The Judge Mathis Show

For audience members, I recommend attending a morning taping rather than an afternoon taping. There’s still some waiting but generally not as much. You also get to see more cases.
Judge Mathis is a smart, entertaining man. Doyle Devereaux does a good job entertaining the audience before the taping begins.
Potential litigants should be somewhat wary. It’s a TV show designed to draw viewers and not necessarily to do justice. Embarrassing and legally irrelevant details about the litigants are brought out all the time. If getting the right result is your priority, you should probably stay with the regular court system. But if you want your 15 minutes of fame, then go on the show.

Once you get into the actual studio and things start going, 5 stars all the way!
The disorganization and waiting that drags on & on prior for hours with no direction, 1 star!
1 + ⁵⁄₂ = 3 star average rating. I’m good at maths & stuffs.
My friend and I were offered tickets to be in the audience from The Judge Mathis show while we were attending Lakeview Taco Fest. We also were given a bottle of Judge Mathis’ hot sauce! Who knew such a condiment existed?! Our time finally came around yesterday evening and it was quite an experience filled with death threats (mine while waiting in line, no one actually in the court room), a ton of laughter, a lot of shaking my head in disgust, but overall I left pleased with the experience.
The Judge Mathis show asks audience members to arrive at 3pm and plan on being there for 4.5 hours. Pro-​Tip — Don’t get there early! Zero point. In fact, get there 15 minutes late.
2:40−3:05pm — We waited in a small line on the side at the entrance of the NBC Tower as the main line was occupied by Steve Harvey audience members. I stood there jealous as the coordinators explained to them how they can ask Steve questions & would end up with gift bags in the end.
3:05pm — Moved to the main line and I thought this meant we would enter the studio any second because of our 3pm call time!
3:05pm-3:45pm — Standing. No communication. Felt like a sausage. Some crazy lady was staring deep into my soul through my eyeballs & I made awkward eye contact with her once every 5 minutes. Nothing at all happened as we all stood getting frustrated, feeling confused and I heard many death threats including my own.
3:45−4:15pm — Action! Just kidding. They totally tricked us. A security guy acted like now was the time, but no, it was just time to give up our only item to help with the wait — our phones & all electronic devices. They took all phones, put them in manila envelopes and I’m sure assumed no liability for any lost or stolen goods. After 3:45, the waiting continued. But now it continued with no communication to the outside world. Also, my friend didn’t put his tiny pocket knife in the envelope so I was 99% sure, he would be detained in jail while I attended the taping, then would have to scrounge up bail money afterwards to rescue him and I’m sure then end up right back at Judge Mathis with me suing him for not paying me back. Good news, my 1% uncertainty won out and we were fine.
4:15−4:30pm — After our 90 minute wait, we finally moved! They started to funnel people through the security check & metal detector (my friend’s pocket knife somehow made it through so I’m not sure this was entirely useful and definitely didn’t make me feel at ease). Then guess what we did?! We waited in another line! They fooled me again thinking the time had come for some fun! This line was just past the metal detector & we were even more smooshed as we were commanded to MOVE UP!
4:30−4:40pm — We were moved from the last line to a new line — The elevator line!!! We were taken in groups up in there elevator. This process was handled by one man grabbing 15 people from the line, taking them up this freight elevator (I was thinking a Following popup murder could happen quite easily with all the tiny pocket knives smuggled in & being in this cramped elevator and feared for my life), then depositing us all into a holding room.
4:40−5:30pm — Sat around in a holding room. Huge TV in the room that’s not on. Remember no phones. No food or drinks. There is a vending machine (that doesn’t give change) and a bathroom if you need them. So this is just time to sit in silence, talk to your friends or listen in on highly annoying & pretentious conversations of the two chicks sitting behind you.
5:30−5:40pm — They started getting people to line up to enter the studio by calling names from a sheet but after people were slow getting up or not responding, they just decided to go by row.
5:40−5:50pm — Waiting outside the studio in the hallway with all the props. This was a cool place to wait in line looking at all the background things but sadly without a camera, no evidence that this happened.
5:50−6pm — Taken into the studio! It’s happening! We were ushered in, the audience coordinators (who were way nice & funny & organized) were very strategic in their seating arrangements and I enjoyed watching them pick where people would sit. The bailiff Doyle — AMAZING! DOYLE IS HILARIOUS! Loved him. He was giving us show background, answering questions and just really funny.
6−7pm — We watched 3 cases ranging from hilarious to heartbreaking but Judge Mathis was great! Spot on in everything he says & in a funny way. This hour made up for my previous hours of pain. Made the experience completely worth it and I’d do it again.
Watch for me in April 2016 on the show! I was sat front & center by the defendant stand so my mug can grace television sets across the U S of A! Good thinking, audience coordinators.

