Arbitration TV Shows

If you were to ask random people if they have ever witnessed an arbitration, most would tell you no. The truth is though, almost all of us have seen several of them.

Where? Well, do you remember kind, old Judge Wapner who pioneered modern daytime courtroom TV shows with introduction of The People's Court back in 1981? Or Judge Judy? Although Joseph Wapner and Judy Scheindlin really were judges in real life, they only portrayed judges on television. The fact is, they and all of the other TV judges preside over arbitrations on television, not small claims court trials.

It is all perfectly legal because arbitration is a well-established and well-recognized alternative to small claims court, and the parties have knowingly signed arbitration agreements with the shows, agreeing to dismiss their lawsuits and have their dispute arbitrated in The People's Court, or Judge Judy's courtroom, or Judge Joe Brown's, etc.

Here is a list of the more popular shows and the arbitrators who play the role of judges.

TV Show	Arbitrator ("Judge")	TV Seasons
America's Court	Kevin A. Ross	2010-present
Animal Court	Joseph Wapner	1998-2000
Christina's Court	Christina Perez	2006-present
Divorce Court	Voltaire Perkins	1957-1969
Divorce Court	William Keene	1985-1992
Divorce Court	Mablean Ephriam	1999-2006
Divorce Court	Lynn Toler	2006-present
Eye for an Eye	"Extreme" Akim Anastopoulo	2003-present
Family Court, Judge Penny	Penny Brown Reynolds	2008-present
Judge Alex	Alex Ferrer » In the news ...	2005-present
Judge David Young	David Young	2007-present
Judge Faith	Faith Jenkins	2014-present
Judge Hatchett	Glenda Hatchett	2000-present
Judge Jeanine Pirro	Jeanine Ferris Pirro	2008-present
Judge Joe Brown Show	Joe Brown1	1998-present
Judge Judy	Judy Scheindlin	1996-present
Judge Karen	Karen Mills-Francis	2008-present
Judge Maria Lopez	Maria Lopez	2006-present
Judge Mathis	Greg Mathis	1999-present
Judge Mills Lane	Mills Lane2	1998-2001
Moral Court	Larry Elder	2000-2001
Power of Attorney	Andrew Napolitano	2000-2001
Power of Attorney	Lynn Toler	2001-2002
Swift Justice	Nancy Grace	2010-2011
Swift Justice	Jackie Glass3	2011-present
Texas Justice	Larry Joe Doherty	2001-2005
The People's Court	Joseph Wapner	1981-1993
The People's Court	Ed Koch	1997-1999
The People's Court	Jerry Scheindlin	1999-2001
The People's Court	Marilyn Milian	2001-present

  1- In 1997, Judge Joe Brown presided over James Earl Ray's final appeal of his conviction for murdering Martin Luther King Jr.
  2- In 1997 as a professional boxing referree, Mills Lane disqualified Mike Tyson for biting off part of Evander Holyfield's ear
  3- In 2008, Judge Glass sent O.J. Simpson to prison for armed robbery and kidnapping