SEASON TEN: 2008-2009 11-12-2008 ASHAMED OF HER RACE Shelley is a black woman, but denies her race. She says she's mixed and doesn't really associate with many black women. Instead, she hangs out witrh gay guys, like the defendant, Leon. Shelley says she loaned Leon a dress that he never gave back to her. Shelley also told the judge that she was bleaching her face to look more white. Judge Mathis told Shelly she was acting like a fool for denying her race. (Shelley appeared on The Montel Williams show in 2007.) 11-11-2008 ASSAULTED WITH A SNICKERS BAR Laurie ran into the grocery store and got into a fight with a customer, Lisa. Laurie says Lisa threw a Snickers bar at her, hitting her in the chest. Then, Lisa walked into the middle of an aisle, pulled down her pants and mooned Laurie! Judge Mathis joked that that probably cleared out everyone in the store. Lisa admitted to throwing the candy and mooning the plaintiff. She said she did it because Laurie called her "fat" and because she was stressed because her mother was gravely ill. Judge Mathis found in favor of Lauire, granting her $5,000 for emotional distress. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEASON NINE: 2007-2008 11-1-2007 LEG IN A GRILL Judge Mathis took on this bizarre case that made national headlines. Shannan bought a grill at an auction, but when he took it home he was shocked to find a human leg inside! Turns out, that leg belonged to John Wood, who was saving it after having it amputated years ago. John told Judge Mathis that he kept it in a freezer for a while, but was forced to put it in storage. He hit it inside of a grill. All of John's items in storage went up for auction and the grill was solf to Shannan before John could stop the auction. John had since gotten his leg back, but Shannan was suing so he could get it. Shannon told the judge he wanted to open a museum and charge people $10 each to see it. Judge Mathis granted Shannan $5,000, but ruled that John was entitled to his own leg. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SEASON SEVEN 2005-2006 2-9-2006 VICTIM OF A HATE CRIME Robert accused Nick and his witness, Steve, of a hate crime. He said Steve would often call him the "N" word because of his race and also because he was dating a white woman. Robert said Nick and Steve were among a group of 15 people who beat him up one night. According to police reports, both defendants used racial language when they were arrested. Robert also showed Judge Mathis a bloody picture of himself taken after the attack. Judge Mathis told Robert that he was a victim of a hate crime. He could not believe that local officials didn't take much action. Judge Mathis yelled at the defendants and said he was going to call their local congressman to report the attack as a hate crime. Of course, Judge Mathis ruled in favor of Robert, granting him a $5,000 judgement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEASON FIVE 2003-2004 10-3-2003 The Ohio Hillbillies Edward moved to Ohio for his retirement and wound up living next to a large family that he referred as "hillbillies." The parents, Robert and Belinda appeared in court with all of their kids and claimed Edward tried to shoot one of their boys with a pellet gun. Edward was arrested for that and brought them to Judge Mathis to sue for false arrest. During the trial, things got heated when Edward said he wanted to smack the kids. Robert and Belinda screamed at him and said they would rip his head off if he ever touched their children. Judge Mathis dismissed the case and told them to work it out with police. 10-21-2003 The $8 Lawsuit Becky brought Susan to court claiming Susan's daughter destroyed her daugter's bicycle pompoms. The lawsuit was for only $8! Judge Mathis could not believe that Becky could not settle the dispute without coming to court. The judge told Becky she should be teaching her daughter good morals instead of suing to prove a point. He called the lawsuit frivolous and dismissed Becky's case. Judge Mathis welcomed Becky's 7-year-old daughter and Susan's 8-year-old daughter into the courtroom after he made his ruling. The girls said they wanted to be friends and all was forgiven. Susan's daughter even apologized for what she did. 11-10-2003 Judge Mathis Cries For A Troubled Young Man Brandon moved in with his uncle, Anthony, to escape the gang lifestyle in Oakland. He had no where else to turn since both his parents were dead. To make matters worse, Brandon had Sickle Cell Anemia. Brandon said Anthony abused him and did nothing to encourage him. During the case, Anthony told Brandon that he meant nothing to him. As the audience moaned, Judge Mathis took his glasses off and began to cry. The judge said he saw himself in Brandon and said he did a good thing by running from the gangs. Brandon went on to tell of how Anthony threw all his stuff out, including the medication for his disease. Brandon brought Anthony to court for $2,500 for dumping his property, while his uncle countersued for rent. Judge Mathis told Brandon that he did not sue for enough because he was entitled to pain and suffering, so the judge granted him $4,200. The audience applauded the verdict. 