Was so excited to get free tickets to a viewing of the Judge Mathis show. For being on the air for 17 season, you would think they would have there crap together. Originally we were told to arrive at 3pm, and we would receive a confirmation call. When we did not receive the call, we emailed and at that point they stated we should arrive at 2pm. Long story short we get there at 1:30pm just to be herded around like cattle from room to room. When we finally get into the court room around 5:30pm, we heard 3 cases. We were in the courtroom maybe 45mins. The only bright spot was free subway. We wasted a whole day getting down to the show, waiting for the show, then driving home. 1 quarter of a subway sandwich, chips and a can of pop does not make up for the waste of time and disrespect shown to my group as well everyone else that were there that day. DON’T TAKE FREE TICKETS TO THIS SHOW, IT’S NOT WORTH IT!

Justice!!! I had to wait what seemed like a long time before we filmed but so what. They put me in a nice hotel. Limos for transportation. Bought me dinner the night before, supplied lunch the day we filmed. Everyone who worked there was friendly and helpful but the best part by far is the judge himself. Judge Mathis is awesome. He saw right through the b.s. the defendant was trying to say, called him out then ruled in my favor! Bam, cash in hand for an appearance fee. Also, checks in the mail! My new favorite show. Im glad I accepted their offer rather than go through the courts like I originally intended

First, be patient it’s a long wait — it’s a tv show that par for the course-​staff is fine, some guest expect to be treated like royality? None of the staff we’re «thuggish» I’d question that description, although you do or can tell their hiding information a «need to know» kinda thing. It’s court TV not Steve Harvey (daytime relationships crap) — I know the show is real — although the people are so rehearsed I can see it looks that fake way-​no different then my experience at judge Judy … It’s worth at least one visit for sure.

For anyone who wants justice. Do not go to this show!!! They find you from small court claim and the producers will convince you to go. DON’T DO IT!!! You will be humiliated and your case might not even pay out. The judge does whatever he wants. Also, if you win, the person you are suing does not have to pay. The show pays you. The whole show is fake. They are like any other show where they want dirt on your personal life so they can exploit it. If you do go onto the show, make sure you ask how much you are getting for appearance fee or else they will pay you whatever. If you bring a witness, all they are getting is $ 5. I would never show again. Not even worth it for 15 min of fame and they don’t even pay you.

Judge Mathis is definitely my favorite of all the TV judges. Yesterday, my sister and I attended a taping. I was so excited until we were herded like cattle in a very non-​air conditioned lobby and I tripped on a randomly placed, rolled up rug. Before we finally entered the «court room» we had waited in line for almost 2 hours.
So, we finally get in and I was giddy. I couldn’t wait for the cases to start. The cases were full of drama in including one with a marriage proposal! Unfortunately, Judge Mathis did not visit with the audience which was sad, sad for me. Also bring your own snacks/​drinks, as they do not give you any trouble. I still love Judge Mathis, despite all the waiting, sweating and no bathroom breaks. Overall it was fun, would go again but maybe attend the morning session. Or Steve Harvey. Have a good day.

Yikes! I knew this was tv and didn’t expect much but the whole ordeal left me unsettled. After I traveled all day from the west coast, I was picked up early the next morning only to wait, and wait. I was there all day… and I finally realized I was going to miss my flight. Oh don’t worry… they’ll book you another one. I just wanted to go home. Mr Mathis is neither fair or intelligent. He made an incorrect statement that victims of PTSD are violent which is a stereotype and not true. Geesh Mr. Mathis… I didn’t know you were a mental health expert as well! Oh well. It is what it is. I am disappointed how I was treated and how he stereotyped mental illness. I had 1 ½ hour to get through the airport and almost missed my flight. 2 days of airports and cold sandwiches.

This past Friday, my Gf and I went to the taping of the Judge Mathis show.
Thankfully I read these reviews so expectations were set low.
After watching many shows taped in Los Angeles, I knew it took time.
If you want to be on camera, wear a bright top like yellow.
Have hair done up.
Waits were reasonable.
Expect long sits with bathroom breaks not easy once they get to taping.
Lost count but think we were there from 9:30 am till 4 pm and saw 12 cases taped.
Cell phones taken the moment we got there.
Security like at ORD.
If you get cold easily, wear long underware. You will thank me for this, cause I don’t get cold easy and was very cool the entire taping.
Towards end studio smelled like truck exhaust, probably a one time occurrence.
Cory is super nice.
Doyle very funny, Likes to crack jokes about defendant or loosing participants.
One funny part, I had called the number they give on the show to no avail, even used a fake name and fained accents.
Not till we saw a booth at a festival in Chicago did we get Cory’s number and were able to attend.
Lots of fun, highly recommend it!!!

