Question

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)- Defined as Settling out of court, resolution of a dispute through negotiation, mediation, arbitration.

2
You have all seen the Popular TV court shows, like Judge Judy, in these shows, are the parties (plaintiff and defendant) in actual court and having a regular court proceeding?
(a) Yes or no? Explain

(b) Why would anyone agree to go on TV to resolve the dispute and what is the benefit of going on the show when many might even consider this to be embarrassing?

(c) How much money does Judge Judy make per year. Search online for your answer, it may really surprise you.

Answer 1

Introduction

A court show (also known as a judge show, legal/courtroom program, courtroom show, or judicial show) is a television programming sub-genre of either legal dramas or reality legal programming. Court shows present content mainly in the form of legal hearings between plaintiffs (or claimants) and defendants presided over by a judge (arbitrator).

Arbitration is a procedure in which a dispute is submitted, by agreement of the parties, to one or more arbitrators who make a binding decision on the dispute. In choosing arbitration, the parties opt for a private dispute resolution procedure instead of going to court.

Answers

(a) No. The parties (plaintiff and defendant) are not in actual court and does not have a regular court proceeding. Due to the forum merely being a simulated courtroom constructed within a television studio as opposed to a legitimate court of law, the shows' "judges" are actually arbitrators and what is depicted is a form of binding arbitration. The entire proceedings are undertaken within the parameters of arbitration as defined above and not under court of law.

(b) The defendant is not required to pay the award, and this is considered one of the significant perks of appearing on a show. The winning party is ensured to collect the verdict amount, and the defendant can walk away from the case knowing that it has been handled. Anyone appearing on a television court show is paid an appearance fee to entice people to appear. Arbitration court shows are responsible for awarding the winner of the case with the monetary judgment passed down by the judge. Settlements are paid directly to the winner through a fund set up for the show. Hence, though the case is shown on national television which might be embarrassing, it saves considerable cost of parties involved in arbitration process.

(c) It was reported in October 2012 that Judge Judy Sheindlin had a $45 million yearly contract with CBS Television Distribution, in effect until 2015 and up $20 million from 2007. It was later reported in October 2013 that Sheindlin was the highest paid TV star, earning $47 million per year for Judge Judy, which translates into just over $900,000 per workday (she works 52 days per year).In 2018, Sheindlin reportedly earned $147 million; $100 million from the sale of the present and future video library of her show to CBS, in addition to $47 million, her regular salary.