11-14-2003 Obsessive Mariah Carey Fan Mark was so obsessed with Mariah Carey that he got a tattoo of her on his back. He told the judge that he is in her fan club and has even been an extra in her music videos. Judge Mathis said he also liked Mariah and hummed one of her songs to the delight of the audience. Mark brought Phillip to court for $5,000 alleging the security guard injured him. Phillip said the nutty fan tried to rush the stage several times, so he had to go. Mark showed photos of his injuries, but Phillip said he did not cause them. Mark also told the judge that he was working on an album and missed a photo shoot because of his injuries. As the judge deliberated, Mark sang for the audience. Judge Mathis found in favor of Mark, granting him $5,000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEASON FOUR 2002-2003 9-26-2002 The Plastic Hand Did It Richard said his former lover, Donna, had him falsely arrested and stole all of his belonging while he was in jail. Richard said they met on a blind date and had sex the first night, but Donna said he like to make porno videos and took freaky pictures of her! Donna also alleged that he strangled her, leaving marks on his neck. Richard denided the allegations and said that she did it to herself with a plastic hand he used for Halloween! Richard brought the fake plastic hand to court and Judge Mathis took it for evidence. The judge dismissed Richard's claim and said he felt Richard hurt Donna. He granted Donna $1,000 for the ordeal. 10-11-2002 The Dead Chinchilla Amber was given a chinchilla, "Smokey," for her birthday and had it stuffed by the defendant, Robert, after it died. Amber cried as she said Robert did a terrible job stuffing it and she could not look at it because it looked too scary. Amber and her boyfriend also called the local news about the matter and Robert said the media harassed him. Although it only cost $80 to stuff the dead animal, Amber wanted $4,000 from Robert for emotional damage. Judge Mathis only granted her a little over $200, for what it would cost to repair the animal. 10-24-2002 Judge Mathis' Family Visits The Show During A Deadbeat Dad Case Jamie said her ex-husband, Kenneth, moved to Alaska so he wouldn't have to pay child support for their son, Craig. Jamie also said that Ken refused to help pay for his son's braces and Ken thought Jamie was trying to rip him off. Judge Mathis told Ken that he missed out on 12 years of fun with his son. He said that raising his kids has been the most fulfilling thing that has ever happened to him. He surprised everyone with his kids and wife, who were sitting in the front row. (His kids were still young and his wife looked very proud of her husband.) Judge Mathis thanked Jamie's new husband for being there for Craig and the audience clapped for him. Craig said he was sad that his dad couldn't even remember his birthday. Judge Mathis ordered Kenneth to pay the money owed to Jamie and had father and son hug. 11-14-2002 The Stripper Scam Antoinette, 40, is an exotic dancer who claims the plaintiff, Siri, is jealous of her body. Judge Mathis pointed out that the case was not about her body, it was about Antoinette being a thief and a fraud. Siri said Antoinette stole credit cards from her gym and charged them up. For some reason, Antoinette brought sexy photos of herself in stripper outfits for Judge Mathis to see, but he had bailiff Brendan look at them. Throughout the case, Antoinette mocked Siri, blowing kisses at her and calling her names like "stupid," in front of Judge Mathis. The judge did not like the stripper's behavior, so he granted Siri $5,000 and told her to use the tape of the show to prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEASON THREE 2001-2002 11-1-2001 The Plaintiff Sings In Court Lisa was upset with Janette because she did not pay her the $5,000 she won in her talent show. Janette said Lisa never claimed to get the money, but