15 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From Judge Judy

With twenty-two seasons and nearly six thousand episodes to date, Judge Judy is arguably the most iconic and successful reality court show of all time. Judge Judy Sheindlin is the star of the show, now a household name thanks to her signature wit and tough approach to adjudication.

You'd be hard-pressed to find somebody who hasn't heard of the show or isn't familiar with Judy's slightly intimidating no-nonsense courtroom attitude, but there are still a bunch of behind-the-scenes secrets that most people don't know about Judge Judy. As narrator Jerry Bishop tells us at the beginning of every episode, the people and the cases are real, but that doesn't mean a few elements have not been set up!

If you have seen Judge Judy, you more than likely believe that the show is filmed in New York City, where Judy worked in the family court system for years. You might believe the cases are random, the show is known for being fair and just, and that Judy is admired by everyone else in the justice system. And if that's the case, you better check out these fifteen lesser-known facts about the famous show. You're in for a real surprise!

15 The Show Looks Like It's Filmed In New York, But It's Actually Just Another Hollywood Production

There are a few elements of the show that make you feel like you're watching a real New York City trial. For starters, Judge Judy's thick Brooklyn accent is hard to ignore. Then there's the New York state flag sitting just behind her chair, and the stock Manhattan footage shown between station breaks.

But just like the majority of TV shows, Judge Judy is actually filmed in California.

It wouldn't be the first time that a show set in the Big Apple is actually filmed in a Los Angeles studio (looking at you, Friends).

Judy flies to California on a Monday, hears cases all day Tuesday and Wednesday (they get enough episodes to fill one week during these two days), and then flies back home. Many viewers picked up on the show's secret when, in one episode, a typical West Coast earthquake struck the set.

14 The Audience Doesn't Actually Care About The Outcome Since They're Paid Actors

The audience members you see on screen are not friends and family of the parties in litigation, curious law students, or even fans of the show. It may come as a surprise to some real fans, but they're actually extras who are paid eight dollars an hour to look like they care about the cases. Often, the extras are aspiring actors themselves looking for any industry experience that they can get.

To become an audience member for the show, you have to e-mail a headshot to one of the show's production coordinators. Once chosen, you must arrive on set dressed appropriately, wearing business casual at the very least, and be prompt for an 8:30 a.m. starting time. To try and disguise the fact that the same people sit through a whole day's worth of cases, the producers move the extras around, often putting the most conventionally attractive people up front.

13 People Take Their Cases To The Show In The First Place Since The Producers Promise To Pay The Damages

Judy seems like a particularly tough judge, so you might wonder why people would even apply for the show in the first place, knowing that there's a chance they're going to be brutally berated in front of millions of viewers. To entice parties to appear on the show, the producers make an offer that sounds too good to be true for many people: if the plaintiff is to win the case, the defendant still doesn't have to pay a dime, since the producers will cover all costs.

The show only deals with small-claim disputes, so the producers never have to pay the numbers they would in more severe cases. But those small costs do make all the difference to many parties, so having them paid definitely brightens the day of your average bitter defendant.

12 Judge Judy Is Supposed To Be The Representation Of Justice, But She's Been Labelled A Hypocrite

You don't get to be a household name, a television icon and at the top of your industry without hearing from a few haters. Judy has come under fire a number of times since rising to the top for various reasons.

The fact that the defendant's costs are paid if they lose makes some viewers feel like the whole show is fake since justice isn't actually being served if the losing defendant doesn't have to pay a cent.

This has led them to label Judy a hypocrite, since she is known for being tough and merciless on those who've done the wrong thing, and yet, they don't actually get punished.

Others criticize Judy because the guests that are selected to appear on the show often confirm certain social and racial stereotypes. Judy has been accused of choosing these guests on purpose so they fulfill the stereotypes and make for more interesting viewing.

11 Not Every Single Case That Appears On The Show Is Completely Genuine

Some viewers refer to the show as fake, not because the cases are made up, but because only certain guests are selected, the audience isn't real and there's no real justice served at the end of the day. But while the majority of cases are real, there are still some that slip through that are just a waste of time.

One notable case was the alleged cat-killer Jonathan Coward in 2010. The four people involved in this case, which centered around a dead cat and a smashed TV, were actually roommates looking for a free trip to L.A. and possibly some money. Jonathan has since admitted that the whole story was made up and they demanded appearance fees once they were asked to do the show. No cats were harmed at any point.

10 Judy Was Once So Moved By A Case On The Show That She Shut Down An Entire Elementary School

While some cases are set up, others are real and so moving that Judy can't help taking further action after the cameras are off. The case of Tony Robb inspired the judge to take serious action after he and his mother sued to get their tuition back from his school.

It was alleged that the staff of the school treated their students very badly, locking them in closets for hours and committing other crimes.

Judy did some research into the school and found that not only were the staff being abusive to the students, but they weren't even academically qualified to be teaching in the first place. Literally, it was a school just like the one Matilda Wormwood attended! Tony was awarded back his tuition, but what we didn't see on the show was Judy ensuring that the entire school was shut down.

9 Judy And Bailiff Byrd Aren't The Good Friends They Appear To Be

Bailiff Byrd is just about the only person in the room that Judy doesn't frequently tear into, and the two seem like #bffgoals. But the bailiff has confirmed that although he does like Judy in real life, they're not the best friends that they make out to be on camera.

