Jeanine Pirro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeanine Pirro
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Pirro in 2021
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| District Attorney of Westchester County | |
| In office January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Carl Vergari |
| Succeeded by | Janet DiFiore |
| Judge of the Westchester County Court | |
| In office January 1, 1991 – May 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Francis Nicolai |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Angiolillo Peter Leavitt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jeanine Ferris
June 2, 1951 Elmira, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Albert Pirro
(m. 1975; div. 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University at Buffalo (BA) Albany Law School (JD) |
Jeanine Ferris Pirro (born June 2, 1951) is an American television host and author. She is also a former judge and prosecutor from New York.
In 1990, Pirro was elected as a judge for the Westchester County Court. Later, in 1993, she became the Westchester County District Attorney. She was the first woman to hold both of these important positions. As District Attorney, Pirro became well-known for handling cases involving domestic abuse and crimes against older people.
Pirro hosted a TV show called Judge Jeanine Pirro from 2008 to 2011. From 2011 to 2022, she hosted Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News Channel. She has written six books. In 2022, Pirro became a co-host of The Five.
After the 2020 presidential election, Pirro discussed claims about voting machines. Fox News later settled a lawsuit for a large amount of money and admitted that some statements made on air were false.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jeanine Ferris was born and grew up in Elmira, New York. Her parents were from Lebanon. Her father sold mobile homes, and her mother was a model. Her family practiced the Maronite Catholic faith. From a young age, Pirro knew she wanted to become a lawyer.
She finished Notre Dame High School in Elmira in just three years. During high school, she worked as an intern in the Chemung County District Attorney's office. She then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University at Buffalo. In 1975, she received her law degree (J.D.) from Albany Law School. While there, she was an editor for the school's law review.
Law Career in Westchester County
Assistant District Attorney
In 1975, Jeanine Pirro became an Assistant District Attorney in Westchester County. She started her career by working on appeals and smaller cases. In 1977, she suggested creating a special department for domestic violence cases. This was important because a new law moved many of these cases from family court to criminal court.
Her office was one of the first in the country to receive a federal grant for this new department. In 1978, she became the first chief of the Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Bureau. Pirro was known for being very determined in her role. She had a strict rule against dropping cases, even if a victim asked her to.
County Court Judge
In November 1990, Pirro was elected as a judge for the Westchester County Court. She ran as a Republican and Conservative candidate. She was the first woman to serve as a judge in this court.
District Attorney
In November 1993, Pirro was elected as the Westchester County District Attorney. She was the first woman to hold this position as well. She was re-elected in 1997 and 2001. In 2005, she announced she would not seek another term.
Soon after becoming District Attorney, Pirro made changes to the office. She expanded the facilities and added a media room. This helped her growing public profile. She was also the first female president of the New York State District Attorneys Association.
She was also chosen by Governor George Pataki to lead a state commission on domestic violence. This commission's work led to new laws that better protected victims of domestic abuse.
Statewide Political Career
2006 U.S. Senate Campaign
On August 10, 2005, Pirro announced she would run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator. She planned to challenge the sitting senator, Hillary Clinton. Other Republicans also sought the nomination. During her announcement, she had a brief pause in her speech, which was widely reported.
Pirro described her political views as "red" (conservative) on money matters and "blue" (moderate) on social issues. She supported tax cuts. Governor George Pataki endorsed Pirro, which led another candidate to drop out.
On December 21, 2005, Pirro decided to leave the Senate race. This was due to challenges in raising money and polls showing she would likely lose to Clinton. She stated that her background in law enforcement made her a better fit for the New York State Attorney General race instead.
2006 State Attorney General Campaign
On May 31, 2006, Pirro became the Republican Party's candidate for Attorney General of New York. She also received support from the Conservative and Independence Parties. However, she lost the general election to the Democratic candidate, Andrew Cuomo.
