Officer Byrd is nothing but professional as he appear on the television, but he is known off screen for his sense of humor. According to the judge herself he is particularly well known for his impressions. One time his humor went a little too far and almost cost him his job.
While he was still working in New York with Judge Sheindlin, he put on her robe and glasses and began to imitate some of Judy’s best lines. The Judge Judy her fans know and love happened to walk in on the display.
The Competition
It was back in 1993 that Joseph Wapner was released from his work on the popular "The People's Court" program. Judy took it on herself to ring the network and ask if perhaps they wanted her to host the show instead of Wapner.
The receptionist on the other end of the line wasn't very impressed with her somewhat insane caller and quickly hung up on the future superstar. The rest of course in history.
No Thanks
The show was not originally intended to be named after its star but rather, "Hot Bench", which is actually a real term in appellate court. Judy actually insisted the show not be named after her. Producers, however, didn't think Hot Bench would mean anything to casual viewers with no background in the courts.
They considered the title, "Judge Justice" for a little while, but producers continued to push for their star and eventually she allowed her name to go on the show. She has been irreplaceable from the start.
The Look
It's not just the defendants and litigators who must follow special rules in Judge Judy's presence. The extras that sit in the audience must also follow rules of the court. Like defendants the extras must be dressed to impress when they come on set. They cannot wear anything with logos or brand names. To quote the judge herself, “I am not going to ask you to leave.
But, the next time you come into my courtroom, dress more appropriately. You are not going to a beach party.” Everyone needs to be on their best behavior when they come before Judge Judy.
Doing The Math
How does Judge Judy maintain such a short and compact schedule? She enjoys five days of filming because she only has to film three days every other week during a single month. That's about two weeks a month, though that also means filming up to 12 cases in a single day.
The Judge doesn't seem to mind. Three days of filming can mean up to 36 taped cases in one month.