It helped that she was the only Family Court judge who allowed the press into her courtroom. George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died in police custody in May 2020, appeared on "Judge Judy" as a teenager. 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. There were no relaxing moments, not even during lunches we shared in her chambers. Courtroom reality show "Judge Judy" is coming to an end after 25 years, host Judy Sheindlin has announced. "These allegations were completely fabricated," a lawyer representing Douthit wrote in response to Insider's questions about Bullock's complaint. as well as other partner offers and accept our, Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images; Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Insider, Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty, according to an affidavit obtained by Insider, according to interviews and court records obtained by Insider, told her to "schmooze" and "flirt a little" with Douthit. ", After a heated exchange, Douthit finally agreed to try a work-from-home setup. 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 . The feeling will pass. "I'm like, then I guess I'd have to ask you to define your definition of friend. Jenest, they said, wouldn't protect them. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, Sheindlin told them via video conference, set up as part of the shows COVID-19 safety protocols. Described by former employees as a powerful presence in the office with old-school ways, Douthit has been accused of harassing and verbally abusing female employees going back to his CNN days, according to interviews and court records obtained by Insider. 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. The contractors case, running Tuesday, marks the last of more than 12,500 taped by Sheindlin during 25 years in the spotlight. In 2009, a former senior producer named Jonathan Sebastien alleged in a lawsuit that Douthit discriminated against litigants by specifically screening out Black people. But he had a caveat: "As long as it works," he said. Take a deep breath and count to 10, she advised. Contact reporter Nicole Einbinder. In Ohio's Ashland County Common Pleas Court, a defendant and his counsel began exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms during jury selection and were taken to the hospital. Petri, 54, said on Australian breakfast show Studio 10 on Tuesday that despite her tough on-screen persona, the 77-year-old actually enjoys a good laugh. When we started, there was like our court show, maybe one other court show and a plethora of talk shows. Byrd says Sheindlins appeal was her King Solomon-like fairness and consistency. Media coverage has focused mainly on the effects of the digital transformation in criminal courts, but a rapid deployment of new technology also took place in the civil legal system. She ranked No. 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 partitions are intended to help the court experiment with resuming jury trials during the COVID-19 pandemic. This removes the requirement of having Sheindlin in the same studio as well as having to commute from one of her various homes to California (though she normally flies on a private plane for tapings). She capitalized on the attention with "Judge Judy," which premiered in 1996 and was produced by Big Ticket Television and distributed by CBS. 02:18 GMT 06 Oct 2020. Two former staffers told Insider they believed Douthit was able to keep his job because he was well liked by Sheindlin. It was something out of her wheelhouse, Byrd said. Hot Bench, which features a trio of judges hearing a single case, has also not made significant on air changes as of yet, though its not clear when the episodes airing now were taped. When I asked if there were any rules to follow, I got my first dose of what later would become familiar to millions: No chewing gum, she snapped. Byrd says that moment sticks out because of its rarity; he only remembers feeling that way one other time on the show. DC Superior Court Advisory - 3/20/2020 - 12:15pm. And she's said it before that we're friends," Byrd said of Sheindlin. She said he criticized her hair and weight, humiliated her during staff meetings, and once grabbed her and kissed her head. Get a dog., Over the years, we gathered at her home in Greenwich, Conn., for Thanksgiving. As she said at her last taping: Thats all. Watts said he's noticed more renters are appearing, unlike when hearings are in person. As many as five other employees went to human resources about Douthit during that time frame, according to allegations in court records. The ruling is in:Judy Sheindlin, known to many simply by "Judge Judy," will continue her straight-shooter findings in a new streaming court program. The Supreme Court then agreed to weigh in. Judge Judy debuted its 25th and final season of new episodes this fall. Asked whether he remembered telling producers to screen out Black litigants, Douthit said he couldn't recall. COVID-19 shutdowns push jury trials back, threaten to violate speedy trial rights. a habit she picked up during her days as a family court judge in Manhattan in the early 1990s. Staffers expected that he would present the award, he said, given their long-standing relationship. They said that Jenest's assistant asked people about their "AA" cases code for African American, they said when asking about their count. (While several of the lawsuits were reported at the time, many of the details in this story are being published for the first time. 