Books
Jeanine Pirro has written six books. Two of these are crime novels. Her first book, To Punish and Protect: A DA's Fight Against a System That Coddles Criminals, was published in 2003.
In 2012, she wrote the novel Sly Fox. This book was based on her own experiences as a young assistant district attorney. She followed it with a second novel in the series, Clever Fox: A Dani Fox Novel, in 2014.
Her book Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy (2018) looks at the presidency of Donald Trump. It also discusses the politics around the anti-Trump movement. In 2018, Trump was seen with Pirro and her book in the Oval Office.
Pirro's book Radicals, Resistance, and Revenge: The Left's Plot to Remake America (2019) talks about what she sees as attacks on American values. Her book Don't Lie to Me: and Stop Trying to Steal Our Freedom was published in 2020.
Media Career
Pirro has been a regular guest on many TV shows. She has appeared on Today and Good Day New York. She is a legal expert for Fox News and has hosted shows like Larry King Live. She was also a frequent guest on Fox's show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.
Pirro appeared in the HBO series The Jinx. In this show, she shared her views on the 1983 disappearance of Kathie Durst, a major case she investigated. She also hosted a reality court show called You the Jury, which aired briefly.
Judge Jeanine Pirro on The CW
On May 5, 2008, The CW Network announced that Pirro would host a weekday TV show. It was called Judge Jeanine Pirro. Two episodes aired daily. The show was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2010. In 2011, it won the Emmy for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program. The show was canceled in September 2011 due to low ratings.
Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News
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Pirro hosted Fox News' Justice with Judge Jeanine, which started in January 2011. This show aired on weekends and focused on important legal stories.
After the 2020 United States presidential election, Pirro discussed claims about voting machine fraud on her show. A voting machine company, Smartmatic, sued Fox News for defamation. Fox News settled the case for a large amount of money. They also had to admit that the statements broadcast were false.
On January 12, 2022, it was announced that Pirro would become a permanent co-host on The Five. This meant that Justice with Judge Jeanine would end.
Political Views
Trump Administration
Pirro supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. She often defended him strongly on her show. She encouraged him to push his agenda.
In 2018, Pirro said Trump's pardon of Dinesh D'Souza was "fantastic news." D'Souza had been convicted of illegal campaign contributions. Pirro believed he was unfairly targeted because of his political documentaries.
In July 2018, after Trump met with Vladimir Putin, Pirro defended Trump. She asked, "What was he supposed to do, take a gun out and shoot Putin?"
In November 2019, she described Trump as "almost superhuman." In December 2019, she suggested that Trump had made it possible for people to say "Merry Christmas" again.
Health Care
In 2005, Pirro described her political views. She said she was "Republican red on fiscal policy" and supported making tax cuts permanent. But she also said she had "broad blue stripes on the social issues." Her views were seen as moderate during her Senate campaign.
LGBT Rights
Pirro has supported LGBT rights. In 2000, she actively supported a New York hate crimes law. During her 2006 campaign for Attorney General, she spoke out for anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people. Pirro also supported civil unions for same-sex couples. In 2006, she participated in a Pride Parade.
Second Amendment
In December 2015, Pirro spoke about gun ownership. She said, "Get a gun, buy one legally, learn how to shoot it and be primed to use it." She added that the Second Amendment protects the right to own a gun.
Personal Life
Pirro has two children with her former husband, Albert. They moved to Harrison, New York, after they got married. They separated in 2007, and their divorce was finalized in 2013.
In 1997, People magazine named her one of its "50 Most Beautiful People."
In her 2018 book, Pirro shared that she was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. She is a practicing Catholic.
Lawsuit Outcome
In February 2021, Jeanine Pirro was named in a lawsuit by Smartmatic, a voting machine company. The lawsuit claimed that Fox News and some of its hosts, including Pirro, spread false information. Smartmatic said this hurt their business. Fox News later settled the case for a large sum of money.
See also
- New Yorkers in journalism
