Some of the bullet points didn't offer a lot of solace. One of the toughest barriers to criminal procedure during the pandemic was and remains empaneling juries for trials. The 5-foot-2 family-court judge known for her black robe, lace collar, and acid tongue has been doling out tough-love legal verdicts since the Clinton administration, and the approach has. As a result, only one jury trial at a time is being held in each city. Among other things, that will mean jurors will have to wear a mask. especially with the stock market and dwindling 401(k) plans. If we settle for mediocrity, we get what we deserve.". Freisleben asked at one point. "Plexiglass shields erected throughout. She alleged that Douthit called her "ugly" and insinuated that she was "evil," according to the deposition. (During the ceremony, Poehler said, "I wish Byrd your bailiff could hand you this award the way he hands you photos in court, not making eye contact with the queen he has sworn to protect."). judge of a municipal court must consult with the local health authority and county judge/mayor.7 Documentation (e.g. In a series of video clips taken during a staff meeting and heard by Insider, Douthit and Freisleben seemed to disregard employees' fears about COVID-19. ", "While we can't comment on personnel matters that were investigated and addressed, we want to be clear that the egregious behavior, or patterns of behavior, like those described in this article are not tolerated at CBS or at any of our productions," a CBS Media Ventures spokesperson wrote in an email. It helped that she was the only Family Court judge who allowed the press into her courtroom. The agency declined to comment, noting that it is legally barred from confirming or denying the existence of specific cases. I felt the need to tell her that there was something that she missed., Byrd, referred to as Officer Byrd on the show, says he doesnt remember the specific case but the judge recalled it. Once Jenest hit this quota, the former producer said, she would stop accepting cases featuring Black litigants. Speaking generally about Sheindlin's relationship with Douthit, a different former producer told Insider, "Judy knew she was untouchable, Randy knew Judy was untouchable, and Randy also knows that Judy would protect him at all costs.". Get a dog., Over the years, we gathered at her home in Greenwich, Conn., for Thanksgiving. "We . The only thing thats changed in almost 25 years is Judys hairstyle.. July 30, 2021, 6:27 PM PDT. Theres a bunch of things going on in that brain while Im there listening to cases., At 62, Byrd considers the world his oyster as he moves into a new chapter: He sings, has film and TV credits and is also focused on building a following for his own Instagram Live show that he hosts with his wife, titled Bonding with Byrd., Sheindlin said in a statement that its been fun having Byrd along on this journey., He is a consummate professional who knows how a courtroom should be run, she said. Kurstin Haynes, a former producer who left the show in 2021, said Douthit frequently mocked the show's guests. Described by former employees as a powerful presence in the office with old-school ways, Douthit has been accused of harassing and verbally abusing female employees going back to his CNN days, according to interviews and court records obtained by Insider. I got an idea for a new chapter walking on the beach, she said. (While several of the lawsuits were reported at the time, many of the details in this story are being published for the first time. Judge Judy recently channeled her. "All these allegations relate to conduct that occurred prior to our production, but we are taking this seriously and looking into the matter. ", "Mr. Douthit categorically denies that he ever engaged in any sexual harassment, racism or any other abusive conduct towards members of the show's production or its participants," Douthit's lawyer wrote. ", She explained her longevity to Ellen DeGeneres in March: "If you're not tired, you're not supposed to stop. "I told her how I felt about it. She agreed. Bullock could not be reached for comment. The feeling will pass. He also discouraged booking cases with older litigants, the former producers said. The Project culminated in a demonstration jury trial, which forms the basis for the report's findings. ", Drinking was also prevalent in the office during working hours, according to seven people, and Haynes said that it continued up until March 2020. However . But according to allegations in court records, the show had another rule: Douthit told producers he didn't want Black litigants on the show. Judy Sheindlin turns 71 today. Added to the $47 million a year hosting "Judge Judy" and producing "Hot Bench,"Sheindlin is amongAmerica's richest self-made women. Men!. Today, she owns beautiful homes in several states and no longer inhales Tylenols to start her day. Neither Jenest nor Freisleben responded to requests for comment made through IMDb TV. Judy had set up a karaoke machine for guests and grandkids who wanted to perform, and Alex began singing Broadway tunes in the judges living room, every year for nine years. In addition to the money awarded, the show also covered travel and lodging and provided a food stipend. Worst-case scenario someone we know will die. One day, Sheindlin whod ordered her usual sushi watched, appalled, as my giant burrito began spurting sour cream and guacamole after I bit into it. PHILADELPHIA When Miltreda Kress came before family court Judge Lyris Younge, she hoped to explain why the city's removal of her three minor . The show had some ground rules. Judge Judy's longtime bailiffPetri Hawkins-Byrd has revealed what it's really like working with sharp-tongued courtroom queen Judy Sheindlin. Pay your bills, she told the stunned homeowner. If not, he has no complaints. Judge Judy uses paid extras for its studio audience, rather than members of the public. The pair shared an exclusive photo with The. . The receptionist did not return for the show's second season. The contractors case, running Tuesday, marks the last of more than 12,500 taped by Sheindlin during 25 years in the spotlight. 