Judy Sheindlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judy Sheindlin
|
|
|---|---|
Sheindlin at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival
|
|
| Born |
Judith Susan Blum
October 21, 1942 |
| Alma mater |
|
| Occupation |
|
| Years active |
|
| Known for |
|
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Judith Susan Sheindlin (née Blum; born October 21, 1942), known to many as Judge Judy, is a famous American lawyer, judge, and TV star. She is well-known for her popular TV court shows, Judge Judy and Judy Justice.
For 25 years, from 1996 to 2021, Sheindlin was the star of her own TV show, Judge Judy. It was one of the most watched court shows. She became the longest-serving TV judge in history. This amazing achievement earned her a spot in the Guinness World Records in 2015. In 2019, she received a special Lifetime Achievement Emmy award for her work.
In 2021, Judge Judy started a new show called Judy Justice. This show can be watched online through streaming services. She won another Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program in 2022 for Judy Justice. This made her the only TV judge to win this award for more than one court show.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Judy Sheindlin was born Judith Susan Blum in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were from German-Jewish and Russian-Jewish families. She often spoke highly of her father, Murray, who was a dentist. She described her mother, Ethel, who worked as an office manager, as a very practical person.
Sheindlin finished high school at James Madison High School in Brooklyn in 1961. She then went to American University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a degree in government. After that, she studied law at New York Law School. She earned her law degree in 1965.
Becoming a Judge
Sheindlin passed the New York state bar exam in 1965. This allowed her to become a lawyer. Her first job was as a lawyer for a makeup company. After two years, she left to focus on raising her two children, Jamie and Adam.
In 1972, she became a lawyer for the New York family court system. She worked on cases involving children and families. She also handled cases where young people had broken rules.
By 1982, her strong approach to law led New York mayor Ed Koch to appoint her as a judge. Four years later, she became a supervising judge in the family court in Manhattan. She became known as a firm judge in New York City.
Starting a TV Career
In 1993, a newspaper article in the Los Angeles Times featured Sheindlin. The article talked about how she worked hard to make the court system fair for everyone. This article helped her become more widely known.
She then appeared on the CBS show 60 Minutes, which brought her national attention. 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 family court judge that same year. By then, she had heard over 20,000 cases!
The Judge Judy Show
After her 60 Minutes appearance, Sheindlin was offered a chance to star in a new TV court show. This show would feature "real cases with real rulings." Her show, Judge Judy, started on September 16, 1996. It ran for 25 seasons, ending on July 23, 2021.
She was joined by her bailiff, Petri Byrd, often called "Byrd." He became the longest-serving bailiff in TV court show history. They had worked together before, as Byrd was her bailiff in the Manhattan family court.
Judge Judy was the top-rated court show for its entire 25-year run. It often had nine to ten million viewers every day. From 2009 until its end in 2021, it was the highest-rated daytime TV show. People loved the show because Judge Judy made quick decisions. Viewers felt she made the justice system work fast and fairly.
In 2013, a poll showed that Americans trusted Judge Judy more than the judges of the United States Supreme Court. She was also named one of VH1's 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons in 2003. Her show was mentioned in many other TV programs, like The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live.
The Judge Judy show earned her many awards. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. She was also inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2012.
On June 14, 2013, Judge Judy won its first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program. It won again in 2016 and 2017. In 2015, Guinness World Records recognized her as the longest-serving judge in TV court show history.
Judge Judy earned a lot of money from her show. In 2008, her salary was reported to be $45 million per year. By 2017, she earned $147 million before taxes. She was the highest-paid TV star in 2013.
In 2011, Sheindlin had a small health issue while taping her show. She recovered quickly. Her contract was extended several times. In March 2020, she announced that the show would end after its 25th season. The final episode aired on July 23, 2021.
The Judy Justice Show
After Judge Judy ended, Sheindlin started a new show called Judy Justice. It began on November 1, 2021. This show is available on the streaming service Amazon Freevee. It was the first court show to air new episodes only through streaming.
Judy Justice is seen as a more modern version of Judge Judy. It includes her granddaughter, who is part of Generation Z. The courtroom set is updated, and the cases can be more detailed. This is because there are fewer time limits than on her previous show.
While Judge Judy uses her well-known judging style, she sometimes goes deeper into case details. Her old show usually had two cases per episode, but Judy Justice often focuses on one longer case.
When the new show was announced, some fans missed Bailiff Byrd. Kevin Rasco became the new bailiff for Judy Justice. Byrd later said he was "confused" about not being asked to join the new show. However, he wished Sheindlin well.
In April 2022, it was announced that Bailiff Byrd would appear in Tribunal Justice. This is another court show created by Sheindlin. It features other judges and Sheindlin's son, Adam Levy.
The first season of Judy Justice set a record for streaming hours on IMDb TV. This led to a second season, which started in November 2022. Sheindlin won a Daytime Emmy Award for Judy Justice, making her the only TV judge to win for two different court shows.
Community Work
Sheindlin and her stepdaughter, Nicole Sheindlin, created "Her Honor Mentoring." This program helps young women feel stronger and more confident.
In 2017, Sheindlin helped fund a space for public discussions at the University of Southern California. This space was created for people to share ideas freely.
Personal Life
In 1964, Judy married Ronald Levy. He later became a lawyer in juvenile court. They had two children, Jamie and Adam. Her son Adam is now a co-star in the show Tribunal Justice. Judy and Ronald divorced in 1976.
In 1978, she married Judge Jerry Sheindlin. He later became a judge on The People's Court. They divorced in 1990, but then remarried in 1991. Judy has three stepchildren with Jerry: Gregory, Jonathan, and Nicole. She also has 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Nicole is the co-creator of the Her Honor Mentoring program.
Sheindlin owns homes in several states, including New York, Florida, California, and Wyoming. She used to travel to Los Angeles often to film Judge Judy. In 2013, she bought a condominium in Beverly Hills. In 2018, she and her husband bought a large property in Newport, Rhode Island.
Sheindlin has received honorary law degrees from Elizabethtown College and the University at Albany, SUNY. In 2013, she was honored by the law society at University College Dublin, Ireland.
Sheindlin is a registered Independent. She prefers not to be labeled by political terms. She has supported different political candidates over the years. In 2024, she endorsed Nikki Haley for President.
