90-Day Suspension Recommended for Rude ‘Judge Judy’
A Seattle-area small claims and traffic-court judge is once again facing punishment for rude behavior on the bench.
Washington state’s Judicial Conduct Commission is recommending a 90-day suspension for Judge Judith Eiler, known as King County’s “Judge Judy,” the Associated Press reports.
The commission said Eiler cut off defendants as they were speaking and belittled them, according to the story. Witnesses “felt they did not have the opportunity to present their case; that they were scolded, intimidated, mistreated and threatened that their case would be decided not upon the facts, but upon how they responded to the judge,” the opinion said.
A dissenting commission member said there is no evidence that Eiler made incorrect decisions or that her integrity was in question.
Eiler underwent behavior therapy with an emphasis on sensitivity training after she received a reprimand in 2005 for impatient and rude behavior.
Eiler’s lawyer, Anne Bremner, says her client is simply a no-nonsense judge with a high caseload.
“Her name is Judge Judy, but she’s not like ‘Judge Judy’ on TV,” Bremner told AP. “She’s a very tough, old-fashioned judge and she loves what she does. She wants people to be better for having appeared before her.”
