. Judge Greg Mathis's "inspirational and positive messages to young people" won

3256-448: The bench by sending a message to the public that United States benches are already diverse." Paternity (law) Under common law , a child born to a married woman is presumed to be the child of her husband by virtue of a " presumption of paternity " or presumption of legitimacy . In consideration of a possible non-paternity event (which may or may not include paternity fraud ) these presumptions may be rebutted by evidence to

3344-558: The cases, litigants, and outcomes are "real". Despite possessing certain real-life elements, however, arbitration-based reality court shows are less credible than "unaffected" reality court programs, which draw on footage from actual courtrooms holding legal proceedings to capture the legal system as naturally as possible (e.g., Parole , On Trial ). The "judges" in arbitration-based court programs are not presiding as actual judges, but rather arbitrators or adjudicators. For one to be considered an acting judge, they must be operating within

3432-399: The cases. In all cases, litigants gave their prospective case managers all evidence in advance. Any outside legal case pending had to be dismissed by both parties. Typically, Mathis's producers only looked for cases that they deemed juicy and sensational enough for television. Each case's litigators entered the second-floor studio at the NBC Tower separately and pled their case in front of

3520-469: The child's mother. In jurisdictions where there is no presumption of paternity there is a process for fathers to recognise their children and become the legal father of the child. In the United States, where a child is conceived or born during wedlock, the husband is legally presumed to be the father of the child. Some states have a legal process for a husband to disavow paternity, such that

3608-709: The congressional opportunity in favor of carrying on the Judge Mathis program. Mathis stated he would like to do his court show for as long as he can. In Mathis's words, “It’s really not up to me. It’s up to the viewers. I enjoy what we do, particularly the last several years, when we were able to focus a lot more and put more resources, thanks to Warner Brothers and Telepictures, toward changing lives." Mathis expressed value in his court show's influence on drug and alcohol addicts to enroll in rehabilitation, its offering of paternity test results to litigators and providing counseling to troubled parties. Mathis had stated that from

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3696-409: The contrary, for example, in disputed child custody and child support cases during divorce, annulment or legal separation . In the case of a father not married to a child's mother, depending on the laws of the jurisdiction: Today, when paternity is in dispute or doubt, paternity testing may be used to conclusively resolve the issue. The legal process of determining paternity normally results in

3784-443: The court finds that to do so would be contrary to the best interest of the child, in most U.S. states a court may deny DNA testing or decline to remove a husband from a child's birth certificate based upon DNA testing. A successful application to the court results in an order assigning paternity to a specific man, possibly including support responsibility and/or visitation rights, or declaring that one or more men (possibly including

3872-430: The court proceedings. These COVID-19 measures were later updated that same season: the litigants, along with their witnesses if necessary, presented testimony from remote locations through webcam . Video monitors were set up in Mathis's courtroom on the litigant podiums. Mathis himself along with Baliff Doyle presented to the courtroom in person, however. Judge Mathis ' s final bailiff, Doyle Devereux had been with

3960-578: The court show a PRISM Commendation in May 2002. The court show went on to win an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News/Information – Series in 2004. In April 2018, the court show won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program , just ahead of making its milestone 20th season. When Judge Mathis was crowned the winner of the Daytime Emmy Award in 2018, it became the first courtroom series with an African American jurist to win

4048-419: The court system and in video depictions of personal affairs. In 1996, a third arbitration-based reality court show emerged, Judge Judy . Upon debuting, it was described as an "edgier" version of The People's Court , adding attitude to the bench. It was only after the ratings boom of Judge Judy in the late 1990s that a slew of other arbitration-based reality court shows arrived on the scene. In fact, due to

4136-406: The early 21st century has been full of 'judge shows,' where ordinary people bring a dispute for decision before a celebrity jurist." Divorce Court is the only show in the genre to have utilized both popular formats ("dramatized" and "arbitration reality") during their heyday. Moreover, of all the shows in the modern judicial genre, Divorce Court is the oldest. It has also had the most seasons in

4224-414: The early court show genre resembled legal dramas more than the programs that have come to represent the modern judicial genre. While the introduction of this technique dates back to the late 1940s, the departure of its popular use occurred in the early 1990s. The technique scarcely existed for a great deal of time, that is, up until Allen Media Group , formerly known as Entertainment Studios , reintroduced

4312-441: The entire genre. The series has had three lives in syndication, from 1957 to 1969 (dramatized); from 1985 to 1992 (dramatized); and currently since 1999 (arbitration-based reality). Altogether, as of the 2021–22 season, the court show has had a grand total of 42 seasons. In second place is The People's Court with 38 seasons and two lives through its 2023 cancellation. With no suspensions in its production history, Judge Judy has had