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The profile ran on Valentines Day 1993, and I got an early morning call from the judge. Barry, who later became a segment producer, said in her declaration that she personally witnessed Douthit's behavior, which she characterized as "erratic." The Supreme Court then agreed to weigh in. The Online Courtroom Project released a report in July 2020 that summarized its findings after studying the benefits and limitations of conducting a jury trial entirely online. There was a ban on promissory notes, staffers said; such documents, which spell out how much money one party is owed, made it too easy for Sheindlin to arbitrate a case. It was just another tragedy in family court. Viewers have seen Byrd calling the court to order, helping the judge with math problems and escorting unruly litigants out of the courtroom. "On August 24, when we start our first trials, jurors will enter courtrooms that look nothing like what they would expect," said Chief Judge James K. Bredar, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. "Judy ran the ship, so if she didn't want to do it, you didn't do it," Byrd told Insider. However, six former staffers told Insider that Douthit told employees he didn't want too many Black litigants on the show; one said this behavior continued into 2021. Get our L.A. Griggs complained about the treatment to human resources, but said in her lawsuit that Douthit was never formally disciplined. At the same time, the national conversation around criminal justice, especially juvenile justice, has changed since her battles as a hard-liner in Family Court. But insiders said that even as they were encouraged to make cases more exciting, they were still at risk of losing their jobs if Douthit or Sheindlin found out about it. Every time I suggested that her view might be a bit harsh, shed crack, Josh, dont be such a liberal., I thought the furious pace would ease when she announced one Sunday that she and Jerry were taking a Caribbean vacation. According to Sheindlin, it was Poehler who had called the Television Academy and asked if she could present the judge with the award, because "she is a huge fan. When the synergy with an actor during a test shoot wasnt to Sheindlins liking, she reached out to Byrd. Her decisions were legally binding, and the litigants couldn't appeal her decision in a regular court of law. Byrd, a bailiff, and the judge worked together in the New York City court system in the late 80s. New . "She'd say, 'OK, are they over 40 or under 40 or AA?" And that, for me, is her true legacy that there are second, third and maybe even fourth acts in American life. Still, she continued to employ Douthit, Jenest, and Freisleben, and the trio will continue to produce "Judy Justice" for Amazon. Joshua Mulvey, 26, faces new criminal charges in an Internet fraud. ("I must give a mea culpa about sometimes being first on the buffet line," Sheindlin told Insider.). In the letter to Insider, Douthit's lawyer wrote that "the assertion that Mr. Douthit engaged in racism in connection with casting decisions is completely false." As a journalist, Ive interviewed thousands of people , but only a handful have turned into sustained friendships like the one my wife and I have with Judy. The deal was reportedly the largest-ever first-season order of a single show by a streamer. "He'd make comments about their weight, he'd make comments about their teeth or if they were disabled." The judge said she wasnt much of a writer, but agreed to try if she could write it with me. In a statement, Sheindlin defended her stewardship of the show that bears her name but did not address the accusations against Douthit. "To author a piece which speculates that I 'was untouchable,' 'don't care how the show gets made,' 'that I don't trust anyone,' 'didn't like cases involving dogs, dog bites or strippers,' 'by and large didn't interact with staffers,' 'wasn't worried about the coronavirus,' is appalling," Sheindlin said. Petri, who was Judy's real-life bailiff before joining her TV show,recalled one incident when he was caught doing an impersonation of Judy in her courtroom in New York. "Mr. Douthit has always fostered a supportive, productive, safe and inclusive work environment for everyone involved in the show. "It was a horrible place to work," the producer told Insider. Good timing also brought Byrd, 62, his role on " Judge Judy ," which starts its 25th and final season Monday. That extended to other aspects of the office: Four former employees said the production staff members were told they couldn't get in line for lunch before the judge. She ranked No. When staffers were successful, their cases then had to be approved, first by Jenest and then by Douthit. There would be four profiles, and