Top 30 Times Judge Judy Owned People in Court
#30: “You Didn’t Go to School for Common Sense”
Top 10 Times Judge Judy Owned People in Court
Judge Judy’s courtroom is not an audition. She can’t stand when someone starts getting hysterical and dramatic. The plaintiff in this case can’t seem to understand how the whole process works. It was bad enough that she raised her voice at the judge. But she had trouble even understanding that she wasn’t supposed to talk out of turn. The plaintiff may have two degrees, but the judge is pretty sure she’s in need of higher education in other areas. In addition to common sense and smarts, we may have added manners.
#29: “Not as Smart as This Finger”
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Before he even took the stand as a witness, Judge Judy already had Brady Belding’s character pegged. Knowing he was about to lie to her, she launched a preemptive strike. Dressing him down from his courtroom attire to his jewelry, she wanted to make sure he knew she had more brains in her little finger than he did in his whole body. Even after she finished eating him up for all of us to see, she still took issue with the way he wore his pants. Watching him squirm is pretty great TV, we can’t lie. We’re just grateful not to be in his place.
#28: “I Have Power”
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Judge Scheindlin’s time in family court was on full display in this case. She gave a wayward youth an earful over her obnoxious behavior both in and out of the courtroom. But it wasn’t just a stern lecture. It was a full-on reality check. Taking the young woman apart bit by bit, she made it clear that there was no future for her if she didn’t start taking life a little more seriously. For now, the judge says she’s nothing. It’s easily one of Judge Judy’s harshest and straightforward moments. And if you couldn’t tell by now, that’s saying something.
#27: Countersuit Dismissed
A particularly mouthy defendant was lucky the judge entertained his counterclaim at all given his and his witness’ disruptive behavior. Smarting off to the judge is a stupid idea but this guy really pushed his luck by doing it more than once. He even did it to the plaintiff at one point. By the time they got to the countersuit, things were not looking good. The judge had seemingly ran out of patience, and the defendant was still sassing her. Well, we all know what happens when the judge feels disrespected – this guy had what was coming to him. Points to Byrd for his assists this episode.
#26: “Get a Job”
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Co-defendants Patrick Valdivia-Minsel and Rachel Bachakes ignored a vacate order placed by their landlord. Regardless of their alleged attempts to continue paying rent, this one was a no-brainer. The landlord wanted them out and they refused to leave. Upon realizing just how confidently wrong the defendants are, Judge Judy sets up Valdivia-Minsel for the ultimate smackdown. If his previous misguided defense wasn’t enough, the fact that he fell for Scheindlin’s very obvious ploy so easily and proudly is a testament to how questionable his judgment is. The judge’s talking hands were a nice touch too.
#25: “Super Seriously!”
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Plaintiff Shaughnessy Fahy kept interrupting his and the defendant’s testimony with dramatic exposition, even when Judge Judy asked him to stop. Whether or not the plaintiff’s case held water, his obnoxious antics won him no favor with the judge. She held out as long as she could, but it eventually just got to be too much and she sent him packing without a verdict. Ask childish questions, get childish answers, we guess. Fahy had to laugh, but it’s the glare on his girlfriend’s face that puts the cherry on top.
#24: “Put Her Out”
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This case involves two feuding ex-roommates, but the star of the show has to be co-defendant Francesca Ortega. After some video proof of an altercation, Ortega says she’s not feeling well. The judge invites her to sit down, and you would think that would be the end of that. But, no, Ortega continues to interject from the sidelines. Not only that, but she accuses Sheindlin of trying to manipulate the story with all of her questions. Oh, well forbid a judge ask any questions about a case. If anyone, Ortega is the manipulator here. The moment her boyfriend/co-defendant is left to answer things alone, it’s clear she wants to be in charge of the narrative. Luckily, the judge gives her the final KO when she orders her out.
#23: “You Sound Like a Fool”
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The witness in this dog attack case really thought she could out-argue the judge. Karla Sanchez Lopez may be a legal assistant, but if she thought she could give the judge a lecture on the law, she was out of her depth from the jump. Even as she was leveled with earned insults, the smug woman couldn’t stop laughing and telling Judge Judy she was wrong. By the end, the defendant’s witness had to make her smug side comments from her seat, where the judge ordered her to go. The fact that she’s not embarrassed just makes it all the more embarrassing.