4400-454: The exception of a few short-lived nontraditional court shows ; these precedent reality court shows, however, were only loosely related to judicial proceedings, except for one: Parole (1959), which took footage from real-life courtrooms holding legal proceedings. Since the advent of arbitration-based reality court shows by The People's Court , numerous other duplicate courtroom programs have been produced. Its revolutionizing impact, however,

4488-427: The filmed dramas seen in early television. In the first half of the 2012–13 television season, the aforementioned shows were the lowest rated in the judicial genre. While Allen Media Group has been criticized by some for using this technique, as of the 2024-2025 television season, the company owns nine of the thirteen court shows currently airing, all using the identical format. The following court shows all follow

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4576-453: The first time, officially birthing the television court show genre. In the genre's first stages, television court shows largely followed the same "dramatized" format as radio court shows, though with the new element of physical and visual entertainment. The vast majority of these court shows were depicted in black-and-white . Just as some films are based on true stories , some featured cases on courtroom dramas were based on real-life cases. On

4664-462: The form of legal hearings between plaintiffs (or claimants in the United Kingdom ) and defendants , presided over in one of two formats: scripted/improvised with an actor portraying a judge; or, an arbitration-based reality format with the case handled by an adjudicator who was formerly a judge or attorney. At present, these shows typically portray small claims court cases, produced in

4752-715: The genre at the time of their rewarding. Cristina's Court (only lasting three seasons, from 2006 to 2009) was the first court show to win a Daytime Emmy Award as well as the first court show to win more than once and consecutively three times, holding this record for nine years. This albeit short-lived court show won the Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program Award in 2008 (two seasons into its run), 2009, and 2010 (the series cancelled by this period). Judge Pirro (2008–2011) won in 2011, upon being cancelled just two seasons into its run. Last Shot with Judge Gunn (2011–present) won in 2012, only

4840-752: The handling of civil trials, most of the court shows in this era were criminal trials. The main setting was the courtroom; however, performance and drama had been known to leave the courtroom sporadically for short periods so as to add a story-like quality and fill out the plotline. Some of the shows had thematic cases, such as traffic-themed ( Traffic Court ) and divorce-themed ( Divorce Court ). Far more realistic than their dramatized predecessors , arbitration-based reality versions do not use actors, scripts, improvisation or recreations. Rather, they feature litigants who have legitimately been served and filed lawsuits , presenting their cases to an adjudicator or panel of adjudicators. In exchange for having their case heard on

4928-406: The husband of the mother) are not the father of the child. A disavowal action is a legal proceeding where a putative father attempts to prove to the court that he is not the father; if successful, it relieves the former putative father of legal responsibility for the child. On the other hand, it could be the case where several putative fathers are fighting to establish custody. In the United States,

5016-503: The judgement is won. The show pays the judgment from a fund reserved for each case, paid for by the show's advertising and syndication revenue; the defendant and plaintiff alike are both compensated with an appearance fee. In actual small claims courts, however, winning the judgement is frequently only the first step as judgments do not ensure the victor the money they are owed. Getting the defendant to pay his or her judgment can be taxing, and courts typically do not get involved, which means it

5104-461: The late 1920s to the mid-1950s is commonly called radio's Golden Age . In the mid-1930s, the Hauptmann trial sparked an upsurge of fascination with dramatized court shows wherein trials and hearings were acted out. As radio fans were denied the vicarious thrill of eavesdropping on the actual courtroom trials, many turned to this venue of entertainment. In these programs, testimonies were limited to

5192-460: The legal parties, and thus these litigants are bound by the rules and regulations set by the arbitrator. One study noted, "In exchange for streamlining the process (and likely sacrificing some legal rights), litigants surrender their fates to the media apparatus and experience a justice system ruled by the conventions of television drama and personality of the presiding television judge." Arbitration-based reality shows guarantee monetary relief if

5280-469: The legal principle guiding his verdict, especially if his ruling was based on a particular state's law. Reportedly, Mathis's rulings conformed to the laws of the state where the case was originally filed. In recent years, the show began to conduct paternity testing in disputes about child custody , and drug testing if applicable. Mathis often offered or compeled drug treatment and family counseling for those parties in need. In 2024, Judge Mathis Net worth

5368-433: The lines: "Where I grew up, life was rough; we had to make do. And I was arrested several times as a juvenile delinquent. My mom told me she was about to die. I made my commitment that I would change my life. I bring a sense of tough life and compassion to the courtroom." Mathis later shared that he took the job as television arbitrator on the condition that his life story was shared as part of the opening for each episode. In

