The ‘Hot Bench’ judges take us behind the robes (2024)
“Hot Bench” returned for its ninth season in October with new judges Rachel Juarez and Yodit Tewolde joining veteran jurist Michael Corriero, who’s been with “HB” since 2016.
The daytime court show, created by Judith “Judge Judy” Sheindlin, continues to draw solid viewership, averaging nearly 2 million daily viewers — tops in its genre among shows currently in production (“Judge Judy” ended its run of original episodes in 2021).
Juarez: I was most drawn to the educational aspect of the show and the platform it gives us to impart some legal knowledge with every case. It is also important for everyone to understand that “following the law” does not always produce the result that might feel the most fair or satisfying. It is my hope to try and introduce into our deliberations and verdicts a little bit of the “why” behind the law, so that our viewers will be able to more fully engage with the behind-the-scenes look they’re getting into the legal system.
Tewolde: My time as a prosecutor working with pro-se defendants [representing themselves], and experience as a defense attorney, allows me to bring an unexpected level of patience to the bench that most [people] aren’t used to when watching court shows. But, more importantly, my time on both sides of the aisle allows me to bring empathy to the bench. My experience working as a broadcast journalist covering trials is also helpful.
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Is there one case that’s resonated for you this season?
Juarez: We had a case earlier in the season involving a daycare owner who hired a van driver to transport a number of pre-school children to and from daycare. The driver was in an accident (fortunately while no children were in the van); however, we learned from testimony that his wife had encourage him to take the driving job to get out of the house — and to give him a vehicle to drive because he was such a bad driver that she would not let him drive her car. Some of the litigants (and our wonderful audience) found it “sweet” and “funny” that his wife recommended him for a driving job … I found it horrifying.
Tewolde: Although we seem some of the same issues come up, the litigants are so very different and make lasting impressions (both good and bad), so many cases resonate. The ones that really stand out, however, are those where we can help people heal in some way, particularly in cases involving feuding family members.
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How do you prepare for each case with so much ground to cover?
Juarez: It is so important to remember that these are real cases, and real litigants, who are entrusting us with adjudicating their real legal cases. For each case, I carefully read both the complaint and the answer and closely review any evidence that the litigants provide before coming to court. In addition, many cases require us to research and review specific laws or legal principles from different jurisdictions.
Tewolde: A lot of reading, researching, and thinking. We have one of the best research teams and they’re meticulous with the level of detail and background they provide to use for each case. While we are on television, NONE of these cases are scripted. This job requires a lot of diligence, thought and time.
Michael, how much of an adjustment was it to work with Yodit and Rachel?
Corriero: It wasn’t much of an adjustment … I loved my time with Tanya and Patricia, but relaunching the show with Yodit and Rachel has given us an opportunity to attract an even wider audience. We are the same show that our viewers have come to know and love, but the addition of Yodit and Rachel brings an exciting new energy, and a fresh new dynamic and perspective. It feels very natural to be sitting on the bench alongside them, which I think is reflected in our on-screen chemistry.
“Hot Bench” airs weekdays from 9 to 10 a.m. on WLNY/Ch. 55.
Last spring, two of Hot Bench's original judges, Patricia DiMango and Tanya Acker, made the decision to leave the CBS Media Ventures-distributed strip. They joined mentor Judge Judy Sheindlin's new panel court show, Tribunal, launching on Amazon Freevee, which also serves as Sheindlin's new TV home with Judy Justice.
Format. The series features a panel of three judges. The panel acts as an arbitral tribunal, and as with most televised court shows, the cases are a form of binding arbitration in which the litigants forgo their actual lawsuit in favor of appearing on the program.
Judges Michael Corriero, Rachel Juarez and Yodit Tewolde earned a wide variety of legal bona fides before joining the CBS series that hails from Judge Judy Sheindlin.
The judges receive the complaint and answer in advance and then use the examination to fill in the blanks. The process is speedy: They hear some 10 cases a day, and deliberation can be over in minutes. If plaintiffs prevail, the cases are paid out by the show; all litigants receive a small appearance fee.
Judge Judy and Hot Bench, CBS Media Ventures' genre-leading court shows, have been renewed through the 2025-26 TV season in more than 95% of the country, Greg Guenther, senior VP of domestic sales for CBS Media Ventures, said in a statement on Friday.
All of the TV judges who currently have programs on the air have been actual judges. None of the TV judge programs is an actual “trial,” in the legal sense of the word. The parties who appear on the TV judge programs are real litigants who have agreed to send their cases to binding arbitration.
The award limit on Judge Judy, as on most "syndi-court" shows (and most small claims courts in the U.S.), is $5,000. The award for each judgment is paid by the producers of the show from a fund reserved for the purpose. ... In addition to the appearance fee amount, litigants are paid $35 a day by the show.
Brown was sentenced to five days in jail, but was later released on his own recognizance. Brown surrendered to the Shelby County Sheriff on August 27, 2015, to serve his five-day sentence at the Shelby County Corrections Facility in Memphis.
According to many sources, "Judge Judy," like other courtroom shows, operated as a small-claims court, which limits awards to no more than $5,000. The shows' production companies pay the award, but participants get appearance fees as well as travel.
Originally from Eritrea, a country located in the Horn of Africa, Tewolde immigrated to the United States as an infant and was reared in Dallas, Texas.
The show prides itself on differing from other successful courtroom reality shows by having three different judges on the bench. Judge Michael Corriero, Judge Yodit Tewolde and Judge Rachel Juarez listen to actual court cases and work together to reach a verdict.
Generally speaking, the show will have a certain budget set aside for each case; this budget changes from show to show but can range between $1,000 to $10,000 per case.
Judge Judy and other reality-court shows generally depict an actual dispute where there was a previously filed lawsuit in a court of law. In return for appearing on the television show each litigant agrees to the arbitrator's decision. The TV show's decision, therefore, is final and not appealable.
Patricia DiMango, a former justice of the New York State Supreme Court in Kings County, has joined the firm as a mediator in matrimonial and family law cases. She retired from the bench after a nearly 20-year career, before becoming a television personality.
Michael Corriero, Rachel Juarez and Yodit Tewolde comprise the three-judge panel. HOT BENCH is produced by Big Ticket Pictures and Queen Bee Productions. It is distributed by CBS Media Ventures.
Introduction: My name is Horacio Brakus JD, I am a lively, splendid, jolly, vivacious, vast, cheerful, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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