# RIP Judge Wapner **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867 "2017-02-26T19:20:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/1 "2017-02-26T19:20:28Z")
> **['People's Court' Judge Joseph Wapner Dead at 97](https://www.tmz.com/2017/02/26/joseph-wapner-dead-peoples-court/)** > > Joseph Wapner, the retired judge who changed television as the judge on "The People's Court," has died. I think it’s safe to say he was best known for People’s Court ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/2 "2017-02-26T19:44:08Z")
He’s best known to me for his auditory appearance in the film Rain Man. Kidding. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/3 "2017-02-26T19:48:46Z")
Sad. Definitely sad. After his reign on the _People’s Court_, he briefly had a show on Animal Planet called _Animal Court_, in which he presided over cases involving disputes about animals. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/4 "2017-02-26T20:14:16Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > He’s best known to me for his auditory appearance in the film Rain Man. It was time for Wapner. Definitely time for Wapner. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/5 "2017-02-26T20:14:54Z")
Definitely was a presence in the 80s. Funny, I looked him up recently and was surprised to find he was still alive–and really, really old. And now he isn’t. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/6 "2017-02-26T20:18:22Z")
Case closed. ☹ RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/7 "2017-02-26T20:33:51Z")
The Death you are about to hear about is Real. The participant is No Longer an actor. There are actual mourners with a burial pending somewhere in the United States. All parties have agreed to dismiss their deceased and allow themselves to move past their grief… but will remember the deceased here… in our forum… **The People’s Wake** …! “All rise until the judge enters the thread…” RIP, Judge Wapner. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/8 "2017-02-26T21:09:37Z")
He did a funny guest shot on the series premier of the old SF show “Sliders”. He played himself, sort of. He actually was playing the Judge Wapner in an alternate universe where the Communists ruled the US. Gave “The People’s Court” an entirely new meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/9 "2017-02-26T21:13:55Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > The Death you are about to hear about is Real. Nice 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/10 "2017-02-26T21:20:49Z")
He outlived Rusty the Bailiff by 15 years. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-judge-wapner/780867/11 "2017-02-26T22:01:49Z")
An icon; Judge Judy would never have happened if he hadn’t paved the way. RIP Judge Wapner.