“We have a good working relationship, and we have friends in common, but we travel in different circles,” he admitted to the LA Times in 2012. “We're diametrically opposed on some issues.” Even though they're not that tight in reality, they're certainly lucky to have each other. We just can't imagine anybody else saying “order in the court!” with as much passion as Byrd does, and we also can't imagine any other bailiffs making around one million dollars a year.

8 Another Judge Called Judy A "Disgrace" For Her Work On The Show

Some professionals in the justice system admire Judy's hard demeanor and are inspired by her to treat those doing the wrong thing in the same way. But others are less impressed by the way she goes about her judging.

Judge Joseph Wapner, who appeared on The People's Court, has been open about how much he dislikes Judy. In 2003, he didn't hold back in an interview with Metropolitan News.

"She's a disgrace to the profession. She does things I don't think a judge should do."

"She tells people to shut up. She's rude. She's arrogant. She demeans people." Judy never responded to the criticism. She also never appeared to be upset by the comments, since not much has changed; she still tells people to shut up frequently.

7 The People's Court Was Judge Judy's Rival, Meaning Judy Had To Compete Against Her Old Boss

Judge Judy first passed her bar examination in 1965 and worked as a prosecutor in the New York family court system. In 1982, Ed Koch, the mayor of the city, appointed her as a judge in criminal court. Later in 1986, she became Manhattan's supervising family court judge. When Ed first appointed Judy as a judge, he probably had no idea that she was going to rise to such heights that they'd be TV rivals in a few short years.

Ed got a job on The People's Court, which was arguably Judge Judy's main rival show. The latter constantly achieved more successful ratings, meaning that in the competition with her old superior, Judy came out on top. And reportedly, Judy never let anybody forget this.

6 The Show Has Been Accused Of (And Taken To Court Over) Racism

Among other claims, the show has been accused of racism, despite presenting itself as a role model for justice and equality. In 2007, a former producer of the show filed a lawsuit and claimed that Randy Douthitt, another producer on the show, had promised to stop featuring black people on air.

It was alleged that he told the staff to only look for those who could be considered “white, upscale, pretty people” instead.

The former producer claimed that he was fired by Randy because he had first suggested to include more people of color, and then objected when he was told that they were “too ghetto”. TMZ investigated the claims and was told by an anonymous inside source that the case had no merit.

5 One Contestant's Life Was Allegedly Ruined After Appearing On Judge Judy

Some parties seek out an appearance on the show to make money and get a free trip to L.A., and others genuinely want their small-claims disputes sorted out. But nobody who agrees to appear on the show expects that doing so will “destroy” them and have long-lasting negative effects on their life. Guest, David Kohalisky claims that this is what happened to him when he agreed to do the show.

In 2015, David told Radar Online that although he only appeared once, doing the show had permanent devastating effects on his life. He believes that the producers tried to portray him as being “money-hungry” which ruined his reputation among those in his life, and also outed him as being gay on television, which had a number of consequences.

4 Some Staff Members Have Accused Judy Of Being A Horrible Boss

Although Judy is supposed to be very fair and all about the pursuit of justice, you can kind of see how she'd be an intimidating boss. She certainly doesn't sugar-coat anything, nor is she very tolerant, so it seems like she'd be difficult to work for. And as it turns out, some former staff members have claimed that working for her is just what you'd think it would be.

One anonymous source claimed that Judy treated all her staff “like dirt”.

The insider told Radar Online in 2016 that she had many unfair unwritten rules that couldn't be broken. It was alleged that staff members weren't allowed to “say something stupid” or else they'd “pay the price”. They were also reportedly told to “avoid eye contact” and “avoid speaking”.

3 She Might Appear Humble, But Judy Makes A Serious Amount Of Money

Judy has certainly worked hard to be where she is, so hats off to her. But since she appears so practical and down-to-earth in her approach, some people might not realize exactly where she is, financially speaking. You probably gathered that she's a wealthy woman since she's been on the air for years, but you might not have realized how wealthy.

As of 2016, Judy earns a casual $45 million per year. According to Forbes, her net worth now sits somewhere around $290 million, making her one of the highest-paid TV stars in the world. She has a private jet which she uses to get out to L.A. to film and a number of luxury homes around the country, but despite being super rich, she's not overly showy with her cash.

2 Beneath Those Robes, Judy Dresses More Casually Than Everyone Else In The Room

It's weird to see Judy in anything other than her black robes and that iconic white frilly collar. You might imagine that underneath those robes, she'd be in something that reflects her incredibly wealthy status, as well as her professional status as one of the most respected judges of all time.

She's even been known to condemn litigants who arrive at her courtroom dressed in clothing that might be considered skimpy or “beach attire”.

In actual fact, it's been reported that Judy dresses more casually than anybody else in the room under those robes. She normally wears something like jeans and a tank top or even a T-shirt. We guess it doesn't really matter since nobody sees what goes on behind that bench, and it must get sweaty under those robes!

1 Though She Questions The Litigants, Judy Already Knows Everything Before Filming Starts

Judy makes sure she's as prepared as possible before the camera is even on. At the beginning of each case she questions the parties as though it's the first she's hearing of the dispute, but really, all statements and relevant information have already been sent to her home for her to study.

She makes sure to familiarize herself with each case enough that she has ample background knowledge. But the producers want to make sure that the cases all appear “fresh” on screen, so she still questions them further once the cameras are rolling to make it look as authentic as possible.

mentalfloss.com, newravel.com, diply.com