Just don’t…while tickets are free, the experience is painfully priceless.
I was told it would last from about 9am til possibly 4 or 5 pm, that’s a long day. Phones are confiscated at the security checkpoint. The group, I guessed about 70 people, were jammed in into a tiny waiting room lined with hard bottomed seats. Communication by staff to the group is not good, very limited and vague. We sat for a good 2 hours in that room without anyone giving us an idea as to when we’d be moving into the «courtroom». There is a TV screen in this tiny room but NO it’s not on, would have been nice to have some kind of entertainment after they took away our phones.
Finally we were herded down the hall towards the courtroom but then the back half of us, the half I was in, was halted in a drafty hallway near all the props because they already started taping the show. There was NO way they were going to fit the entire group into that courtroom but that’s not what they told us. We sat in the drafty hall for at least an hour. Then we finally got a bit of «good news», we were going to be fed lunch. We were herded back to the tiny room for 2″ subway subs… yes, TWO inch subs. There weren’t enough sandwiches for the other half of the group when they were finally brought back during a taping break because people were rudely taking 3 – 4 sandwiches.
After my microscopic sub, I decided enough was enough. I couldn’t take it anymore and faked ill just to break free of the prison that is this shows organization. As I was waiting for them to bring me my phone, the guy managing the group had the balls to ask if I had some Tylenol with me I could take so I could stay til the end. He’s just lucky I’m polite because behind my smile I was reeling with a mouthful of profanity and reasons that would not be best.
The entire experience was a nightmare and I’m only mentioning half of the headache inducing events. I am appalled I let them use and abuse my time as long as I did. At least I got a 2 inch sandwich out of my 3+hours testing my patience… I went straight for a REAL lunch as soon as I left.
It took me months to calm down enough to finally write this review. I can’t stomach watching this show anymore.

Today I attended a taping of the Judge Mathis Show and I am
a bit torn as I write this review because while mostly my experience today was positive there were also some irritating negatives.
I was told to be there by 3pm and actually I was there before 2:30pm since I am never late anywhere and old habits die hard.
We had formed a line inside the lobby of NBC which was fine but then
show security informed us that the mornings show tapings were running behind.
Okay, so sometimes things happen, I get that.
So, we made it upstairs to the waiting room and the staff brought us
in refreshments, a nice touch from the staff, Thank You!
The problem was that we never actually got into the studio until after
6pm, by that time I was feeling a little cranky.:(
Now folks, we were previously informed that cameras, recording devices
and such were not permitted, funny how many times the metal detector went off as we went through security! People need to grow up and follow the rules
Okay, that was the negative, onto the positive and where shall I start?
Lots of positive here.:)
We were introduced to Doyle Devereaux, who is Judge Mathis’s Baliff,
Doyle is actually quite the funny guy, warmed up the audience perfectly
told lots of really funny jokes, I think Doyle may have a side job doing stand up comedy, he was entertaining for sure!
Props to you Doyle, you are one cool guy!
We were seated in the Courtroom, these are real cases that have been filed in small claims court so this is the real deal.
Actually, one of the cases was concerning a pizza place 2 blocks
from my apartment, don’t think I’ll be going there anytime soon.:(
I had a great seat on the Defendants side where I had a pretty great view of Judge Mathis, I liked this!
The courtroom was packed to capacity and we actually saw 6 different cases today, such a variety of people/​cases, I know this is serious stuff but there was some big time laughter going on in this 6 case session tonight, this was some great entertainment.
I want to say that I think that Judge Mathis is an awesome man, knowledgeable, tough as nails when he needs to be and also a very compassionate, man.
I have always thought this of him, now more so than ever after seeing him in action, he carries a big gavel and means business.:)
And I want to say a big Thank You to Gabriel who is the audience coordinator and the entire Judge Mathis Staff, I realize how hard you all work and I appreciate your efforts.
And Thank You for the Judge Mathis t-​shirt and for the gift card as well.
So, in ending overall this was a great day, I was happy to be a
part of this, glad I got to have this experience.
Major Props to everyone at the Judge Mathis Show.:)
And these shows will be airing in November.:)

I’m of two minds about this sort of thing. I’m not crazy about the idea of justice being turned into popular entertainment. But I have to admit it is entertaining to watch a bunch of raving lunatics lie to a man who can see right through them.
However, I did not find it entertaining to be kept waiting for nearly three hours in the hot lobby of the NBC building with no place to sit for people who could have badly used a chair. Once we got upstairs, things moved a little more quickly, and the studio was cool enough to be quite comfortable. Judge Mathis is a smart cookie who seems more amused by the stories he hears than horrified by them as I was. He also managed to move things along pretty quickly so that while we were almost two hours late getting started, we ended up leaving only about half an hour later than originally promised.
I don’t know if that sort of wait is standard or not, but if you’re planning on going, I’d consider whether you’re willing and able to stand for long periods of time. Also, bathroom breaks come between cases, are fast, and only a few people can go at a time. Don’t drink a lot of anything before you get there or you may end up having to miss a case because you couldn’t get back to your seat in time.
All in all, it was a fun experience, but I don’t ever have to go again.

