Top 10 Times Judge Mathis was Savage

A landlord sues a former tenant for property damage. He also alleges that the defendant offered an alternative payment method for her rent that we’ll just say isn’t exactly above board. Judge Mathis can’t help himself. This is too crazy for words. The jokes start flying almost immediately. Everyone falls apart with laughter when the judge jokingly points out that the plaintiff isn’t suing for rent, so it must have worked out between them. The only one who doesn’t find it funny is the plaintiff’s wife, who’s sitting next to him in court. It’s hilarious but also uncomfortable.

Plaintiff Maridel Negron gets more than she bargained for when she sues her daughter for rent. Jessica Flores’ story of her mother’s substance use disorder is heartbreaking, detailing neglect and abuse that the plaintiff conveniently left out of her side of the story. But the judge has heard all this before. He’s not going to let Negron get away scot free, especially when she tries to trivialize her daughter’s experiences with her. At a certain point, he gets tired of her excuses and contempt for him and the court. She’d rather flee the room than listen to him telling her what he thinks of her.

A lawsuit over mishandled funds from the sale of a truck raises alarm bells with the judge right away. The defendant isn’t great at explaining herself, but it’s clear she feels taken advantage of. Luckily, she has loads of evidence. The plaintiff then finds he can’t explain what happened to the money the defendant clearly wired to him. But the man’s double talk and lies speak for themselves. When he finally strikes the gavel down, Mathis dresses the plaintiff down and points out the inconsistencies in his story. The truth is, he’s been around the block, and he knows a conman when he sees one.

Two former friends sue each other for defamation, and the details get awfully embarrassing pretty fast. But amid the mudslinging and allegations, it’s an unfortunate photo that has the judge most concerned. Plaintiff Jamelia Pierce posted what we can only assume is an explicit shot of the defendant, as the photo itself is blurred out. These photos are so embarrassing that Mathis insists the plaintiff should do jail time for it. Luckily for her, it’s not a criminal court. While he doesn’t think it meets the standard for defamation, it definitely meets the standard for indecency.

Lunchroom conflict turns violent and expensive for one mother, who sues the mother of her son’s tormentor. The defendant Clarice Ross doesn’t take it seriously at all. In fact, she laughs as the plaintiff tells her side of the story, and she insists that her son is the victim here. Ross’s story doesn’t make much sense to begin with, but Judge Mathis clears things up right away. He tells both children to stand up, and the audience guffaws when they see the defendant’s son has a whole foot on the other boy. Judge Mathis takes this about as seriously as he should, which is to say, not at all.

When you come into Judge Mathis’ courtroom, the bare minimum is respect. One thing you should absolutely not do is lecture a judge on legal procedures. That’s exactly what the plaintiff’s witness tries to do in this case. When the judge has a reasonable question about why no one filed any police reports over alleged incidents of violence, she chimes in with a nonsensical take on how restraining orders work. Not only does she have no idea what she’s talking about, she also has the nerve to act like a man who went to law school and is a literal judge should take lessons from her. He thanks her for the lesson before putting her out.

In this case about assault, property damage, and substance use disorder, the confrontational defendant grates on the judge’s last nerves. Jessica Hercules can barely contain her attitude when the judge asks her some fairly simple questions. But her belligerence and evasion makes him even more determined to get the truth out of her. Annoyed by her aggression, he asks her point blank if she’s been to jail. He then gives her some advice for when she goes before a judge on substance use charges – although it’s hard not to think he means the advice is for when, not if, she eventually goes to jail. Needless to say, this case doesn’t go well for her.

The judge saw himself in the plaintiff, a young man who lost both his parents and moved in with his aunt and uncle to escape the streets. What he found there was an uncle who was more interested in power tripping than helping him. Judge Mathis tore the defendant a new one. On the verge of tears, he was working on pure rage and anguish on the plaintiff’s behalf. He realizes the defendant doesn’t know the difference between tough love and just being tough. The judge is never short on wisdom, but he’s rarely as emotionally involved as he is here.

There’s an old saying. “Say it, forget it. Write it, regret it.” Well, that goes out the window when you leave a voicemail full of racial slurs that gets played on national TV. Plaintiff Laura Borden plays her sister’s expletive-laden, racist tirade to the court. Defendant Rebecca Proehl’s use of a racial slur elicits a grimace from Judge Mathis. She misunderstands the point he’s making about discrimination, and he can’t help but take the opportunity to make sure she knows just how pitiful she is. When the judge tells her he’ll pray for her, she can’t even comprehend that it’s not a compliment.

It’s easily one of the craziest cases in the history of the show. The plaintiff in this case is the target of a campaign of unpaid loans, harassment, racism, false allegations, and violence at the hands of his ex and her new boyfriend. That boyfriend was arrested for stabbing the plaintiff and has the nerve to countersue for the money he had to pay to get out of jail and for losing his job. The judge tells him exactly what he thinks of his audacity. Apparently, his job is not the only thing he lost. You know you got roasted when the Judge Mathis’ audience bursts into applause.

Did these moments give you a secondhand burn? Let us know in the comments.