Whe Judge Judy "writes an order " is it really enforceable ?

serpa

TV court show sets are designed to look like courtrooms and the judges wear robes, sit on benches, and use gavels. But they're not court rooms and they're not real trials presided over by real judges (though they are real cases - the producers often contact parties who have pending litigation in small claims court and offer them the opportunity to appear on TV instead). What you're seeing on these TV court shows may look like small claims court and quack like small claims court, but it's really just arbitration playing dress up in small claims court's clothes.... The power that Judge Judy and the rest of the TV arbitrators have over the disputing parties is granted by a contract, specific to their case, that they sign before appearing on the show. These contracts make the arbitrators' decision final and binding, prevent the disputing parties from negotiating the terms of the arbitration, and allow the "judges" wide discretion on procedural and evidentiary rules during the arbitration.... If one party or the other doesn't like the arbitrator's decision, that's too bad. They already signed the agreement. The decision can really only be successfully appealed if it addresses a matter outside the scope of the contract. In 2000, Judge Judy had one of her decisions overturned for that reason by the Family Court of Kings County. In the case B.M. v. D.L., the parties appeared in front of Sheindlin to solve a personal property dispute. Sheindlin ruled on that dispute, but also made a decision on the parties' child custody and visitation rights. One of the parties appealed in court, and the family court overturned the custody and visitation part of the decision because they weren't covered by the agreement to arbitrate. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/114750 Mar 29 12, 5:04 PM