Lisa said she went to her store many times in search of her prize. Lisa called Janette a liar and started singing, "You're a liar." The gospel song had a few verses and Judge Mathis looked like he enjoyed it. Janette said Lisa was only promised $500, but Lisa's videotape of the event proved that Janette said she was owed $5,000. Lisa began dancing and singing, "Alleluia," after the tape was played. Judge Mathis called Janette a liar and granted Lisa the $5,000 she was owed. Janette quickly walked out. 11-13-2001 Pervert in the Court Marie said her ex-husband, Tim, was addicted to sex and had the phone bills to prove it. Tim's ex-roommate, Todd, was suing him for the sex line phone bills her created. Judge Mathis called Tim a freak during the trial and asked him if he was a professional freak. As Mathis was walking out to make his ruling, he asked Marie if she minded that he looked at a magazine with dirty pics in it. (He said he was just kidding.) After a brief break, Mathis had Todd play a tape of Tim looking for people to talk with on the sex line. The tape was of Tim describing himself and saying he was looking to have erotic conversation. Mathis said, "You really are a freak," after the taped played and ruled in favor of Todd. 12-13-2001 Crackhead In The Court Steven claimed his ex-girlfriend and her friend stole money that he gave them to hold. He claimed the woman were hookers, but they said they were strippers. He first told Judge Mathis that he gave them the money to hold in case he got robbed. Later, he said he let them spend some of it. The ladies said they were holding the money so he would not spend it on crack, which he denied. Judge Mathis granted Steven $300 because the women took it from the money he gave to them. They said they took it because he owed them money for rent. Mathis also granted the women $300 because Steven had harassed them. Both sides left without a dime and Steven got so mad that he turned around to leave. Judge Mathis said, "Smokey, don't go anywhere. You just wait." 1-31-2002 Transsexual Sues Ferret Owner Dawn, a transsexual with a manly voice, and her friend, Steven, brought Christopher to court because he did not pay him for watching his ferrets. Dawn called the animals "gourmet rats" and said "she" was doing a favor for the defendant by watching them. Christopher said that he gave Dawn and Steven a check for $200, but "she" said the check bounced. Dawn was suing for much more because of all the trouble she went through, but Mathis only granted her just over $200. 2-13-2002 Bailiff Brendan Gets A Workout Cynthia brought Cleveland to court because he owed her money for a loan after they broke up. She was so mad at him, that she yelled at him several time and started walking toward his side of the courtroom. Bailiff Brendan had to make sure she stayed put, but Cleveland was so scared he moved away from her. Cynthia also said the sex was bad and got so worked up that she started to take her shoe off to throw at Cleveland! The case got extra heated when Cleveland's ex testified against Cynthia. The women yelled at each other and Cynthia went to walk over toward the ex, but Brendan held her back. Once all of the craziness was over, Judge Mathis granted Cythia over $1,000. 4-16-2002 The Perverted Landlord Kimberly said her ex landlord, Ralph, was a "peeping Tom" and a theif. She said he stole her underwear and accused him of wearing it. She also accused him of taking her engagement ring and some DVDs. Some of the DVDs were pornos and she told Judge Mathis that one of them was called "Ally McFeel." Judge Mathis asked Ralph if he was a pervert and he denied all the allegations. In the end, the judge dismissed Kimberly's case because she did not have any evidence that he was a robber or pervert. The drama poured out into the hall after the case, when Kimberly said that Ralph was probably wearing her underwear in court! 5-6-2002 The Wedding In a court show first, Judge Mathis presided over the wedding of two viewers in this episode. Aaron and Angela were together for years and had been through ups and downs, but united on Judge Mathis to ask the judge to preside over their wedding. The judge showed them some tape of some of the crazy divorce cases the show has featured and warned them not to wind up like some of his guests The couple came back the next day for the wedding. Bailiff Brendan played the guitar and sang as the happy couple entered the newly decorated courtroom. Judge Mathis smiled and joked as he performed the ceremony. The couple ended the ceremony with a kiss and Judge Mathis congratulated the happy couple and their relatives. Judge Mathis gave the couple a honeymoon in the Bahamas. 