the idea for the first one came from my wife, Heidi, a reporter for the New York Daily News. He said he didn't know she was producing a new show until she announced it during an appearance last year on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She watched nervously in her bedroom with her husband, Jerry Sheindlin, a New York Supreme Court judge, and was relieved that correspondent Morley Safer had treated her fairly. . Could I put her in touch with the judge? "That's how much pressure people are under to try and get a case so they don't get fired," this person said. Following a public dispute with CBS said to be over money and, improbably, Drew Barrymore's talk show "Judge Judy" wrapped in spring of this year. The show, which airs locally weekdays on WCBS, averages 9 million viewers a day who. She had no food in her fridge, just Kodak film. And I remember she looked at me and she said, Really, Byrd? And I think that's what happens between us when we're on set,' the Brooklyn native explained. Judith Sheindlin occupies a nearly divine perch in television. "These allegations were completely fabricated," a lawyer representing Douthit wrote in response to Insider's questions about Bullock's complaint. George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died in police custody in May 2020, appeared on "Judge Judy" as a teenager. That's a rarity, especially in the television industry. In 2007, for instance, according to an affidavit obtained by Insider, a former producer named Courtney Bullock said Douthit subjected her to a "pervasive pattern of sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation." In 2019, the judge was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys. Looking back, she reflected on her improbable rise to the top. "What's the risk, coming to this office doing your job right now?" Fear of running afoul of the show's rulemakers was constant, staffers told Insider. A red-faced Petri said he handed Judy back her robe and glasses and promptly offered to resign. By Rachel Mcgrath For Dailymail.com. "[Douthit] would be like, 'Who is this disgusting person?'". Circuit Judge Charlie Crawford said criminal cases started moving along once jury trials were restarted in July. Video Transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] "These are real people, this is a real case these aren't two actors." Contact the municipal court for details on hours and operating procedures. "They would order pitcher after pitcher. Bullock, who is Black, claimed in a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Douthit repeatedly touched her inappropriately, asked her about her sex life, told her sexual jokes, and attempted to set her up romantically with a married friend. Covid-19 Orders Flaunted Specifically, in March 2020, Judge Michelle Earley, the judge in charge of the municipal court system, suspended courthouse activity because of the Covid-19 pandemic.Despite Earley's order, Carr "did not reschedule cases set on her docket," the supreme court found. Judy knows from next steps. One former associate producer recalled a meeting in 2011 or 2012 in which they said Douthit told staffers not to bring in too many Black people, because it would make the show look "ghetto." As staff members said their heartfelt goodbyes, the judge herself was uncharacteristically soft-spoken. At the trial, of a man . 'Judge Judy' will endafter upcoming 25th season; star Judy Sheindlin announces new show, The highest-paid TV hosts: Judge Judy rules over TV with $147 million haul, Ellen is No. Jun 17, 2021. Former employees said CBS human-resources employees were frequently called on to investigate and mediate workplace conflicts at the show; four recalled a period in the early 2010s when a human-resources staffer was in the office on a weekly basis. "We are committed to a workplace culture that is safe, inclusive and respectful for all team members with clear policies and processes in place to support that. It happens because there is a positive work environment where there is mutual respect. The outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 forced public services to shift to online operations in a matter of weeks. During some cases the courtroom audience is visible behind litigants but others it is not. She said CBS never responded and that, as far as she knows, HR never investigated her claims. As Judge Judy ends, pundits will speculate on Sheindlins legacy. Media coverage has focused mainly on the effects of the digital transformation in criminal courts, but a rapid deployment of new technology also took place in the civil legal system. 02:18 GMT 06 Oct 2020. When a US appeals court ruled this week that Texas could prevent physicians from performing abortions because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the judges leaned heavily on a 1905 Supreme Court decision . Byrd says he doesnt watch episodes but occasionally catches them playing in the waiting room during visits to the doctor. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. I cannot respond more definitively because of how much time has elapsed," he wrote. New episodes of the Amazon Prime IMDb TV series drop every weekday, similar to the CBS Judge Judy TV show. (Her closest competitors, "Ellen" and "Dr. Phil," pulled in 2.9 million and 3.9 million viewers, respectively. Judge Judy Sheindlin returns to the courtroom in Judy Justice on Nov. 1, 2021. 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