#22: The Law Doesn’t Give a You-Know-What
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Judge Judy is no stranger to angry outbursts. But swearing seems like a bridge too far. Well, apparently, defendant Joshua Sumrow drove her to the edge of reason. The plaintiff, Scott Sylvester, served Sumrow with a small claims case and, the just day after, the latter filed a restraining order against the former. The reason? Sumrow believed he would be harassed by Sylvester. The big problem, here, is that the two worked in the same place. Luckily, the law cares about facts, not feelings. The judge made it clear that she didn’t respect Sumrow’s ‘belief’, and accused him of getting the protective order in retaliation for the lawsuit as well as abusing the system.
#21: “Close Your Mouth, Sir”
People who disagree with the judge’s version of events are probably best to keep their mouth shut about it. Well, defendant Reginald Burkett couldn’t help himself. When Judge Judy found that his car caused the accident, he stood there in stunned silence with his mouth wide open. Well, we assume he was in stunned silence. He may as well have been trying to catch flies. The judge never misses an opportunity to mock and boy, do we love to see it. This was an open-and-shut case, but it gave us just the entertainment we wanted.
#20: Kicking Out Witnesses
If there’s one thing Judge Judy seems to hate more than anything, it’s when people interrupt the proceedings. As she’s proven time and time again, she isn't afraid to kick people out of her courtroom - even if they are witnesses. This case is like a disorderly high school catfight or something, with everyone talking over each other to make their voices heard. After countless interruptions, Judy kicks out three different witnesses - one from the defendant’s side, and two others from the plaintiff’s. It’s very satisfying to watch such entitled and disrespectful people getting their comeuppance. Judy takes no crap.
#19: “You Are One Stupid Woman”
Judge Judy’s bluntness is what made her a cultural phenomenon. She popularized the concept of the cold, detached, and aggressive TV judge, and she has spawned many imitators. But none match up to Judy’s scathing frankness. She isn’t afraid to call someone “stupid” directly to their face, which is exactly what she does to this poor woman. During a dispute over puppies, the defendant begins to annoy Judy with her confrontational attitude. Feeling fed up, Judy calls her “one stupid woman” and threatens to cut her microphone if she continues to deliver the sass. This type of behavior is exactly how people blow up their own chances in court.
#18: The Signed Lease
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As we watch more “Judge Judy,” it becomes increasingly obvious that people don’t know how renting works. In this case, young Mr. Reiber signed a lease, but never actually moved into the house. For him, that meant that he didn’t have to pay rent. The plaintiffs, and Judge Judy, vehemently disagreed. Reiber’s father takes to the stand to defend his son, but Judy quickly puts him in his place. She tells him that signing a lease legally obligates one to pay the rent, even if they never end up moving into the house. The Reiber family doesn’t seem to understand this, but Judge Judy does. Needless to say, this case was a quick and easy one.
#17: “Out!”
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As we’ve learned, Judge Judy doesn’t take too kindly to interruptions. The defendant's witness and boyfriend interrupts the plaintiff’s story, prompting a hilarious “Who are you!?” from Judge Judy. Once she said that, we had a pretty good idea that it wasn’t going to end well. Even the audience laughs at Judy’s confused outburst. Following a mini argument between the defendants and the plaintiff, Judy simply kicks the witness out. She tells him to leave three separate times before yelling a firm “Out!,” which finally prompts the man to stand and leave. All it took was a firm voice-raising. Then again, we wouldn’t want to be yelled at by Judge Judy, either.
#16: A Nonsense Counterclaim
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It’s never a good sign when a judge dismisses your claim while they’re actively getting up to leave. That type of body language just screams, “I don’t respect any of this and I don’t have time for it.” This case doesn’t end well for the plaintiff, as Judy essentially tells him that he sued the wrong person. He takes it well, and Judy turns to leave. It’s then that the defendant raises his papers in an attempt to inquire about his counterclaim. However, Judy firmly dismisses it while standing up and telling him that it’s “nonsense.” So there.
