Judge Mathis Biography
Judge Mathis is a long-running, Daytime Emmy Award-winning syndicated arbitration-based reality court show presided over by the retired Judge of Michigan’s 36th District Court and black-culture motivational speaker, Greg Mathis. The syndicated series features Mathis adjudicating small claims disputes.
The series was originally produced by Black Pearl Entertainment. It is now produced by Telepictures Productions and Syndicated Productions, while distributed by Warner Bros. Television. It is taped at the NBC Tower in Chicago but includes cases and litigants from other U.S. jurisdictions.
Judge Mathis began celebrating its 20th season anniversary beginning on Monday, September 3, 2018. It is among few courtroom programs able to boast a long, successful series run as most court shows suffer the fate of early cancellations. It is the fourth longest-running courtroom series behind Divorce Court, The People’s Court, and Judge Judy, respectively. Though both Divorce Court and The People’s Court have suffered cancellation(s) and shifting arbitrators, Judge Mathis has not. Consequently, of the court shows with only one production life, Judge Mathis is the second longest-running (second only to Judge Judy by three seasons).
Judge Mathis History
Judge Mathis is a long-running, Daytime Emmy Award-winning syndicated arbitration-based reality court show presided over by the retired Judge of Michigan’s 36th District Court and black-culture motivational speaker, Greg Mathis. The syndicated series features Mathis adjudicating small claims disputes.
it was originally produced by Black Pearl Entertainment. It is now produced by Telepictures Productions and Syndicated Productions, while distributed by Warner Bros. Television. It is taped at the NBC Tower in Chicago but includes cases and litigants from other U.S. jurisdictions.
Greg Mathis’s “inspirational and positive messages to young people” won the court show a PRISM Commendation in May 2002. The court show also won an NAACP Image Award in 2004 and a Daytime Emmy Award in 2018, just ahead of making it to its 20th season anniversary.
Each Judge Mathis episode runs for one hour and typically consists of 4 cases. The show is broadcast five days a week in every U.S. state, as well as Canada through Omni Television. The show has been on the air since Monday, September 13, 1999, and has taped over 2000 episodes.
By the 2014-15 television season, Judge Mathis made it to its 16th season, making Mathis the longest-serving African American court show arbitrator, beating out Judge Joe Brown whose program lasted 15 seasons. Moreover, Mathis holds a record of the second longest-serving court show arbitrator ever, just behind Judge Judy Sheindlin of the court show Judge Judy.
Judge Mathis is among few courtroom programs able to boast a long, successful series run as most court shows suffer the fate of early cancellations. It is the fourth longest-running courtroom series behind Divorce Court, The People’s Court, and Judge Judy, respectively. Though both Divorce Court and The People’s Court have suffered cancellation(s) and shifting arbitrators, Judge Mathis has not. Consequently, of the court shows with only one production life, Judge Mathis is the second longest-running (second only to Judge Judy by three seasons). Judge Mathis began celebrating its 20th season anniversary beginning on Monday, September 3, 2018
Judge Mathis Show Arrangements
The cases on Judge Mathis are classified as tort-law civil disputes with a maximum $5,000 claim, a typical amount for small claims court. The producers of the show select the cases. To acquire cases, the show solicits real-life litigants with pending disputes or individuals with potential disputes. If litigants agree to be on the show, they are paid a talent fee ranging from $150 to $300, and they receive travel accommodations.
Mathis has prior knowledge of the cases. In all cases, litigants give their prospective case managers all evidence in advance. Any real legal case pending must be dismissed by both parties. Typically, Mathis’s producers only seek cases that they deem juicy and sensational enough for television. Occasionally, Mathis leaves the courtroom to deliberate and then returns with his verdict.
Upon final judgment, he may briefly explain the legal principle guiding his verdict, especially if his ruling is based on a particular state’s law. Reportedly, Mathis’ rulings conform to the laws of the state where the case was originally filed. In recent years, the show has begun to conduct paternity testing in disputes about child custody, and drug testing in applicable cases. Mathis often offers or compels drug treatment and family counseling for parties.
Judge Mathis Early Life
Mathis was brought up in one of the worst housing projects in Detroit. During his youth, he was involved with gangs, dropped out of school and spent time behind bars. Growing up as a gang member and heroin dealer in the mean streets of Detroit, Michigan, Mathis had done plenty of time in juvenile detention centers before age 17. All this changed when a judge gave him an ultimatum—either get a G.E.D. or go to jail. At the same time, Mathis found out his mother was dying of cancer. Rushing to her side, he promised her he had turned his life around, which he did: he attended college, passed the bar and earned a law degree, became the youngest judge in Michigan’s history and then served as a Superior Court Judge for Michigan’s 36th District.
Mathis has frequently used his courtroom series to highlight his troubled-youth-turned-success-story as a way of motivating and inspiring his audience that there’s no adversity that they can’t pick themselves up from. It is from his background where Mathis derives much of his courtroom formula.
Mathis met his wife, Linda, a fellow EMU student, shortly after his mother’s death. They would go on to have four children together, a daughter Jade, born May 1985, daughter Camara, born in October 1987, son Greg Jr.
Born in January 1989 and son Amir, born July 1990. Every year, Thankful for his roots, Judge Mathis gave credit to his home church, City Temple SDA Church. He says that the Black History Achievement Award is the most meaningful award he has received.
Judge Mathis Age
Greg Mathis is 59 years old as of 2019. He was Born on 5 April 1960.
