Top 10 Funniest Judge Judy Moments

Sometimes, it’s a wonder how litigants on court shows can stop themselves from blurting out obscenities. Well, this plaintiff didn’t bother trying. Raven Miyamoto’s case against Dache Williams resulted in some petty murmurings between the two that played out right in the courtroom. We might have forgiven Miyamoto for the slip the first time around but when she proudly repeated herself a second time, all bets were off for Judge Judy. Both of their cases were thrown out. Legend has it the defendant is still asking about her countersuit.

Neighbor disputes are common on “Judge Judy.” However, when your neighbor starts an actual protest against you, you know things have gone a little too far. This entry is about a different neighbor protest, and is actually from the very first episode. It featured a really charming, if a little daffy, woman named Mia Lord, who was dissatisfied with a third party neighbor’s noises – that may or may not have just been a result of the way the houses were built. Lord’s response was to play music and alarms loudly so that the entire neighborhood would join her in protest against the offending neighbor. Instead, this landed her in the courtroom with the plaintiffs who were seeking a good night’s sleep.

Co-defendants Patrick Valdivia-Minsel and Rachel Bachakes were accused of squatting in a room they rented for several months. The judge already seemed unimpressed with their sense of entitlement. Their defense, that they didn’t pay because the apartment was illegal, and then they didn’t have the money to move, doesn’t wash with Judge Judy. The best part is when she asked Valdivia-Minsel to flex his muscles. Stupidly, he did, and proudly, too. Then came the smackdown. She told him to get a job. He had no idea it was coming, which just makes it that much more priceless.

The defendant’s witness in this case is clearly the star of her own show. Talking back to the judge is never a great idea, but when you’re this wrong and this far in denial, it’s really just entertaining for the rest of us. With witnesses like Karla Sanchez Lopez, who needs enemies? If anything, her smugness and disrespect only made the defendant look sketchier than she already did. She has a lot to say, but once the judge lays into her, it’s doubly hilarious to watch her actively trying not to respond. It’s a losing battle. The layers of arrogance on display here are awe-inspiring.

Another one from the very first episode. Audiences got to see the judge’s characteristic toughness as well as her sense of humor and gentleness with children. This case had Judge Judy questioning a young boy who was bit by a dog. It’s a sad case as the boy is clearly traumatized. But, when she first calls him to the stand, it’s not so serious quite yet. She asks Adam if he knows the difference between the truth and a lie. To test him, she goes through a series of questions with obvious correct answers. Our favorite is the last question, and Adam passes with flying colors. Even Officer Byrd smiles, and longtime watchers will know just how rare that is.

“Judge Judy” is classic daytime TV. But this case started to resemble something that you could only air after hours. The plaintiff’s adult novelty business took a hit when the defendant failed to return some items. Even Judge Judy seemed shocked that these were all about to be read aloud. Not only that, but some of the items that were returned had been, in the plaintiff’s words, “used.” Listing these novelty items out for the court, the plaintiff kept a straight face, even if nobody else could. Frankly, the secondhand embarrassment is almost too much.

The next time you wrong somebody, why not send them home with a nice pot of stew? Just make sure it’s not stew made with meat from the animal you hit with their car. Sisters Eve and Carol Dettenheim are in court because Carol hit a deer with Eve’s car, which she had taken without permission. Carol clearly knows how to make the best of a bad situation. Instead of letting all that good meat go to waste, she ate the deer. Carol even made her sister a peace offering. Eve’s contention that she did not want any “rigor mortis stew” is probably one of the most unintentionally funny things ever said in Judge Judy’s courtroom.

Plaintiff Karina Roy is suing Nicole Tzimeas for assault and wrongful eviction after a heated argument over Tupperware. In describing the incident, Roy can’t help but launch into amateur theatrics. But the hilarious thing is her performance just makes a benign event seem all the more ridiculous to be in court over. We don’t know who’s more relatable in this case. Is it the audience, who keep looking at each other, clearly wondering if this can possibly be real? Is it the judge, who keeps having to remind Roy that this isn’t community theater? How the Tupperware-flinging defendant can even sleep at night is beyond us.

Judge Judy is not one for dramatic reenactments. She’ll just take the facts, please. Dr. Noel Howell presented himself fairly professionally during most of the case, but when it came to describing the plaintiff’s drunken antics, things threatened to go off the rails. Mid-testimony, he launched into a very loud and suggestive demonstration of her behavior while under the influence on a movie set. The audience, and even Howell’s witness, can’t keep it together. The judge doesn’t lose her cool, but do we see the slightest hint of a smile on her face? Actually, probably not – but it had us dying of laughter just the same.

If you ever want to feel smarter, just take a look at the defendants in this case. The plaintiff, Ginny Paradeza, accused them of stealing her purse. When the judge asks her to list off the items that were in the purse at the time that it was stolen, one of the accused takes issue with Paradeza’s claims. Without missing a beat, he insists there was no earpiece in the purse, not even realizing he just confessed to the crime. Justice is rarely ever this swift. The co-defendants have gone down in history as two of the dumbest litigants ever to appear on “Judge Judy.” But maybe we’ve been too hard on them. What they’ve done for the culture can’t be overstated.

Which of these hilarious moments left you speechless? Catch your breath and tell us in the comments.