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. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The judge said she wasnt much of a writer, but agreed to try if she could write it with me. A federal judge in the Southern District of New York permitted a medically vulnerable witness to testify remotely from a courtroom in Dallas, noting that "there is no question that limiting the spread of COVID-19 and protecting at-risk individuals from exposure to the virus are critically important public policies" and that the witness "who is in About 4,500 people appear remotely each day for hearings, and Ann Donlan, a court spokeswoman, said that all courtrooms about 600 across the county have the capability to conduct remote. The show "will feature no-nonsense, expeditious Judge Sheindlins signature adjudication style with a new array of cases, litigants and judgments," Amazon says. The producer recalled encouraging one plaintiff to amend her complaint to claim that a defendant had harassed them in the hopes of making the case more interesting even though the plaintiff felt the harassment hadn't been significant enough to merit mention in their initial complaint. "Judy had to be the first person to go through the lunch line, as if she was the queen of England," one of these people said. COVID Con Men?! March 16, 2020 The COVID-19 virus has not only radically changed the daily lives of Americans, it is beginning to affect the U.S. justice system. The court said the states could not challenge the program because they weren't harmed by it. Judy Sheindlin turns 71 today. In 2012, during an internal chat between two associate producers, one of whom provided the conversation to Insider, an employee wrote that someone "just came over to me all frustrated because her case is good but got put on hold because the litigants are Black," while another person's "fucking dumb cases are going through because they're white." Happy birthday, Judge Judy! He also wrote that "the allegations concerning Mr. Douthit in this lawsuit were entirely false.". However, six former staffers told Insider that Douthit told employees he didn't want too many Black litigants on the show; one said this behavior continued into 2021. a massive system expected to bring more than . "Judy Justice is an exciting new adventure that allows me to come into streaming while producing a whole different kind of court show," Judge Judy Sheindlin says in a trailer for the new series. Youre talking about someone who was, other than in my own little world, anonymous. When she declined his advances, she claimed he retaliated by criticizing her work and eventually firing her in 2006. In June, following a three-month COVID-prompted statewide shutdown of the courts, in-person criminal trials began to slowly resume in Hennepin County District Court and others throughout the state under a pilot program. from the local health authority and county judge/mayor showing that the consultation has occurred must be submitted with the operating plan. Instead, CBS hired an executive coach to help him work on his management skills. Circuit Judge Charlie Crawford said criminal cases started moving along once jury trials were restarted in July. According to a sampling of Douthit's reports reviewed by Insider, he called litigants "gross" and "low rent." She said Douthit routinely rejected the cases that she pitched for inclusion in the show and threatened to fire her. Larry Lyttle, head of Big Ticket Television, shot a marketing reel and the rest is history: Three years later, Judge Judy was the highest-rated show in daytime TV. Many states also still have in-person filing hours or drop-off services that allow for contactless in-person delivery of court filings. I used to yell at my husband, Jerry, for all the packages he had ordered from Amazon every day. Douthit's attorney said that after the meeting, "Mr. Douthit went door-to-door to each employee asking if they wanted to work from home or from the office. Judy knows from next steps. Megyn Kelly had little sympathy for her onetime colleague Savannah Guthrie, who had to leave her co-hosting duties on NBC's "TODAY" Show on Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19 during . (During the ceremony, Poehler said, "I wish Byrd your bailiff could hand you this award the way he hands you photos in court, not making eye contact with the queen he has sworn to protect."). and every person in the courtroom," the judge said. Jerry ran out for bagels and coffee when I started to look faint. The show is comfort food for those who love it when the bad guys get their comeuppances. Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (714) 833-8487 using a non-work phone, via encrypted email at neinbinder@protonmail.com, via standard email atneinbinder@insider.com,or Twitter DM @NicoleEinbinder. The Times profile had launched a legend, as Judy became one of TVs most well-paid stars, earning $47 million annually. She also sings and plays the piano., Byrd and Judge Judy: Its a bond thats secure. 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