5-13-2002 Dwarf Tossing and Howard Stern's Wack Pack "Beetlejuice" is a regular on the Howard Stern show and appeared as a plaintiff on this episode. He came on to help out fellow dwarf and friend, "Big Pappa," who was suing James because he intentionally hurt Big Pappa during a dwarf tossing competition. The case was full of craziness as both sides yelled at each other. Judge Mathis had "Beetlejuice" stand between Big Pappa and James so things didn't get out of control. Judge Mathis said that everryone was out of control, but ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. He told them to say hello to Howard, but to get back to New York ASAP. The drama poured outto the hall after the case, when both sides continued yelling at each other. James said that Beetle and Big Pappa only got on Stern because of him. 5-14-2002 Big Booty Addiction Celestine said that her son Craig was addicted to porn and enjoyed making porn with fat black women. She said that the porn was wicked and had to get a preacher to clean the porno from her house. Judge Mathis took a look at his porn magazines, but put on gloves first! The magazines were blurred on TV and Judge Mathis quickly put them aside. Celestine said he used her money to buy "sinful" porno and came to court to get it back. She asked Judge Mathis to get treatment for her addictive son. She said he had a gene that caused a chemical imbalance in his brain. Craig told the judge that he was not addicted to the judge, but Judge Mathis said he was a pervert. Judge Matrhis granted Celestine a $2,300 judgment and made Craig go for a psychiatric evaluation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEASON TWO 2000-2001 Nude Pictures A man sues his ex for money owed to him after their relationship ended. His ex countersued and presented nude pictures of him that he had given her as a birthday present. All he had was a blue ribbon wrapped around his private area! Judge Mathis held up the picture and asked said that he was "buck-ass naked" and "freaky." Even though he was freaky, he won his case, but only got some of the money he wanted. Grandma Wants Some Piercings Aliza, who was in her 70's, claimed that Allan conned her out of money for ball room dance lessons. Allan countersued for sexual harassment, claiming that she offered him $10,000 if he would pierce his nipples for her! Allan's coworker claimed that Aliza hit on every guy who walked into the place. Kicked In The Hall! A woman sues her ex who she claimed raped her. Her angry mother was also there and called him a "drunken skunk." After the judgement, the mom got so upset with him, that she kicked him in the leg outside the courtroom! He Wants My Dog A gay man sues his former roommate and claimed that he had dirty thoughts about his dog! He also said that the defendant was a member of an S&M club. Minnie The Church Lady This church-going woman was owed $200 from her minister. She preached endlessly in court and it drove Judge Mathis crazy. She wouldn't stop the preaching, so Mathis gave her the money right out of his own pocket and the audience burst with laughter! Making A Mess In Court Richard sued his four former roommates who he said used to use drugs when they lived together. They claimed that they had seen him butt-naked outside! Richard got upset with them and wrote the word "lie" on a folder and held it up to show Judge Mathis. Mathis laughed, but quickly took the sign. Richard then dumped a box that was full of trash all over the floor. Even though Judge Mathis thought he was crazy, Richard was awarded some money and two of the defendants were awarded some cash, as well. Leonard Loses His Job A woman brought a guy named Leonard to court because she had trusted him to take quality pictures of her wedding. She was mad because they came out fuzzy and out of focus. She said that it looked like he got them developed at K-Mart. Judge Mathis asked Leonard if he was drunk when he took them. Leonard told Mathis that he was a judge, not a comic. Judge Mathis yelled at him and told him that he was going to put him out-of-business! The plaintiff's were extremely excited when they won and after the case was over, Judge Mathis explained how he would close Leonard down by sending out a letter to officials. The Man Who Sold His Dead Mom's Stuff For Beer Marlene and her brother Michael have never gotten along. She says he's a drunk, which he admits to, and he says she's