Courtroom proceedings have been a staple of television viewing
from the early days of the industry. Trials capture the public’s
interest for the stories they tell about human relationships,
society’s norms, and complex questions about truth and justice.
In recent years, a different kind of television program has
gained overwhelming popularity: the syndicated daytime TV judge
shows. Unlike courtroom dramas, these programs can lead the
public to believe that the fictionalized cases and fictional
judges are a realistic depiction of the judicial process. In
fact, a member of one state’s Commission on Judicial Performance
reported receiving complaints about the judicial conduct of
Judge Judy and other TV judges, reflecting the public’s
misunderstanding that these entertainers are part of the state’s
judiciary. Blending “reality” court TV with real court
proceedings poses concerns for our judicial system because the
shows create false expectations about how a judge should behave
and how our litigation process works