# Racial minorities over-represented on court shows...why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140 "2011-09-30T12:03:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/1 "2011-09-30T12:03:54Z")
I’m talking about Judge Judy, Peoples Court, and the half dozen others. I’ve observed that racial minorities are over-represented and wonder why… especially in light of another observation: that one or both of the parties is likely to be embarrassed by the experience. A few possibilities: 1. The typical cases are more likely to be engaged in by them 2. Lower self esteem…don’t care if they are embarassed 3. Can’t see the inevitable train wreck coming for some reason 4. Producers pick them for some reason 5. Lack of access to other means of resolving problems ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/2 "2011-09-30T12:40:05Z")
1. They are poor, and the shows pay all costs, including damages. Thus both the plaintiff and the complainant know that the only way for anybody to come out ahead is to humiliate themselves in public on these shows. Rich people don’t need to humiliate themselves on national TV for money, but when you’re struggling financially the prospect of a real court finding against you for several hundred dollars is a horrific prospect. So you are forced into humiliating yourself for the entertainment of others. Similarly, a complainant dealing with someone who is destitute knows that the only chance of getting any money back is through this circus. You can say what you like about people doing this of their own free will, the whole concept behind these shows is quite abhorent. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/3 "2011-09-30T12:48:25Z")
1. The Minorities in question are a majority, or a large portion of the place where the shows are set and are thus represented more then then national average? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/4 "2011-09-30T13:06:00Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > 've observed that racial minorities are over-represented… Could be. Could also be confirmation bias. But you need to prove that before we take this any further. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/5 "2011-09-30T13:14:07Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > 1. The typical cases are more likely to be engaged in by them The “typical cases” on court shows amount to small-claims. As a lawyer, I would not say racial minorities appear to go to small claims court in numbers out of proportion to their numbers in the general population. But, they might, I haven’t appeared there a whole lot. > [@What\_the](#): > > 1. Lower self esteem…don’t care if they are embarassed No, I don’t think that’s it. Ever watch the white crowd on a game show? > [@What\_the](#): > > 1. Lack of access to other means of resolving problems :rolleyes::dubious: Nobody goes on a court show for that reason; it’s always explained to the litigants/contestants that this is an alternative to a regular small claims court. **Everybody** has access to small claims court. In most jurisdictions you don’t even need a lawyer for that kind of claim, the clerk’s office will provide the plaintiff with what amounts to a paint-by-the-numbers kit. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/6 "2011-09-30T13:36:09Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > 1. They are poor, and the shows pay all costs, including damages. Thus both the plaintiff and the complainant know that the only way for anybody to come out ahead is to humiliate themselves in public on these shows. Rich people don’t need to humiliate themselves on national TV for money, but when you’re struggling financially the prospect of a real court finding against you for several hundred dollars is a horrific prospect. So you are forced into humiliating yourself for the entertainment of others. Similarly, a complainant dealing with someone who is destitute knows that the only chance of getting any money back is through this circus. > > You can say what you like about people doing this of their own free will, the whole concept behind these shows is quite abhorent. Weelll . . . it’s a **start,** but the idea needs work. Maybe a show based on an Imperial Chinese judicial model, where the judge gets to order any stubborn witness flogged in open court . . . ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/7 "2011-09-30T13:37:03Z")
1. Because that is who the audience wishes to see. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/8 "2011-09-30T13:50:19Z")
> [@villa](#): > > 1. Because that is who the audience wishes to see. Then why aren’t minorities over-represented on **all** shows? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/9 "2011-09-30T13:54:12Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Then why aren’t minorities over-represented on **all** shows? Oddly enough, not all shows are watched by the same audience. Friends wasn’t lily white by chance. The guests on the Jerry Springer Show aren’t random. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/10 "2011-09-30T14:34:13Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Oddly enough, not all shows are watched by the same audience. Friends wasn’t lily white by chance. The guests on the Jerry Springer Show aren’t random. Well, court shows are daytime shows – presumably the target audience is more or less the same as for soap operas. Which are very white. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/11 "2011-09-30T14:35:27Z")
Is it possible that these shows are recruiting from jurisdictions that are largely made up of minorities? I’ve only seen the People’s Court way back in the 80s, but didn’t they take get their cases by trolling real court houses to see if the litigants would agree to come on their show? If the producers of these shows (it wouldn’t surprise me if they were all produced by the same people) trolled a particular courthouse that had a lot of minority litigants, then you would get participants that are disproportionatly minority to the country as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/12 "2011-09-30T14:39:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Could be. Could also be confirmation bias. But you need to prove that before we take this any further. Yea, I’m pretty skeptical of the claim as well. I just flipped through the “this week” cases on the Judge Judy website, there was one black guy 7 or 8 whites and one guy who might’ve been Hispanic. Judge Judy is filmed in LA, where the population is barely 50% white. Therefore, at least this week on Judge Judy, whites were over-represented by a significant margin on the show. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/13 "2011-09-30T14:39:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, court shows are daytime shows – presumably the target audience is more or less the same as for soap operas. Which are very white. While the target audience may or may not be the same as for soap operas, why would you assume that a majority white audience might not want to see non-white people on the show? Generally I think the aim is to get people of lower income and education to permit the audience at home to feel superior. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/14 "2011-09-30T14:48:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Could be. Could also be confirmation bias. But you need to prove that before we take this any further. Apparently I don’t. … but I will do a study over the next few days and will report back. As for filming locations, it seems that the shows often fly them in from across the country. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/15 "2011-09-30T15:27:22Z")
> [@villa](#): > > While the target audience may or may not be the same as for soap operas, why would you assume that a majority white audience might not want to see non-white people on the show? > > Generally I think the aim is to get people of lower income and education to permit the audience at home to feel superior. . . . No, I think that would be the concept behind the Jerry Springer show. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/16 "2011-09-30T15:39:35Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > . . . No, I think that would be the concept behind the Jerry:cool: Springer show. I forgot how much more highbrow Judge Judy is than Springer. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/17 "2011-09-30T15:56:00Z")
Well, when Judge Mills Lane had a show, his background as a boxing referee made him more comfortable to watch two black guys fight it out and… … I got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/18 "2011-09-30T16:11:47Z")
What an odd question. I’m not real good at racist logic, but isn’t the idea that ‘racial minorities’ commit all the crimes, and a courtroom show should have mostly ‘racial minorities’ on it? I understand these are civil courts, but I would assume those inferior types would commit more torts as well as crimes. Shouldn’t the way it works be the plaintiffs are all ‘white’, and the defendants all ‘minorities’? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/19 "2011-09-30T16:13:54Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > What an odd question. I’m not real good at racist logic, but isn’t the idea that ‘racial minorities’ commit all the crimes, and a courtroom show should have mostly ‘racial minorities’ on it? I understand these are civil courts, but I would assume those inferior types would commit more torts as well as crimes. Shouldn’t the way it works be the plaintiffs are all ‘white’, and the defendants all ‘minorities’? [shrug] There’s black-on-black crime, there’s black-on-black torts. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140/20 "2011-09-30T16:30:27Z")
I haven’t noticed an excessive amount of minorities. Most litigants seem to be poor, so certain minorities are going to be over-represented, but it seems to be a class thing rather than a race thing. Middle and upper class viewers like watching sitcoms about people who remind them of themselves, but also like to laugh at the antics of poor people. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-minorities-over-represented-on-court-shows-why/598140.md?page=2)