# TV Courtroom questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2006, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-courtroom-questions/340072 "2006-01-15T08:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-courtroom-questions/340072/1 "2006-01-15T08:00:36Z")
Several television courtrooms currently frequent major networks: Judge Judy, People’s Court, Judge Mathis, and Judge Hatchett are the ones I can recall at this moment. I hardly spend time watching these shows so my knowledge of them is limited to only a handful of episodes. My questions: 1. I believe the plaintiffs and defendants are paid for their appearance, but how much? These small claims courts have a max limit of $5,000 settlement (i think). If the defendant is ordered to pay $5000 to the plaintiff, then does the defendant break even, profit, or lose overall after his/her compensation from the TV program. I imagine the money must be a hearty amount since people make such fools of themselves on television in order to obtain it. 2. Has anyone ever filed a lawsuit specifically for the purpose of being on one of these shows? If two people on friendly terms sue each other for fictitious and possibly bizarre reasons (something juicy for TV) for the sake of the TV money, then what are their chances of actually appearing on one of these shows? I realize such chances cannot be precisely measured, but are there long waiting lists and other red tape getting in the way? No, I am not thinking of attempting to file a lawsuit for the sake of appearing on one of these shows. However, I have wondered about the legitimacy of some of the cases. 1. I once saw a Judge Judy episode where a man stated that his source of income was working odd jobs for people (mostly yard work and car work for his neighbors) and he tried to dodge Judge Judy’s question about him reporting taxes to the IRS. Has the IRS ever followed up on suspicious characters appearing in these shows? I also recall a guy from another epsode (also on Judy) who blatantly admitted to working while receiving disability compensation. Would the proper authorites chase after him? Much thanks in advance to my fellow Doperland chums. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-courtroom-questions/340072/2 "2006-01-15T08:17:13Z")
Didn’t Judge Judy say she was going to report the guy who was on disability, yet also working? I think I saw that episode, and she was furious with him and threw him out, telling him she was turning him in. ---
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-courtroom-questions/340072/3 "2006-01-15T11:10:32Z")
> [@](#): > > I think I saw that episode, and she was furious with him and threw him out, telling him she was turning him in. This is possible. I don’t recall with being thrown out of the court room but OTOH I did not see it recently so I’m not so fresh on the details ---
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-courtroom-questions/340072/4 "2006-01-15T11:12:32Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t recall with being… I dont recall _him_ being… I meant Geez, how do I not catch that on preview? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-courtroom-questions/340072/5 "2006-01-15T16:48:15Z")
The way it works on _The People’s Court_ (and probably with the other shows, too) is that there is a certain pot of money allocated to each case. Any monetary judgement for the plaintiff is paid out of that pot, and the remainder is divided evenly between the plaintiff and the defendant. Even if the judgement was for the full $5,000 allowed in small claims cases, I am guessing the minimum amount each party receives for being on one of those shows is a several hundred dollars. Not to mention bragging rights. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-courtroom-questions/340072/6 "2006-01-15T17:06:00Z")
Jerry Sheindlin of _The People’s Court_ appeared on _Larry King Live_: > [@](#): > > KING: Where do you get all the cases, Jerry? > > JERRY SHEINDLIN: Well, we have researchers that go around the country, actually look in the court files and see if the case presents on paper an interesting case. And then they’ll contact the people. And they… > > KING: And offer them what? To come on television… > > JERRY SHEINDLIN: I think it’s two-hundred and — yes, to come on television — a very minor appearance fee. I don’t think that’s the reason that they come on. And… > > KING: If I lose the case for $1000, do I pay it, or the TV show pays it? > > JERRY SHEINDLIN: The TV show pays it. According to [this account](http://riverfronttimes.com/issues/2005-10-12/news/news2.html) of the nationally syndicated show _Judge Alex_, “each litigant received a plane ticket to Houston, a $150 appearance fee, meal allowances and a night in a swank hotel.”