Stern but even-handed judge made ‘The People’s Court’ a hit

let millions of viewers know that no matter how seemingly insignificant their legal disputes, they too were entitled to their day in court.

“People think I’m kind and considerate, and that I listen and evaluate, and give each part y a chance to talk,” Wapner said in an interview just as “The People’s Court” was becoming a nationwide hit.

NICK UT / ASSOCIATED PRESS 1989 Judge Joseph A. Wapner (left), of TV’s “The People’s Court” congratulates his son, Judge Frederick N. Wapner, in 1989 after he became a Municipal Court judge in Los Angeles.