Judge Judy Sheindlin found a new role for her former Judge Judy co-star Petri Hawkins-Byrd. He will serve as the bailiff on Tribunal, a new courtroom series featuring a panel of two former Hot Bench judges and Sheindlin‘s son, former Putnam County, New York District Attorney Adam Levy. Tribunal will be released on Amazon Freevee, the ad-supported streaming platform formerly known as IMDb TV and the home of Sheindlin’s Judy Justice.
The new series will co-star Judges Patricia DiMango, and Tanya Acker, who starred in the Sheindlin-produced CBS Media Ventures show Hot Bench, reports Deadline. Scott Koondel’s Sox Entertainment is distributing the new series. Koondel and Sheindlin will serve as executive producers. Sheindlin created the new series, which will feature Levy, DiMango, and Acker adjudicating real cases. There will also be a video element to take viewers to the events of the cases.
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“Tribunal is an exciting new format that combines traditional court with a video-enhanced presentation,” Sheindlin said. “The panel of judges offer a dynamic combination of different backgrounds, experiences, and opinions that are unique, unparalleled, and compelling.”
“With the strong support our customers have shown for Judy Justice, we’re excited to add another Judge Sheindlin program to our slate,” Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming at Freevee, added. “Judge Sheindlin has been a pioneer in creating premium courtroom content for more than 25 years, and Tribunal reinforces our vision of a modern television network that embraces day-part agnostic programming.”
Longtime Judge Judy fans will be excited to see Hawkins-Byrd with a new job. Before Judy Justice debuted in November 2021, fans were heartbroken to see he was replaced with a new bailiff. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Hawkins-Byrd claimed Sheindlin never reached out to him about joining her new show and said he would be too expensive. He told the Associated Press he was not angry or bitter about the situation and wished Sheindlin the best.
Judy Justice has been a big hit for Amazon. The series follows a format similar to Judge Judy and co-stars Kevin Raco as the bailiff and stenographer Whitney Kumar. Sarah Rose, Levy’s daughter and Sheindlin’s granddaughter, also stars as the law clerk. The show was renewed for a second season in March.
“We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with Amazon Freevee. Over the past year, we’ve worked closely with the team to bring Judy Justice to customers and have been thrilled with the reception,” Koondel said Thursday. “Freevee has made a home for Judy Justice, and we’re elated to have the opportunity to continue to develop Judge Sheindlin’s signature courtroom format.”
Earlier this month, Amazon rebranded IMDb TV as Freevee. The service is free but ad-supported, meaning shows and movies are interrupted by commercials. The service’s new name debuted on Wednesday. Freevee greenlit its first original movie, the romantic comedy Love Accidentally, starring Aaron O’Connell and Brenda Song.