#15: “I Can Tell You Rehearsed This Story…”
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We wonder how many people come on “Judge Judy” thinking “I’m going to be the person who finally outsmarts her!” Yeah, it hasn’t happened in 25 years, but hey, there’s always a first time for everything, right?!. Just… not this time. The defendant begins telling a story, but Judy sees straight through everything he does. She calls him out for rehearsing the story beforehand, and she continuously pokes holes in his tale. Even his attempts to woo Judy don’t work, as she directly shuts down his fake-charming personality. Judge Judy is absolutely masterful at sussing out lies and discovering the truth, and watching her work is a thing of pure beauty. We feel bad for her children.
#14: Catching a Lie
People are typically bad liars at the best of times, never mind trying to fool someone with decades of law experience. Judge Judy will always work out a lie, and when she does, she will have even less respect for you than she did before. Judy interrogates Chris Pasquarella and asks him to repeat a story that he had previously written in his claim. He mentions his father-in-law, so Judy calls his bluff and asks his wife for his father-in-law’s phone number so she can personally corroborate the story. Chris senses danger, immediately backs down, and admits that he was lying. It proves immensely satisfying, indeed.
#13: Security Deposit
You have to be really careful with security deposits, because you never know what might ultimately happen with them. In this case, Sharon was almost scammed by her landlords, Harold and Margo. Sharon gave them a $2,700 security deposit but only got $1,500 in return, despite having the place professionally cleaned. Judy is given an itemized list of all the so-called damage, all of which she dismisses as “mostly nonsense.” She is also given a few pictures, most of which show a pristine apartment. This case is over before it even begins, and it becomes obvious within the first minute who is going to win.
#12: The eBay Scammer
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This is one of the all time greatest “Judge Judy” cases. The plaintiffs claim that they were scammed by the defendant. They paid her over $450 for two phones, only to receive photographs of the phones in question. Yep, sounds like a basic eBay scam to us. The only thing is, this woman decided to fight back and take it to court. Judy quickly goes over the story before calling the defendant an “idiot” and a “scammer.” Best of all, she slaps the woman with the biggest fine possible, ordering her to pay the plaintiffs $5,000 in damages. That’s a sweet $4,500-plus profit!
#11: “I Know Who You Are”
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Judge Judy calls it a joy when people try to outsmart her. We think it’s an even bigger joy for us. This defendant tries outsmarting Judy by giving her a bogus story regarding a car. Luckily, Judy has absolutely no trouble in seeing right through it. She simply smiles through the nonsense, like a shark about to pounce on a juicy meal. She then unleashes on the defendant, telling her that she immediately pegged her as a liar and a trickster. The defendant can only look at Judy with a smile that depicts both defeat and a certain amount of respect. She’s upset that she was thoroughly outsmarted, but she still respects the fierce intelligence of her opponent.
#10: Case Recall
Here’s a tip for any future court-goers – you probably shouldn't mouth off at the judge following their judgment. In this particular case, the defendant opens a huge can of worms when he vocally denies Judy’s ruling. Judy then threatens to withhold his plane ticket home if he does not abide by her judgment. It’s not often that we see the inner workings of “Judge Judy,” but this little glimpse proves fascinating. It also proves that Judy is a total beast who takes absolutely no crap from anyone. And may we say, it is highly satisfying seeing the smug defendant being put in his place, knowing full well that he can’t do anything about it. Not if he wants to go home, anyway.
#9: “You Are A Moron!”
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Judge Judy REALLY doesn’t mince words. Here, the defendant, one Cathleen Kreftmeyer, told her six-year-old daughter that her father may in fact not be her real father. This causes Judy to call Cathleen a moron before going on a rant about how stupid that decision was. It all ends with one of the best takedowns in “Judge Judy” history – “You are one of the most marginal people that I’ve come across in a long time and you haven’t even said two words.” We love a good roast, and this was a roast for the ages.
#8: Breasts or College Fund?
