15 Facts Every Fan Should Know About

Judith Susan “Judy” Sheindlin, popularly known by the name “Judge Judy,” is a former American judge, lawyer, television personality, author, and a producer. Here are 30 interesting facts about her:

1. Sheindlin holds the prestigious Guinness World Records record of being the longest serving judge or arbitrator in a courtroom-themed program.
2. She is ranked at #13, in the list of Richest 20 Women in Entertainment by Forbes. (Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy) Net worth: $47 million)
3. Her television show “Judge Judy,” as of 2017, has been the longest lasting individual production life of any court show.
4. Her reputation for being a “tough,” and “outspoken” judge, made her a subject of Los Angeles Times article in February 1993, in which she was profiled as a woman determined to make the court system for the common good.
5. Broadcasting & Cable inducted her in to its Hall of Fame, in October 2012 for her role in “Judge Judy.”
6. She is the most popular court show judge in the television history. She has been parodied on “The Amanda Show” as Judge Trudy, on “The Simpsons” and “Saturday Night Live” as Judge Constance Harm.
7. She started her career as a prosecutor in the family court system, after passing the New York state bar examination in the year 1965. She often prosecuted cases about domestic violence, child abuse and juvenile crime.
8. Since its debut on September 16, 1996, “Judge Judy,” has been the No. 1 rated court show, with a daily viewership of around 9 to 10 millions.
9. With her show “Judge Judy,” integrating itself into American Pop Culture, Sheindlin was named as one of the “200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons,” by VH1, in the year 2003.
10. In February 2006, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for her performance in the “Judge Judy.”
11. She suffered a mini-stoke on March 30, 2011, while handling a case on the sets of her show, and was admitted to the hospital. She was released the next day.
12. After hearing more than 20,000 cases, she retired as a family court judge in the year 1996. Immediately she was approached with the offer to star in the new reality courtroom series that will feature “real cases with real rulings, which she accepted.
13. It is reported that she works just 52 days per year, with a salary of $900,000 per workday, which translates to $47 million per year.
14. On February 21, 2000, “Judge Judy: Sitting in Judgment” a documentary film on Sheindlin was aired by the Biography program, which captured her entire life story from her childhood days to her authoring career to her legal career,
15. Her show, “Judge Judy,” has earned her Gracie Allen Tribute Award from the Alliance for Women in Media.