From Sunday’s New York Times piece about “Street Court,” a syndicated program hosted by one Michael Mazzariello that adjudicates small-claims cases en plein air:
“Street Court” is the latest in a long line of court shows that dredge the in-boxes of New York City’s small-claims courtrooms, searching for litigants who are angrier than they are camera-shy. It has been 28 years since Judge Joseph Wapner heard his first case on “The People’s Court.” Copycats abounded, some successful (Judith Sheindlin of “Judge Judy”) and some less so (remember “Judge Maria Lopez”?).
The answer, of course, is “Not really.”
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These shows are like the “anti-civics,” and have created a perception among prospective jurors of how the justice system operates that make it difficult for real lawyers (like me)to overcome. Still, can’t beat the old “Divorce Court” dramatizations that featured “Judge” Voltaire Perkins.