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5456-507: The longest lasting individual life of any reality court show. The program completed its 25th and final season during the 2020-21 television season. Judge Mathis follows with 24 seasons from 1999 to 2023. As with other daytime television genera, the court show began to see declining clearance in the early 2020s in the face of declining daytime viewership and a weakening market for syndication in general. Major television station ownership groups have opted to expand local newscasts, relying upon

5544-410: The longest running court show still in its first run that hasn't had any temporary production halts or recasting of the show's arbitrator. As with the original court programming era, the modern era has seen a wide variety of unconventional court shows. These are shows that do not take the typical format and procedure of most of the shows within today's judicial genre. For the most part, court shows mimic

5632-456: The longest-serving African American and Black court show arbitrator, surpassing Joe Brown ( Judge Joe Brown ), whose program lasted 15 seasons. Moreover, Mathis held the record for second-longest serving court show arbitrator ever, just behind Judge Judy Sheindlin , the presiding judge of the court show Judge Judy and its spin-off series Judy Justice . Judge Mathis entered its milestone 20th season on Monday, September 3, 2018, and

5720-479: The methodology in 2010. Initially airing three court shows as of the 2012-2013 television season: America's Court with Judge Ross , We the People With Gloria Allred , and Justice for All with Judge Cristina Pérez , these series (each with a standard disclaimer shown at the end of these programs), used a filming style and format more closely resembling arbitration-based court shows than

5808-547: The most captivating, explosive portions of the original case. Though there was risk of libel and slander suits in producing court case recreations, this threat was commonly sidestepped by taking from trials of the distant past, with the original participants dead. Prior to 1936, there were only 2 major radio court shows: The Court of Human Relations and Goodwill Court . As television began to exceed radio's popularity, radio broadcast court programming had waned. By 1948, court programming relocated and appeared on television for

5896-423: The naming of a man to a child's birth certificate as the child's legal father. A paternity finding resolves issues of legitimacy, and may be followed by court rulings that relate to child support and maintenance, custody and guardianship. Generally, under common law, a biological father has a legal obligation for the maintenance or support of his biological offspring, whether or not he is legally competent to marry

5984-454: The obvious. Combined with his teasing and comedic tendencies on the bench, Mathis was known for his street smart ; urban expressions; and, once he had closely observed, reasoned back and forth and taken a stance on the litigants and matters brought before him, his stern, shaming and firmly lecturing side as well. Occasionally, Mathis left the courtroom to deliberate and then returned with his verdict. Upon final judgment, he would briefly explain

6072-507: The only non-Hispanic whites. It has been argued, however, that television judge demographics can distort images of real-life judge demographics. Real-life judge demographics show sharp contrasts to television judge demographics. Women are only 18.6% of federal judges and about 20% of state judges. Only 3% of judges are black in the United States. Overwhelmingly, American judges are white males. A study noted that "television court shows may reduce support for increased racial and gender diversity on

6160-402: The other hand, cases could be entirely fictional, though they often drew on details from actual cases. To recreate and conceptualize cases, staff members working for the court shows researched the country's court cases and took ideas from the ones that seemed captivating and fitting for television. Typically, the role of the judge on these programs was played by a law school professor, an actor, or

6248-488: The other hand, typically involve litigants who agree to have their disputes aired on national television and adjudicated by a television show "judge". However, the forum is merely a simulated courtroom constructed within a television studio and not a legitimate court of law. Therefore, said judges are technically arbitrators , and the process depicted is a form of binding arbitration. Most arbitrators presiding in modern court programs have had at least some legal experience, often

6336-430: The parties, often rousing his audience to uproarious amusement. He sometimes cut the tension–even tension he had fostered–with wisecracks or playfully taunting remarks. Mathis had bantered directly at audience members on occasion, also resulting in audience amusement. A trademark, Mathis sporadically used a rather high-pitched voice to stultify litigants in a manner that suggests they've acted foolishly or have not recognized

6424-428: The popularity of Judy Sheindlin 's show, dramatized court shows became largely a thing of the past (that is, however, until 2010 when Entertainment Studios by Byron Allen entered the court show field, delivering a host of scripted/improvised courtroom programs). Among the influx of other reality court shows included the resurrections of the previously cancelled and defunct People's Court and Divorce Court (adopting

6512-413: The proceedings. Not one to shy away from disclosing his liberal mindset, Mathis tied in his social justice and rehabilitation perspectives into the cases. While hearing the testimonies, Mathis took on a relaxed, attentive, understanding, and open-minded nature. Rarely missing an opportunity to jest or poke fun, however, Mathis was given to wit, joking and humor, also good-natured ridicule and ribbing of

6600-508: The program for most of its series run, since January 2003, midway into the court show's 4th season. It was revealed in an Hour Detroit news publication that Devereux was never a real-life bailiff, however, rather an actor cast by the program to play the role of one. In Doyle's words, "The show is real, the cases are real, you guys are real. If there’s something that could be a little fake about this show, it’s me." Before Devereux, Kevin Lingle