Judge Mathis Children
Greg Mathis children include Camara Mathies (daughter), Amir Mathis (son), jade Mathis (daughter) and Greg Mathis jr.(son).
Judge Mathis Son
Greg has two sons that are Amir Mathis and Greg Mathis.
Greg Mathis is a lawyer just like his father.
Amir Mathis is an actor and producer, known for Doug’s Christmas (2014), CornerStore (2011) and 19th Annual Trumpet Awards (2011).
Judge Mathis House
Greg Mathis, one of syndicated daytime television’s most enduring umpires of small claims court disputes, has listed his opulently decorated mini-mansion in a guard-gated Tarzana, Calif., development at just under $3.2 million.
The former Michigan District Court judge, now presiding over the 20th season of eponymous courtroom series “Judge Mathis,” acquired the property in late 2011 for a bit more than $1.9 million.
Built-in the mid-1990s and situated on a promontory of almost an acre with panoramic sunset views, the U-shaped Mediterranean-inspired villa contains five bedrooms and six bathrooms in about 6,400 square feet.
A palm tree-lined driveway with intricately latticed and floridly scrolled wrought iron driveway gates makes for a grandiose processional entrance that continues into a double-height foyer designed to impress guests with its polished-marble floor and double staircase with gilt-trimmed wrought iron banisters.
Public entertaining spaces feature a double-height step-down living room and an adjoining dining room furnished as an ancillary lounge.
Less formal spaces include a double-island kitchen open to a window-lined breakfast nook and a family room with a fireplace and walk-in wet bar. The champagne-hued master suite includes a sitting room with fireplace, fitted walk-in closets and a private terrace.
Judge Mathis Salary And Net Worth
Judge Mathis has garnered a massive net worth of $20 million. He worked as a Superior Court Judge of Michigan and summons a good sum of salary from his reality show.
Judge Mathis Reception
Mathis has also made a name for himself as a prominent leader within the Black American community and principal black-culture motivational speaker at various media ceremonies and gatherings. The success of Judge Mathis is particularly noteworthy in that, generally speaking, court show programming has a very limited shelf life. The programs in this genre are lucky to make it past a few seasons.
Of the long list of court shows, the only programs still existent in the genre originating from the 1990s or prior are Divorce Court (1957), The People’s Court (1981), Judge Judy (1996) and Judge Mathis (1999). Of those four, only Judge Mathis and Judge Judy have not suffered temporary cancellations in the midst of their series run.
Also of the four, Mathis and Judy Sheindlin are the only two to have hosted their program for the entirety of their run. This makes Greg Mathis the second longest-serving court show arbitrator ever, Sheindlin being the longest. Mathis also holds a record for the longest serving African American arbitrator in the courtroom programming genre.
Of the court shows that have only had one production life without cancellation, Judge Mathis boasts the second-longest run, three years behind Judge Judy. The People’s Court’s second production life premiered in 1997 and thus outnumbers Judge Mathis by 2 years, though The People’s Court’s second life has also been presided over by three different arbitrators.
Judge Mathis Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams is known for telling it like it is and often leaving people speechless with her comments. However, she met her match when she had Judge Greg Mathis on her show and he read her for filth…leaving her uncharacteristically speechless.
If you’re a fan of Wendy Williams, you know that she started on the radio. What many people love (and hate) about her, is that she’s not afraid to speak her mind and put her guests in the hot seat.
Some years back (early 2000’s), Wendy and Judge Greg Mathis went at it on her radio show. He was there to promote his book, but Wendy had other intentions.
In the interview from WBLS/New York‘s “The Wendy Williams Experience,” Judge Mathis gave Wendy a very bitter taste of her own medicine. Instead of asking the judge about things in his book, Wendy began to ask him about his alleged affair.
She brought up a woman who was trying to sell her story to tabloids, claiming she’d had an alleged affair with the tough Detroit judge. As soon as Wendy tried to bring it up, the judge stopped her in her tracks and checked the HELL outta Wendy, by accusing her of getting high before the interview and much more.
Mathis told Williams that she picked the wrong one:
“You think you can get folks on your show and talk to them any kind of way. Well, that’s why I do on my show and my show has higher ratings than yours. Are you still getting high because I just saw you leaving the bathroom looking high, in fact, you got white powder around your nose right now? Are you still a dope fiend? I need to check you into rehab and pray for you,” Mathis said. Before Wendy could continue, Mathis explained to her that he could sue her for defamation of character.
Judge Mathis Bailiff
The first bailiff on Judge Mathis, Brendan Anthony Moran, died on December 19, 2002, after he fell to his death from the balcony of his 24th floor Chicago condo. His death was ruled a suicide, but his family feels it may have been an accident.
Since then, Judge Mathis has had two bailiffs. The current bailiff is Doyle Devereux. Sharing a somewhat similar nature as the judge himself, bailiff Doyle often acts as comic relief for the show, interjecting lighthearted observations about the litigants and the cases.
Among recurring themes, both Doyle and Mathis frequently banter back and forth and tease one another. As just one example of their antic-filled, jocular relationship, Doyle and Mathis will often insinuate that Doyle enjoys smoking marijuana and has an uncontrollable eye for pretty women.
During the litigants’ afterthought segment after the case, Doyle is seen monitoring them in the area just outside of the courtroom. In this capacity, the litigants break the fourth wall, expressing their feelings towards each other and Judge Mathis’s ruling with Doyle standing in-between them.
Judge Mathis Meme
For memes by Judge Mathis click here.
Judge Mathis Youtube