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Judy Sheindlin

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Judith Sheindlin
Born (1942-10-21) October 21, 1942 (age 82)
Brooklyn, New York, USA
NationalityAmerican
Other namesJudith Blum, Judge Judy
Occupation(s)Lawyer
Judge
Television personality
Known forJudge Judy
Spouse(s)Ronald Levy (1964–1976) div.
Jerry Sheindlin (1977–1990, 1991–present)

Judith Sheindlin (born October 21, 1942), better known to the public as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. She passed the New York bar exam in 1965 and became a prosecutor in the family court system. In the 1980s, Mayor Ed Koch appointed her a judge, first in criminal court and later as Manhattan's supervising family court judge. She was featured on CBS' 60 Minutes in the 1990s as a result of her reputation as a tough judge.

After retiring in 1996, Sheindlin garnered much fame for presiding over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy. Her show's ratings have consistently ranked high.[1]

Early life and education

Sheindlin was born Judith Blum in Brooklyn, New York,[2] to parents Murray and Ethel Blum. Sheindlin described her father, a dentist, as "the greatest thing since sliced bread" and her mother as "a meat-and-potatoes kind of gal."[3]

Sheindlin attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn before going on to American University in Washington, D.C.[2] She decided to pursue a law degree and attended the Washington College of Law, where she was the only woman in a class of 126 students.[2] She finished her law school education at New York Law School, where she graduated in 1965.[4]

Marriages and family

In 1964, Sheindlin married her first husband, Ronald Levy, who later became a prosecutor in juvenile court. She and Levy divorced in 1976.

In 1977, she married Jerry Sheindlin, a judge and also a divorcé. Judy and Jerry Sheindlin divorced in 1990; Judy Sheindlin has said that the cause of the divorce was the stress caused by the recent death of her father, with whom she had a close relationship.[2] They remarried in 1991. The Sheindlins have five children between the two of them, Gregory, Jamie, Jonathan, Adam, and Nicole, as well as eleven grandchildren.[4]

Sheindlin passed the New York Bar Exam in 1965, the same year as her graduation, and was hired as a corporate lawyer for a cosmetics firm.[2] Within two years, she became dissatisfied with her job and left to raise her two children. She was soon made aware of a position in the New York court system as a prosecutor in the family courts.[2] In her role, Sheindlin prosecuted child abuse cases, domestic violence, and juvenile crime.[2]

By 1982, Sheindlin's no-nonsense[2] attitude inspired New York Mayor Ed Koch to appoint her as a judge in criminal court.[2] Four years later, she was promoted to supervising judge in the Manhattan division of the family court.[2] She earned a reputation as a tough judge, notorious for fast decision making and wise-cracking judgements.[3]

In February 1993 Sheindlin's outspoken reputation made her the subject of a Los Angeles Times article, profiling her as a woman determined to make the court system work for the common good.[2] She was subsequently featured in a segment on CBS's 60 Minutes, bringing her national recognition.[2] This led to her first book, Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining, published in 1996. She retired as a criminal court judge that same year, after hearing over 20,000 cases.[2] After her retirement, Sheindlin continued to receive increasing amounts of public attention.[2]

Judge Judy

Main article: Judge Judy
Judge Judy with fans, June 2008
Judge Judy stands next to a portrait of herself

Sheindlin was approached by Big Ticket Television not long after her retirement about a possible courtroom television program, featuring real cases with real rulings.[4] She accepted the offer.

Sheindlin's syndicated courtroom series Judge Judy debuted on September 16, 1996.[4] The show met with instant success and made Sheindlin a celebrity, known for her stern, no-nonsense attitude and wit.[4] The program has been the number one court show since its debut,[5] the only original show on television to increase its ratings yearly,[5] and has integrated itself into American pop culture.[4]

The show's ratings have been very high, averaging approximately 10 million viewers daily.[1] It is especially popular among female viewers between the ages of 25 and 54.[6] Author Brendan I. Koerner commented on why Judge Judy is so popular:

"Court-show viewers don't seem to want moral conundrums or technical wrinkles. They love Sheindlin's show because she offers them a fantasy of how they'd like the justice system to operate—swiftly, and without procedural mishaps or uppity lawyers. They get to see wrongdoers publicly humiliated by a strong authority figure. There is no uncertainty after Sheindlin renders her verdict and bounds off the bench, and there are certainly no lengthy appeals."[6]

Sheindlin resides in Connecticut[7] and New York,[8] and travels to Florida in the winter.[9] She commutes to Los Angeles every other week for two to four days to film episodes of Judge Judy.[5][8] Sheindlin extended her contract through 2011-12 (its 16th season),[5] due to high ratings as well as her belief that people are still engaged in the program. Sheindlin admits the show is "seductive" and hard to give up. Said Sheindlin, "I'm not tired. I still feel engaged by what I do and I still have people who like to watch it."[5]

In 2005, Sheindlin's salary was US$25 million per year.[6] Her net worth is $95 million and she ranked number 13 on the Forbes magazine top 20 richest women in entertainment.[10] In February 2006, Sheindlin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[11] As a result of her stardom, she served as a judge for the 1999 Miss America Pageant.[12] References to Sheindlin as Judge Judy have appeared on TV shows including Will & Grace, NBC's The Weakest Link and the Academy Awards, among others;[4] she has also appeared in numerous cable news interviews.[12]

Bibliography

  • Sheindlin, Judith (1996). Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining. Harper Collins. ISBN 0060927941.
  • Sheindlin, Judith (1999). Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever. Harper Paperbacks. ISBN 006092991X.
  • Sheindlin, Judith (2000). Keep It Simple, Stupid: You're Smarter Than You Look. Cliff Street Books. ISBN 0060195460.
  • Sheindlin, Judith (2000). Win or Lose by How You Choose. Harper Collins. ISBN 0060287802.
  • Sheindlin, Judith (2001). You're Smarter Than You Look: Uncomplicating Relationships in Complicated Times. Harper Paperbacks. ISBN 0060953764.

References

  1. ^ a b Leroux, Charles (December 24, 2008). "There's no justice like show justice". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Judith (Judge Judy) Sheindlin Biography (1942-)". Biography, A&E Television Networks. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  3. ^ a b Weldon, Fay (October 9, 2008). "Judy, madly, deeply". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Judge Judy". JudgeJudy.com. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  5. ^ a b c d e Huff, Richard (January 29, 2008). "Judge Judy will keep warming bench". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  6. ^ a b c Koerner, Brendan I (May 27, 2005). "Judge Judy". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  7. ^ Adams, Cindy (June 18, 2008). "Don't Judge Judy by her Pricey Digs". The New York Post. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  8. ^ a b Leung, Rebecca (December 10, 2003). "Judge Judy". CBS. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  9. ^ Paul O'Grady (host). Judge Judy on Paul O'Grady (Television production). United Kingdom: Granada Television. Retrieved 2008-12-23. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |month2= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |year2= ignored (help)
  10. ^ Goldman, Lea and Kiri Blakeley (January 18, 2008). "In Pictures: The Richest 20 Women in Entertainment: Judith "Judge Judy" Sheindlin". Forbes magazine. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  11. ^ "Judge Judy Sheindlin Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony Photo Gallery". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  12. ^ a b "Judge Judy". WCHS-TV8. 2000. Retrieved 2008-12-24.

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