Petri Hawkins-Byrd facts for kids

Petri Hawkins-Byrd (born Petri Adonis Byrd; November 29, 1957) is an American television personality. Many people know him as Bailiff Byrd or just Byrd. He is famous for being a bailiff on TV court shows. He has also worked as an actor, voice actor, and writer. Before his TV career, he was a court officer in New York.

Hawkins-Byrd is best known for his role as Bailiff Byrd on the popular TV show Judge Judy. He was on the show for 25 years, from 1996 to 2021. This makes him the longest-serving bailiff in TV court show history. Since 2018, he and his wife, Makita Bond, have hosted a show called "Bonding with Byrd" on Facebook and YouTube. In 2022, it was announced that Hawkins-Byrd would return to TV as a bailiff on a new court show called Tribunal Justice. This show was created by Judy Sheindlin, who was the judge on Judge Judy.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Petri Adonis Byrd was born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, on November 29, 1957. From a young age, he loved comedy and doing impressions of famous people. His father and his friends found him so funny that they would call him just to hear him imitate celebrities. He looked up to stars like Flip Wilson and Sammy Davis Jr..

His mother was strict but made sure her children focused on their education and treated others with respect. Hawkins-Byrd said that school, reading, TV, and movies were his ways to escape and imagine different worlds.

Starting in Law Enforcement

After high school, he went to Hostos Community College. Even though he was interested in acting, he also liked law. He became interested in law because of the Jim Crow laws and the civil rights movement when he was young. He wanted to help change unfair practices.

In the early 1980s, he started working as a court officer in Brooklyn. In 1986, he moved to the family court in Manhattan. While working there, he also studied at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. This is where he met Judy Sheindlin, who was a Supervising Family Court Judge. From 1986 to 1989, he worked as a courtroom officer for many judges, including Judge Sheindlin. He said that working with her was never boring because she was very direct.

In 1989, Hawkins-Byrd earned a degree in Criminal Justice. That same year, he moved to San Mateo, California, to be with his family. He worked as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshall. In 1992, he became a student counselor at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino. He stayed in this job until 1996. He also delivered pizzas as a side job.

Television Career Highlights

Bailiff Byrd on Judge Judy (1996–2021)

In 1995, Hawkins-Byrd read about Judge Sheindlin's new book and her upcoming TV court show. He wrote her a letter, saying his bailiff uniform still fit if she ever needed one. Judge Sheindlin called him after she felt a test actor wasn't right for the bailiff role. Hawkins-Byrd accepted the job.

He added "Hawkins" to his name for the show to honor his mother. On the show, Judge Sheindlin usually called him "Byrd" or "Officer Byrd." He was the bailiff for all 25 seasons of Judge Judy, from 1996 to 2021. This made him the longest-serving TV court show bailiff ever. Judge Judy was the top-rated court show for its entire run. It also won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Best Legal/Courtroom Program.

His main job on the show was to introduce cases, swear in the people, and direct the audience. He also passed items between the judge and the people involved in the case. He would dismiss the parties and escort them out when a case was finished. Each case started with him saying, "Order! All Rise!" and ended with, "Parties are excused. You may step out."

Hawkins-Byrd usually spoke only when Judge Sheindlin talked to him. He often gave short, calm, or funny answers. He sometimes helped Judge Sheindlin by looking up car values or contacting parole officers. He also helped control emotions in the courtroom and prevented arguments. Judge Sheindlin often told him to remove people who were acting inappropriately. The Los Angeles Times called him "the guard dog to the pit bull."

The show had many funny moments involving Hawkins-Byrd. One joke was his love for doing crossword puzzles during the cases. Sometimes, he would quietly disagree with Judge Sheindlin. She also relied on his knowledge of things like mathematics, new media, and social media. He often delivered evidence to Judge Sheindlin without looking at her. He also had a funny habit of stopping people from trying to hand evidence directly to the judge.

Judge Sheindlin often included Hawkins-Byrd in her comments to the people on the show. She would pretend to know his thoughts about them, even if he hadn't said anything. Judge Sheindlin once said they were like "two old married people" who understood each other. She said she could rely on him to protect her. Hawkins-Byrd described Judge Sheindlin as "Blunt, witty, and sharp as a tack."

During the show's final season, his duties were reduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge Sheindlin worked remotely from New York, while Hawkins-Byrd and the people on the show were still in the Los Angeles studio.

Other TV and Movie Roles

Hawkins-Byrd has appeared in several movies and TV shows. He was on the show The Parkers as a motorcycle police officer. He also appeared in movies like Soul Lake and American Skin. He had roles in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Playing Mona Lisa. In 2003, he played a judge in the independent film End of the Law.

In 2018 and 2019, he appeared on the medical talk show The Doctors to discuss his health. On August 5, 2021, he appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful as a marriage officiant at a wedding.

After Judge Judy ended, Hawkins-Byrd was not asked to join Judge Sheindlin's new show, Judy Justice. This upset many fans. However, he was later asked to be the bailiff for another new court show created by Judge Sheindlin's team. This show, Tribunal Justice, started in 2023. It features three judges: Tanya Acker, Patricia DiMango, and Judge Sheindlin's son, Adam Levy, with Byrd as the bailiff.

Hawkins-Byrd also had a voice acting role in the Disney+ series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder in 2022. He has starred in movies like Fear Pharm 2 (2021) and Amy's F*** It List (2023). In 2024, he played basketball executive Alvin Gentry in the TV series Clipped.

Off-Air Activities and Projects

Outside of TV, Hawkins-Byrd works part-time as an event host and guest speaker. He supports charities and is a community activist. He enjoys motivating young people and helping them build their lives. He is the national chairman of the O.K. Program, which helps young Black men. He is also on the board of Teen Center USA, a youth program.

Hawkins-Byrd also runs a non-profit mentoring program called "Teach Them to Fish." This program focuses on helping young people grow physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. He enjoys writing poetry and screenplays and sometimes reads his poetry at local places.

Since October 2018, Hawkins-Byrd and his wife, Makita Bond, have hosted their web series called "Bonding with Byrd." They post new episodes on Tuesdays on Byrd's Facebook page and their YouTube channel. Other TV personalities, like Judge Lynn Toler from Divorce Court, have appeared on their show.

Hawkins-Byrd and his wife also started a production company called "Bonding with Byrd." They plan to create entertainment projects for streaming and develop stage plays.

Personal Life

In 2000, Hawkins-Byrd and his family moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Elk Grove, California. They liked Elk Grove because it had affordable homes and a family-friendly atmosphere. He has said he does not want to move to Los Angeles, California, preferring a simpler life away from the glitz of Hollywood. He is a Christian and goes to church.

Hawkins-Byrd has four adult children from his first marriage to Felicia Hawkins. He married Makita Bond Byrd on May 4, 2019. Makita was also a crew member on Judge Judy. They first met in 2012 at the studio where Judge Judy was filmed. They reconnected in 2016 when Makita became a producer for the show.

During the final season of Judge Judy, Hawkins-Byrd spent a lot of time caring for his wife, Makita. She had a cancerous brain tumor during the COVID-19 pandemic and was undergoing chemotherapy. By April 2021, 95 percent of the tumor was removed after surgery. She continues to receive chemotherapy.