a busy body. Marlene brought him on the show because she claimed that he sold some of their dead mother's things for beer. She said he put a sign out in front of her house that siad, "Anything For Beer." Mike said that was not true, but then the case took a creepy turn. Mike said that he hated his sister and if he had a gun he would kill her. Judge Mathis ruled in favor of Marlene because Mike's behavior was too outrageous. Not Good Enough to Strip Howard was pissed because Jose would not let him dance in his show. Jose said he wanted physically fit and nice-looking men, so Howard did not make the cut. Howard accused Jose of just wanting Hispanics in his show, but Jose showed pictures of people of all races in it. Howard yelled at jose saying, "Who the hell are you?" and "He thinks he's God!" Judge Mathis dismissed the case after all the drama. EXTRA INFO: Howard wanted to strip in front of men. 8-14-2001 A Horse's "Tail" Bennett designed African-style clothing and was suing Sharon because he said she never paid him for the clothes he lent her. Bennett and Sharon were infuriated with each other and screamed throughout the case. Bennett brought a Nigerian horse's tail that was used for blessings at weddings. He began waving the tail in the air and pointing it at Sharon. Baliff Brendan confiscated the tail and gave it to Judge Mathis. Sharon claimed that the clothes she was lended were too big for he and she tried them on. Baliff Brendan also tried them on and took the horse's tail and began waving it around. The parties continued to argue as the judge went off to decide the case. He took the tail, waved it and said "bless you" to both of them. He gave the plaintidd part of the money he wanted. 8-16-2001 Good Girl Gone Bad A good Catholic woman sued a 19-year-old ex-con who she fell in love with while he was still in prison. The woman worked at the prison and provided him with financial support because she thought he would stay with her forever. He dumped her as soon as he got out. She sued and won $5,000 for what she lost. Before the judgement, the calm woman started screaming at her ex! He even presented naked photos of the woman that she took for him. Judge Mathis could not believe it! 9-10-2001 Leon Spinks' Day in Court Leon Spinks is the boxer who was made famous when he beat Muhammed Ali in the ring. He came on the show with his manager, Samuel, because he was owed money from the defendant, Fouad. Fouad said he didn't owe them anything and challenged Leon to a fight in court. He said he was going to knock out the rest of Leon's teeth! Fouad lost the case, but he told Leon that he still wanted to fight when they spoke in the hall. Leon said Judge Mathis could be the ref. 5-14-2002 Big Booty Addiction Celestine said that her son Craig was addicted to porn and enjoyed making porn with fat black women. She said that the porn was wicked and had to get a preacher to clean the porno from her house. Judge Mathis took a look at his porn magazines, but put on gloves first! The magazines were blurred on TV and Judge Mathis quickly put them aside. Celestine said he used her money to buy "sinful" porno and came to court to get it back. She asked Judge Mathis to get treatment for her addictive son. She said he had a gene that caused a chemical imbalance in his brain. Craig told the judge that he was not addicted to the judge, but Judge Mathis said he was a pervert. Judge Matrhis granted Celestine a $2,300 judgment and made Craig go for a psychiatric evaluation. |
| Greg Mathis was a high school drop-out who was in jail on drug and gun charges in his youth. His mother visited him and told him she was sick with cancer, while he was still in prison. He decided to turn his life around and make the law work for him to fulfill his mother's dying wish. Mathis graduated from the University of Detroit in 1988 and passed the bar exam in 1992. He became the youngest judge in the history of Michigan, earning close to $100,000 a year when he began. Many top television and movie execs became interested in his story and in no time, the Judge Mathis television show took over the airwaves. Mathis stopped practicing on the bench to concentrate on his show because he felt he could reach more people and make a difference through TV. Brendan Moran was the show's bailiff during the first 3 1/2 years. Sadly, he passed away after falling from a balcony on December 28, 2002. The new bailiff's name is Doyle. Mathis is married with four kids. Judge Mathis is taped in Chicago. |
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