This episode concerned defendant Sandy Huynh, a woman who received some money for a breast augmentation surgery. According to Judy, Sandy has a young child, no job, and no future prospects of any kind. Yet she spent nearly $5,000 for bigger breasts. This really rubs Judy the wrong way, and she tells Sandy that it would have been smarter to put the money into a college fund rather than on her chest. It all ends with Judy telling Sandy to not have any more children, the implication being that she is too stupid to have more. So, yeah, you could probably say that Judy knows the value of a dollar.
#7: Interrogating a Child
Even children aren’t safe from Judy’s ownage. Plaintiff Lisa White claims that a young child was throwing rocks in the street and that one of the rocks hit her car, causing some damage. Judy proceeds to bring up Dylan, the little kid who was throwing the rocks. Dylan tells some blatant lies and even causes the audience to laugh, but Judy isn’t one for humor. She proceeds to work the truth out of Dylan – granted, it didn't exactly take much – before slapping his mother with the $300 repair bill. Judge Judy is scary enough. Just imagine being interrogated by her when you were a kid!
#6: “My Children Are Better Looking Than You”
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Judy can spot a lie from a mile away. In this case, plaintiff Daulton was telling a story that Judy thought was a load of baloney, causing her to yell at Daulton and accuse him of lying. Once it was all over, Judy stated that he wasn’t cute or good looking enough to get one over on her, causing Daulton to grin with delight. What makes the clip even funnier is the reaction of the woman in the background. She looks so utterly shocked and horrified that Judy took a shot at Daulton’s looks, and it's just so all too relatable.
#5: “Take ‘Like’ Out of the Dictionary”
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We all know that incessant use of the word “like” gets REALLY annoying after a while, so it’s no surprise that Judy went absolutely ballistic after hearing it one too many times. The plaintiff starts every answer with a long and protracted “liiiiiike,” causing Judy to snap, and to tell him to completely take the word out of his dictionary. She also grows so incensed at his continued use of the word that she denies him a drink of water, and he ends up confusing her with his prolonged and meandering storytelling. Suffice to say, it was a little difficult getting this whole story worked out, what with all the rambling and “likes.”
#4: “Rocket Science”
Defendant Ashley Hunter did something many of us have done – pushed her friend into a pool. Only, her friend was holding her iPhone at the time, and now she wants Ashley to pay for it. It’s a very simple case. You could almost say that it’s not rocket science! In fact, this is exactly what Judy tells Ashley, and just to turn the screw a little tighter, Judy asks Ashley if she knows what rocket science is. This results in a brilliant and adorable answer that has Judy, Byrd, the plaintiff, the audience, and even her own mother laughing. That alone probably hurt more than anything Judge Judy had to say.
#3: “Do You Honestly Believe You Have a Case?”
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Now that is not something you want to hear in court. This surprisingly dark case concerns a teenager who took his mother’s car and went on a joyride with the defendant’s daughter. However, they got into an accident and the defendant’s daughter was killed in the crash. The plaintiff, the teen’s mother, wants the defendant to pay for both her son’s medical bills and her car, as the daughter was driving her car at the time of the accident. But because the plaintiff gave the teenagers access to both the car and the keys, she was slapped with a $5,000 counterclaim, called an idiot, and had her son’s physical appearance insulted by Judy.
#2: Stay in School
You should never, ever attempt to school Judge Judy, because she will throw it right back in your face and you will quickly find yourself on some Top 10, 20, or 30 list on the internet! Judy learns that the defendant has ten children with “about” four different women. After learning this, he adds in a snarky little comment by stating that one of the women is Judy’s daughter. She went surprisingly easy on him, but she still stated that he should have stayed in school instead of the bedroom and even referenced his “unfortunate” children. Even “easy” Judge Judy is still scary Judge Judy.
#1: Bring in the Dog!
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And here we have one of the best moments in “Judge Judy” history. The case sees the plaintiff suing the defendant over a stolen dog, and the defendant claiming that the dog never belonged to the plaintiff. Luckily, Judy has a surprise ace waiting in the wings – the dog himself! Judy has the dog brought into the courtroom, and he immediately runs to the plaintiff in a burst of excitement. Judy simply nods her head before stating “that’s all” and walking out. Now that’s how you end a court case like a total boss. If only she had a microphone that she could have dropped…
Which of these moments gave you second-hand embarrassment? Let us know in the comments.
