Judge Judy’s Wildest Cases Ever — ‘Rigor Mortis Stew,’ Anyone?

Between her nearly-25-year run on Judge Judy and her nearly-five-year Judy Justice era, Judy Sheindlin has adjudicated countless small-claims disputes. And soon, viewers will see her preside over her TV courtroom for the final time.

Sheindlin revealed recently she’s heading off camera when Judy Justice ends its run this October, leaving the on-air judgments to son Adam Levy and his new show, Adam’s Law.

But fans of Sheindlin’s no-nonsense approach — and her zany docket of cases — will surely miss her once she’s gone. Below, see our selections for her wildest cases. (And if you think we missed one, don’t just hold us in contempt — give your testimony in the comment section!)

9. Amy Schumer makes a cameo

Judge Judy viewers were surprised to see comedian Amy Schumer sitting in the front row of the gallery in a 2017 episode (and making exaggerated reactions to that day’s court proceedings). On Twitter, Schumer said she was a big fan of the show.

8. Gallery member gets the boot

Sheindlin didn’t have patience for one gallery member during one of her cases, perhaps the same one who could be heard laughing loudly whenever she made a wisecrack. “Out. Out,” the judge told the audience member, who looked started to be in the spotlight. “Just go! Say nothing!”

7. Man makes “joke” about Sheindlin’s daughter

Another episode had a defendant claiming to have fathered 10 children with “about four” women. When Sheindlin asked what the man meant by “about four,” he replied, “About four of them… including, um, your daughter.” The judge, as you might imagine, was not amused.

6. Johnny Rotten meets Judge Judy

John Lydon, better known to punk rock fans as Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten, appeared on Judge Judy as a defendant in 1997, per Pioneer Press. A drummer named Robert Williams had sued Lydon for $5,000 in lost wages and alleged the rocker had headbutted him.

In the end, Sheindlin ruled in favor of Lydon, who told Entertainment Tonight he “advise[d] everyone in Hollywood to follow suit” and seek justice from Sheindlin. (“Well, that’s very nice,” the TV judge replied. “Maybe he’ll send me a record, and maybe I’ll listen to it.”)

5. The courtroom is rocked — literally

In 2008, Judge Judy cameras were rolling when a 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck Southern California, according to the Associated Press. Sheindlin, alarmed, left the bench, and panicked gallery members rushed toward the exit.

4. The judge ear-pieces together the truth

In one memorable case, an 18-year-old plaintiff accused a defendant of stealing her purse, saying there was $50 in cash, IDs, gift cards, earpiece, and a calculator inside. “There was no earpiece in there, ma’am,” the defendant interjected, as his self-incrimination made members of the gallery gasp.

3. A Judge Judy plaintiff faces criminal charges

In 2010, Joshua Mulvey of Spokane, Washington, faced new criminal charges after a Judge Judy viewer recognized him as the man who allegedly conned him out of $2,500, according to The Seattle Times. On the show, Mulvey sued an ex-girlfriend for compensation for the car he had sold to support her financially, but Sheindlin determined Mulvey had sold the car fraudulently.

In real-life court proceedings, on the other hand, investigators believed Mulvey had arranged a criminal scheme targeting people who responded to bogus Craigslist ads for cars for sale. After the Judge Judy episode aired and a viewer ID’d Mulvey, investigators added theft charges to the previous 10 counts he was facing at the time.

2. Fake case turns into convertible joyride

In 2014, former Judge Judy defendant Jonathan Coward told Vice his 2010 case on the show — in which his friend Kate Levitt sued him for trashing her house and killing her cat — was entirely made up. He, Levitt, and a friend who appeared on Judge Judy as a character witness split the $1,250 Kate was awarded and the $250 Coward earned for his appearance, Coward added.

“After we left the taping, we took our food stipend, went to a dispensary, rented a next-year model convertible red Mustang, and we drove that past the studio and sat outside for a second, just like, tempting fate, flicking off Judge Judy for a moment,” he added. “Then we went to Musso & Frank’s and used our money to have a lavish, silly lunch, then took the convertible to Malibu and hung out in a hot tub with friends and drank champagne all day.”

1. Woman sues her “deer” sister

A woman sued her sister in one Judge Judy episode, alleging the sister took her car without permission and then hit a deer, damaging the car. The defendant said she then ate the deer, which her sister confirmed. “She even offered me some, but I’m not having rigor mortis stew,” the plaintiff said.