Judge Judy Makes How Much?!!

2 min read

Television Judge Judy Sheindlin, known for her testy exchanges with clients in her court, is getting notoriety for being by far the highest paid person on the small screen. Her current agreement with CBS-TV is for a salary of over $47 million per year, and the show brings in an incredible $200 million a year for CBS, while costing only $10 million a year to produce.

While all these millions sound like outrageous court costs, the Poppe Law Firm^® would like to remind our readers that Judge Judy’s show is not an actual court of law. Instead, she a mediator, where the parties have contracted to have their claim heard and decided by her.

Judge Judy’s staggering salary places her far ahead of her nearest competition, Daily Show host Jon Stewart and Today Show host Matt Lauer, who clock in at near $30 million and $25 million, respectively.

Judy Sheindlin has had a long legal career, beginning as a New York City prosecutor in the family court system. Eventually she became an actual judge, serving as Manhattan’s supervising family court judge, where she presided over all major family law matters for the Big Apple.

As a judge, Sheindlin earned a reputation for being quick-witted and often harsh, which easily helped her segue into television beginning in 1996. Since its premiere, Judge Judy has been one of the highest rated programs in daytime television.

Here at the Poppe Law Firm^®, we are always glad to see an American success story like Judge Judy’s. However, while Judge Judy’s multimillion-dollar courtroom is doing well, courtrooms in Kentucky and Indiana have been chronically underfunded.

The University of Kentucky has recently conducted research into the terrible consequences a lack of state court funding could have in making sure wrongs are righted and justice is done in our nation’s courtrooms. In the future, maybe all courts will be on TV… ya know, the office could use a couple of Emmy’s in the conference room.