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Update 9/7/20: Season 24 of The People’s Court premiered today, Labor Day, on a virtual basis. There was little or no perceptual technological delay in the remote connection between the litigants and the judge (or the litigants and hallway guy Doug Llewelyn), which is impressive. The show added a new segment called “after the verdict” during which Judge Milian and her husband, Judge John Schlesinger, discuss the case. Judge Milian seems quite amped up even when talking with Schlesinger. Only two (rather than the usual three) cases were heard on the new season’s debut episode. Given the remote nature of the proceedings, presumably the producers require the litigants to sign all necessary arbitration documents before the hearing to avoid any noncompliance. Wraparound guy Harvey Levin of TMZ fame answered a few legal questions from viewers (no man-or woman-on the street reactions during COVID).
With courts operating on limited capacity around the ocuntry, small claims case filings may be down, which reduces the pool from which The People’s Court draws cases. That may partially explain why the show is generally only featuring two cases for the foreseeable future. The remote hearings also prevent Judge Milian from hands-on examining of the ruined wedding dress, imperfect hair weaves, and the like.
Ex-Miami Judge Marilyn Milian, who presides over the long-running syndicated television show The People’s Court, is taking her courtroom hearings online even as the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be subsiding.
Judge Milian has marked 20 years as the arbitrator for actual small claims court cases that the parties have agreed to be heard on TV on a more expedited basis than waiting around for an actual trial date in their jurisdiction. Her decisions are legally binding on the parties, and there is no appeal.
To further incentivize the parties to go on TV and all that involves including the potential embarrassment, The People’s Court — which originally launched in September 1981 with the late Judge Joseph Wapner — apparently pays each litigant an appearance fee as well as the actual judgment. As such, the loser doesn’t leave the studio out of pocket.
In a recent interview on SSKAtHome, Judge Milian provided some background on the show going virtual with remote trials:
“Look, the courthouses throughout the land are pretty closed; in some cities, they’re doing remote, but not very many, and so we decided that we’re gonna start doing it remote, so they picked a spot my living room – how I’m going to keep my family quiet and my dog out of things I don’t know – but you know, we’ll figure it out, and then people will appear from their own living rooms. And, I think it’s a good thing to do at this time, because you know, with all the uncertainty, the last thing you need is a legal issue hanging over your head. You want to get it resolved. So we’ll provide that opportunity, and we’ll see how it goes. And more and more courts are gonna go to that kind of remote hearings; you’re sitting at home and you’ll learn how to do it.
Milian added that her show strike a balance between education and entertainment.
With that in mind, The People’s Court is much better than Judge Judy because Milian takes the time to explain the legal principles that apply to each case rather than just yelling at people.
Along with a good sense of humor, the street-smart judge also has a practical feel for the appropriate industry standards and whatnot that might apply in home-improvement contracting, hair extensions, landlord-tenant relations, wedding photography, and all the various disputes that wind up in small claims court, not the least of which is boyfriend-girlfriend cell phone bill disputes.
Given that the coronavirus is still an issue, she probably is giving up recommending that individuals use a crayon and a sheet of toilet paper to write a receipt for a cash transaction.
Judge Milian does her share of grandstanding, however, and sometimes cuts off a litigant who wants to offer additional testimony or documentation (even after she poses a long-winded question). Preventing someone from speaking is actually starting to get annoying.
It will be interesting to see if the remote approach allows the litigants to speak more during their trial than they would in an in-person format.
Separately, accusing a plaintiff or defendant of lying when maybe someone, from time to time, merely has a different perception of what went down (after all, life is messy) seems a bit much, too, on the part of the judge.
It would also be good if she would stop saying “watch this” to litigant A when asking litigant B to corroborate something Litigant A has said, because that phrase signals litigant B to deny all knowledge of a conversation or whatever in dispute.
Viewers have spotted a timer next to her, so that may explain why some cases end abruptly.
Sometimes litigants come to court wholly unprepared especially without crucial paperwork that supposedly exists (although even lawyers can occasionally walk in to a real courtroom with an incomplete file). Judge Milian will hold their feet to the fire for inadequate preparation, at which point she dispenses what she describes as “rough justice” based on the facts and evidence, if any, before her.
Text messages can be decisive in terms of who prevails. To her credit, Judge Milian seems to carefully read the complaint, the counterclaim, if any, and sifts through the evidence before she comes out to the bench. Also, in some cases she helps a litigant through the testimony when that person lacks focus (after perhaps being alerted by staff).
Strategically deployed Spanish proverbs (e.g., “the cheap comes out expensive” is a fan favorite) provide an engaging bonus to the proceedings.
There is no word as to whether court officer Douglas “Thank you Douglas” MacIntosh or hallway guy Doug Llewelyn will participate in the remote sessions. [Update: both are participating in what appears to be the Connecticut studio]
Wrap-around guy Harvey Levin (the TMZ boss) already does the man/woman on the street interviews or the solo commentary remotely from Los Angeles, so no change there. The same for narrator and ex-hallway guy Curt Chaplin.
One additional question might be on the mind of regular viewers: Is there a correlation between People’s Court litigants and morbid obesity?
[Featured image credit: The People’s Court (YouTube screengrab).]
JUST WATCHED A EPISODE OF HER SHOW, AN THIS JUDGE IS JOKING ABOUT SOMEONE BEING RIPE OFF, YOU GIVE JUDGES A BAD NAME. IS SHE REALLY JUDGE
UR A JOKE!!!