Top 10 Surprisingly Wholesome Judge Judy Moments

Carlos Campos is suing a hair stylist for cutting his hair too short. He feels this entitles him to the court maximum of $5,000. The fact that the judge doesn’t throw Mr. Campos out immediately is probably a testament to how charming he is. This case is a gigantic waste of time. Every time he tries to wax poetic about the American judicial system, she cuts him off. Whether he’s genuine or just looking for TV time, Campos is clearly here to have his day in court. He pulls out all the stops, even calling the judge cute at one point. It doesn’t get him his money but it sure is entertaining.

Anyone who watches “Judge Judy” knows that dogs are one of her soft spots. In this case, plaintiff Wendy Kish is suing a groomer for injuring her dog. She brings Lucy, an adorable poodle, to court with her and holds her above the podium so we can see her. Lucy behaves herself at first. Then, she starts barking mid-case. Judge Judy can’t help but smile as the dog demands to tell her side of the story. It’s a necessary bright spot in a case that’s a little depressing. But it’s just more proof that whenever there’s a dog in her courtroom, Judge Sheindlin is in a much better mood.

An elderly woman who quotes Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi arrives in Judge Judy’s courtroom with a noble cause. Shockingly, she’s on the defendant’s side. Mia Lord plays her radio at full blast all day to protest the noise her next door neighbor is making. The plaintiffs live on the same street and are caught in the crossfire. Lord is pretty daffy, even by “Judge Judy” standards. She thinks she’s a modern-day crusader for justice. She’s less concerned with the lawsuit against her than she is with bringing her noise complaint to the masses. The judge is charmed by the woman, even though she’s dead wrong. We’re just glad she’s not our neighbor.

Sometimes, Officer Byrd is just there to pass papers back and forth and do his crossword puzzles. Other times, he’s there to keep Judge Judy in touch with the youth. As she hacks her way through the minutiae of this case about an unpaid loan, Byrd can’t help but laugh as she retranslates the defendant’s explanations in her own words. But when the defendant uses a term Judge Sheindlin isn’t familiar with, she asks her faithful bailiff for an assist. The judge may know the law, but now, when a litigant says the word “holla,” she’ll know what it means.

Young Aiden Nolan tells the judge about having to climb through a window to get into his house because he forgot his key. He laughs at himself for not realizing there was a spare key in the garage. The judge actually laughs with him. Longtime viewers know this is a rare sight. Judge Judy mostly just laughs at her litigants. Or she cackles menacingly because she wants to make someone feel stupid for lying to her. It’s fun to see her actually enjoying herself, although it is almost just as chilling to see her laugh in earnest.

In the very first episode of “Judge Judy,” Sheindlin was still finding her footing as a TV personality. Back in the old days, she wasn’t so impatient. When she asks a boy who was bitten by a dog to come up and tell her what happened, she tests his ability to distinguish the truth from a lie. She sets him up for a slam dunk answer about the judge being a young and beautiful woman. He passes her test with flying colors. It isn’t just a great moment for us at home, but it makes him more comfortable to tell her what she needs to know to make a ruling in his parents’ case.

This moment is from another case from the early seasons of the show. This episode involves a couple disputing the visitation rights for a dog named Terry that they purchased together. Unable to rule on the case, Judge Judy has a very novel solution. While she can’t award the plaintiff the dog or the amount he’s suing his ex for, the judge clearly feels for him, and comes up with the best possible solution. She brings a dog from backstage to give the plaintiff instead. This is definitely not normal protocol, but it does the trick. The plaintiff affectionately calls the dog “Terry 2.”

Former friends end up in Judge Judy’s courtroom over allegations about a broken TV and a destroyed mattress. A case about property damage isn’t usually this cute, but the plaintiff’s young son, Bryson, is the star of the show. Anyone would be nervous in front of the judge. Bryson is one of the most poised and confident witnesses ever seen on “Judge Judy,” and he’s only six years old. Even though he can’t tell her what she needs to know, his testimony is hilarious.

Questioning the plaintiff about the dental injury he’s suing for, the judge takes issue with how long it took for him to seek medical care for an incident that happened in July. She repeats the word, “July,” to drive the point home. He misunderstands her in the most hilarious way possible. He insists he’s not lying. And he says it with so much conviction it’s hard not to feel bad for him. The judge’s impatience melts away almost instantly. She can’t help but look at Officer Byrd in disbelief before they both fall apart with laughter at his mistake.

In this “Judge Judy” classic, she demonstrates that sometimes common sense trumps the law. The defendant has been accused of keeping the plaintiff’s dog, knowing full well it belongs to them. Well, the judge thinks of only one way to settle it. She asks the defendant to bring the dog into the courtroom and let him decide. As slimy as the defendant is, when the pup runs directly across the room to its real owners, it’s hard not to clap along with the assembled audience. No legal argument could contend with hard evidence. The plaintiff gets their dog back, and the defendant gets their karma.

What’s your favorite “Judge Judy” moment? Tell us in the comments.