Petri Hawkins-Byrd facts for kids

Petri Hawkins-Byrd, also known as Bailiff Byrd, is a well-known American television personality, actor, and writer. He is most famous for his role as the bailiff on the popular TV show Judge Judy, where he worked for 25 seasons. After Judge Judy ended, he continued his career and now appears on a new court show called Tribunal Justice.

Early Life and Career

Petri Adonis Byrd was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 29, 1957. From a young age, he enjoyed making people laugh with his comedy and impressions of famous people. His mother was strict but made sure he focused on his education and treated everyone with respect. He often found comfort in reading, television, and movies.

After high school, he attended Hostos Community College. Even though he was interested in acting, he also developed an interest in law. This interest came from seeing unfair laws and the civil rights movement when he was young. He wanted to help make things more fair.

In the early 1980s, he started working as a court officer in Brooklyn. Later, he moved to the family court division in Manhattan. While working there, he met Judge Judy Sheindlin, who was a supervising judge. He worked as a courtroom officer for various judges, including Judge Sheindlin, from 1986 to 1989. He found her courtroom exciting because she was always direct and to the point.

In 1989, he earned a degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. That same year, he moved to San Mateo, California, to be with his family. There, he worked as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshall. In 1992, he became a student counselor at Monta Vista High School in California, a job he held until 1996. He also delivered pizzas as a side job.

Television Career

Bailiff Byrd on Judge Judy

In 1995, Petri Hawkins-Byrd learned that Judge Sheindlin was starting a new TV court show. He sent her a letter, jokingly saying, "If you ever need a bailiff, my uniform still fits." Judge Sheindlin remembered him. When she needed a bailiff for her show, she called him, and he accepted the role.

He added "Hawkins" to his name to honor his late mother, as it was her maiden name. On the show, Judge Sheindlin usually called him "Byrd" or "Officer Byrd." He served as the bailiff for all 25 seasons of Judge Judy, from 1996 to 2021. This made him the longest-serving bailiff in the history of TV court shows. Judge Judy was a very popular show, often ranking number one in its category.

Role on Judge Judy

As the bailiff, Hawkins-Byrd had several important duties. He would introduce each case by calling the people involved forward and having them swear to tell the truth. He also directed the audience to stand and sit. He would pass documents between Judge Sheindlin and the people in court. At the end of each case, he would dismiss the parties and escort them out.

Even though he didn't speak much, he often added humor with his calm and sometimes sarcastic comments when Judge Sheindlin spoke to him. He also helped the judge by looking up information, like car values, or by performing drug tests when needed. He was known for his stern presence, which helped Judge Sheindlin control people who were misbehaving in the courtroom. He also made sure people didn't get too emotional or try to fight. Judge Sheindlin would often ask him to remove people from the courtroom if they were acting inappropriately.

The show had some funny running jokes involving Hawkins-Byrd. One was his habit of doing crossword puzzles during the cases. Another was how he would sometimes calmly disagree with Judge Sheindlin. He was also often asked to explain things like mathematics or social media to the judge. He had a funny habit of delivering evidence to Judge Sheindlin without looking directly at her. He also often had to stop people from trying to hand evidence directly to the judge, as it was his job to handle it.

Judge Sheindlin often included him in her comments to the people in court, sometimes pretending to know his thoughts about them. She once said that their on-screen relationship was like "two old married people." Hawkins-Byrd described Judge Sheindlin as "blunt, witty, and sharp."

During the final season of Judge Judy, his role was reduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge Sheindlin worked remotely from New York, while he and the people in court were still in the Los Angeles studio. This meant he no longer passed evidence or talked as much with the judge.

Other TV and Movie Roles

Petri Hawkins-Byrd has appeared in several other TV shows and movies. He was on the show The Parkers as a motorcycle police officer. He also acted in movies like Soul Lake and American Skin. He even played a judge in the independent film End of the Law.

In August 2018, he appeared on the medical talk show The Doctors to discuss his health. He returned in December 2019 to share his health improvements.

After Judge Judy ended, he appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful in August 2021, playing a marriage officiant at a wedding.

He also had a voice acting role in the Disney+ series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, which premiered in 2022.

Tribunal Justice

On April 28, 2022, it was announced that Hawkins-Byrd would return as a bailiff for a new court show called Tribunal Justice. This show is also created by Judge Sheindlin's team and premiered in 2023. It features three judges: Tanya Acker, Patricia DiMango, and Adam Levy (Judge Sheindlin's son), with Byrd as the bailiff.

He has also starred in motion pictures like Fear Pharm 2 (2021) and Amy's F*** It List (2023). In 2024, he played American basketball executive Alvin Gentry in the TV series Clipped.

Off-Air Activities

Outside of television, Petri Hawkins-Byrd is busy with many activities. He works part-time as an event host, guest speaker, and supporter of charities. He is also a community activist. He enjoys motivating and helping young people. He is the national chairman of the O.K. Program, which helps young black men with social issues. He is also on the board of Teen Center USA, a youth program.

Hawkins-Byrd also runs a nonprofit 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 in his free time.

Since October 2018, he and his wife, Makita Bond, have hosted a web series called "Bonding with Byrd." They release new episodes every Tuesday on Byrd's Facebook page and their "Bonding with Byrd" YouTube channel. They also founded a production company with the same name, which aims to create entertainment projects for streaming and develop stage plays.

Personal Life

In 2000, Petri 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 prefers a simple life and does not like the extravagance of Hollywood. He is a churchgoing Christian.

He has four adult children from his first marriage to Felicia Hawkins.

Hawkins-Byrd married Makita Bond Byrd on May 4, 2019. Makita was also a crew member on Judge Judy. They first met in 2012 but lost contact. They reconnected in 2016 when Makita became a producer on Judge Judy. He later admitted he only pretended to remember her at first! They married in 2019.

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