6688-414: The program. The court cases that are captured all operate in the form of small claims court . For example, only small-scale civil matters are heard and ruled on, such as back rent, unpaid personal loans or wages, minor property damage, minor consumer complaints, etc. As another example of the small claims format, relief that is sought is money or recovery of personal property. As another example, litigation

6776-456: The rest of the celebrity industry. Although he considered this suggestion, Mathis vehemently denied the option. In Mathis's words, "I didn't want to interrupt the success. I felt that it was working well, so why disturb that? Secondly, I just love Chicago a lot more than Los Angeles.” Like most television program seasons premiering in the fall of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic , Judge Mathis

6864-399: The same likeness of his experience, Mathis took a distinct admiration for litigants who had seen the error of their troubled ways and had made efforts to improve and better their lives. Mathis also made efforts to promote treatment and programs for individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addictions. By the 2014–15 television season, Judge Mathis made it to its 16th season, making Mathis

6952-509: The same opportunity. Cases on Judge Mathis tended to go deeper and to more revealing places than those of most other court shows. He called attention to peculiarities or juicy details exposed throughout the proceedings as a means of making the cases more stimulating to viewers. More open and unreserved in his personal beliefs than other judges, Mathis never hesitated to tackle serious, topical societal issues , political and mental health matters, and any other touchy subjects that emerged during

7040-484: The series premiered its 22nd season, there were a host of on-set precautionary measures in place: a significantly depopulated courtroom audience; all members of the audience widely distanced from one another; all audience members wearing clear plastic face shields; Bailiff Doyle wearing a disposable surgical face mask; a structure bearing a large window placed between Judge Mathis and his litigators; etc. In this manner, Mathis and his litigators all remained unmasked throughout

7128-424: The show, the litigants must agree to dismiss their genuine cases with prejudice . Behavior and commentary from all participants involved is self-directed, as opposed to production script-directed. As such, these types of court shows fall into a subcategory of reality television . It is for these reasons that many of these particular programs make clear claims to authenticity, as text and voiceovers remind viewers that

7216-442: The technique of choice for roughly six decades. By the late 1990s, however, arbitration-based reality shows became the technique of choice, as they remain today. Dramatizations were either fictional cases - often inspired from factual details in actual cases- or reenactments of actual trials. The role of the judge was often taken by a retired real-life judge, a law school professor or an actor. Arbitration-based reality shows, on

7304-422: The three, Mathis was the only arbitrator to have hosted his program for the entirety of its series run. From 2017 into early 2018 during the program's 19th season, Mathis considered ending his courtroom series as he was heavily encouraged by his hometown community to run for congressman of Detroit , Michigan . Due to the successful direction and longevity of his television series, Mathis eventually opted against

7392-441: The titular host. In most cases, they are first-run syndication programs. In 2001, the genre began to outperform soap operas in daytime television ratings. While all syndicated shows are steadily losing audiences, court shows have the slowest rate of viewer attrition. Thus, by the late 2000s, the number of court shows in syndication had, for the first time, matched the number of talk shows. As reported in late 2012, court programming

7480-461: The worst housing projects in Detroit while raised by a single mother. During his youth, he was involved with gangs (most notably the Errol Flynns gang), dropped out of school and spent time behind bars . Growing up as a gang member and heroin dealer in the mean streets of Detroit, Michigan, Mathis had done plenty of time in juvenile detention centers before age 17. All this changed when

7568-417: Was forced to enter into a new season (its 22nd) in resourceful fashion. As Judge Mathis cases were pre-taped well in advance of airing for editing purposes, the program had to shoot cases during the height of the pandemic. Unlike other courtroom programs, Greg Mathis, Doyle, the litigators and the audience all initially presented in person (as opposed to virtually). That being said, by September 7, 2020, when

7656-502: Was not immediate. After The People's Court's cancellation in 1993, a second arbitration-based reality court show surfaced the year following, Jones & Jury (1994–95). This was the only arbitration-based reality court show airing during this time and short-lived in its existence. The two other court shows in production during this time were nontraditional programs Kids' Court (1989–94) and Judge for Yourself (1994–95). The O. J. Simpson murder trial increased public interest in

7744-401: Was the court show's bailiff for a short duration during the show's 4th season as well. The court show's first bailiff, Brendan Anthony Moran, died on December 19, 2002, after he fell to his death from the balcony of his 24th-floor Chicago condo. His death was ruled a suicide, although Mathis and Moran's family thought differently. In the first season of the Judge Mathis show, Leslie Merrill,

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