We attended a taping of Judge Mathis this past week. The taping itself was a lot of fun. Doyle the bailiff is a hoot and a half and the litigants range from bizarre to bemusing. Judge Mathis is funny and yet slices thru the BS with laser precision. We saw 6 cases and were told they’d be aired in early to mid December.
The only downside to this process is that we had to wait in line for a very long time. It was hot because we were packed in like sardines. After an hour or so, I broke the line and went and sat down in a sitting area on the other side of the fenced waiting spot. I really didn’t care anymore because I was not feeling well due to medical problems. Soon I was joined by an older woman and a pregnant woman and others who needed to sit. They should have a better system for dealing with the people who come to see the show.
When we were finally sent up to the break room, we got a cool drink which helped a lot. Once in the court room, it was nice and cool and the chairs were very comfortable. They were very efficient in running through the cases, which was great except if you needed a bathroom break. They only took a few people at a time and we were nearly trotting thru very dark areas to get to the bathroom. This can be difficult for older folks or people with disabilities or vision problems.
All in all, we had fun, but it certainly did come with some challenges. I’d recommend this to anyone as long as they were made aware of the challenges that come with it. Oh … and as an extra bonus, I got to see Judge Pirro leaving the building. She is a very attractive lady.

I absolutely loved Judge Mathis, but after actually appearing on his show I am haunted with regrets. He was in a bad mood after the case before us turned out to be one sister trying to scam the courts against her other sister, and therefore was not interested in my case whatsoever.
I was allotted about 15 seconds to begin my case when he interrupted me to basically tell me what a whore I was because he didn’t what to hear everything, and then continued to degrade me and put me down. I was so upset and nervous I completely tripped up, and didn’t defend myself throughout the rest of the taping.
A major part of my case was harassment, which I had provided two detailed witness statements, and an actual witness who traveled with me, but he did not allow me to present my harassment incidents nor did he even read my witness statements, instead he said based on the fact I only had two statements I was entitled to some harassment but not a lot. He awarded me some money, but awarded the defendant more for unpaid rent even though she admitted she locked me out! And then when he was tallying what she should get for 3 months rent he did the math incorrectly and gave her 6 months rent, so that I actually owed her by the end of the show!
I thought Judge Mathis was a fair man, and I would still have thought that if he had actually listened to what I had to say, and read what I provided, but now I just think he is a washed up, prodigious, old criminal, and his television show a joke! If you are thinking of going on a show, don’t make it Judge Mathis.

Yes, I love Judge Mathis. He’s intelligent, engaging, fair and funny. And in my ongoing search for cheap or free things to enjoy in Chicago, I started being an audience member at his tapings, which take place in the NBC Tower, although broadcast on WCIU TV. I’ve sat throught three tapings, and they have all been very entertaining.
Here’s how it works: You need to dedicate about six hours to attend a taping. You arrive at 9:00 a.m., spend a bit of time in a line, enter through security, and get shuffled off to a waiting room with coffee and doughnuts. (Eat a good breakfast before because there is no lunch.) After a half hour or so in the holding tank, they whisk you off to the «courtroom», seat you and the show begins. The bailiff, Doyle, is really a stand up comedian/​actor, and he warms up the audience. And he’s great — very warm, welcoming and entertaining. During the next 5 or so hours, they tape 7 or 8 episodes or cases for future airings. Doyle entertains, and the audience is afforded bathroom breaks between cases.
As these shows go, I only like Judge Mathis, Judge Milian of People’s Court and Judge Judy (even though she deserves to be slapped sometimes!) I think all of them really do a good job of taking these small claims-​type disputes and try to resolve them fairly and, of course with a spin for TV. I spent more than 20 years working with attorneys in dispute and claims resolution. Because of their training, they are often better at finding problems than they are at facilitating solutions. So I appreciate a Judge Mathis, and I think he provides a valuable service, without being too showy or egotistical. And he IS a funny guy!
It’s just another fun Chicago thing for visting friends or family after you’ve hauled them to Hot Doug’s, Second City, Deep Dish pizza, and the CAF Riverboat tour. The telephone number here is the one to call if you want to be an audience member. Tell Gabriel: «Jack sent you.»