Top 10 Most Unexpected Verdicts on Judge Judy
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the verdicts that had Judge Judy’s litigants and/or viewers completely caught off guard. Which of these unexpected verdicts was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
#10: Defamation of Character
Plaintiff Elena Menz sued her former boss, Bartholomew Ben Israel, for unpaid work. The judge awarded her partial money. But that was just the first part. The defendant filed a countersuit for defamation after Menz alleged he sexually harassed her. Longtime viewers know Judge Judy’s standard for things like defamation is incredibly high. But at the last moment, it came out that the plaintiff had lied about the defendant sending her risqué pics. Menz had actually just pulled them from his social media and pretended they were sent to her. When the judge sussed out her agenda, she rescinded that initial verdict in the plaintiff’s favor. Consider us gagged.
#9: Watch Your Mouth
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A monetary dispute between plaintiff Raven Miyamoto and Dache Williams threatened to bore the judge to death, but then one of them gave her the out she needed. In response to Williams’ testimony, Miyamoto decided it was totally cool to call “b.s.” And she didn’t use the acronym. Judge Judy immediately dismissed both of their cases, leaving one stunned and the other refusing to leave because she had a countersuit. The judge really doesn’t care for entitled young people in her courtroom. Maybe she’s biased, but these two litigants didn’t do much to change her opinion.
#8: Bail Denied
Even Judge Sheindlin would probably admit she can generally tell what her own verdict will be even before she steps into the courtroom. Cases where someone owed money and didn’t pay it are often pretty open and shut. But this one, where a man bailed out his ex-wife after she was arrested for a probation violation, actually had a plot twist at the end. The plaintiff provided a number for the bail bondsman he supposedly paid, but the judge called it, revealing it to be an inoperable international one. It’s an unexpected turn of events to be sure, and his face when she tells him he’s not getting any money is priceless.
#7: Pouring Bleach
Here’s a classic “Judge Judy” case that shows how much more tolerant the judge used to be. Former lovers are in court over a case of bleached clothes, apparently the result of the defendant finding out the plaintiff was cheating on her. Despite thinking the defendant was probably guilty of ruining the plaintiff’s clothes, the judge couldn’t rule against her due to a lack of concrete evidence. This one is more unexpected in retrospect. Later cases with similarly unruly courtroom behavior would likely see her ruling based on that as opposed to evidence alone, perhaps skewing things in a different direction.
#6: Disruptive Defendant
Here’s another surprising example of the judge ruling against her personal feelings about litigants and honoring the evidence presented. The landlord being sued in this case kept interrupting Judge Judy and the plaintiff, speaking out of turn, and being generally annoying. She was bursting at the seams every time the plaintiff said even the most innocuous thing. Officer Byrd even had to tell her to be quiet because she couldn’t do so, even while she was winning the case. It’s actually amazing that the judge didn’t rule against her just to prove a point. And never one to let a litigant wonder how she’s really feeling, Judge Judy basically tells her that.
#5: “Super Seriously!”
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When Judge Judy lays down the law, it can put the fear of God into anybody. Case in point: plaintiff Shaughnessy Fahy, who was suing his former friend and landlord for a wrongful eviction. The judge grew impatient when the plaintiff couldn't stop interjecting. She actually did him a favor by dismissing the case without prejudice. But he couldn’t believe it. How could she turn him away when he acted completely disrespectful in her court? His disbelief and her instant reply were one of the moments that make “Judge Judy” so reliably entertaining. The look of absolute disdain on Fahy’s girlfriend’s face will forever be the cherry on top.
#4: Horse People
This plaintiff was expecting to recoup money she spent on a “defective” horse. However, the judge was more concerned for the defendant, who sold her the horse and was not paid in full. When the judge ruled against the plaintiff, and also made her pay the remaining balance, the litigant nearly doubled over right there in the courtroom. Even the defendant couldn’t believe she just won. The audience watched, straining not to laugh, as the plaintiff leaned over her podium in horror. She was either expecting to win this case or the first ever Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Court Show Participant.
#3: A $5,000 Haircut
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If there’s one thing Judge Judith Sheindlin can’t stand, it’s cases that waste her time. At first glance, a plaintiff suing a hair stylist for $5000 over an unsatisfying $10 haircut seemed exactly like the kind of thing that would annoy her. And she had no qualms about letting him know how ridiculous the ordeal was. The plaintiff being a lawyer himself only hurt his case. His being nearly bald anyway probably didn’t do him any favors either. The most shocking part comes at the end, though, when the judge almost happily ordered the defendant to refund him the cost of the haircut. At that point, it was almost more of an insult to him, given the astronomical amount he was asking for.
#2: Mouth Open
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Judge Judy is often annoyed, but she can be downright savage when she’s in the right mood. For much of this case, defendant Reginald Burkett’s mouth was hanging open. He couldn’t believe the plaintiff thought their car accident was his fault! Well, Judge Judy could. She laid out the facts as she saw them, and Burkett couldn’t seem to rein in his complete and utter shock. His mouth was so open, he looked like he was catching flies. In one of the judge’s most out of pocket moments over 25 seasons, she realized explaining this to him was not going to work, so she just opened her mouth and imitated him. Even as she was rendering her verdict, he still didn’t seem to get it.
#1: Tupperware Lady
Plaintiff Karina Roy’s legendary testimony about an argument that started over misplaced Tupperware may have cemented her in the “Judge Judy” Hall of Fame as the most bizarre litigant. Her reenactment of the argument was an unhinged piece of performance art. As you can imagine, the judge didn’t much care for her over the top theatrics. In fact, she accused Roy of being unstable. However, you might be surprised to know that Roy, a.k.a. “The Tupperware Lady,” actually won her case. Judge Judy did believe the plaintiff was entitled to a partial amount of her lawsuit, and awarded her $199.92 and the return of some property.
