Sunday, February 26, 2017

Joseph Wapner

Joseph Albert Wapner
November 15, 1919 – February 26, 2017
Judge Joseph Wapner was an American judge and television personality. He was the first star of the ongoing reality courtroom series The People's Court. The court show's first run in syndication, with Wapner presiding as judge, lasted from 1981 to 1993, for 12 seasons and 2,484 episodes. While the show's second run has been presided over by multiple judges, Wapner was the sole judge to preside during the court show's first run.
Wapner's tenure on the program made him the first jurist of arbitration-based reality court shows, what is now a most popular trend in the judicial genre. Until the summer of 2013, Wapner also held the title of longest reigning arbiter over The People's Court. However, by completion of the court show's 2012–2013 season, Marilyn Milian captured this title from him and became the longest-reigning judge over the series. Five years after presiding over The People's Court, Wapner returned to television as a judge on the nontraditional courtroom seriesJudge Wapner's Animal Court, lasting for two seasons (1998–1999 and 1999–2000).
On June 27, 1986, Wapner appeared on the Tonight Show to hear a case of David Letterman vs. Johnny Carson over alleged damage to the headlight of Letterman's pickup truck when Carson had the truck towed to the studio. Wapner ruled in favor of Letterman, granting him $24.95.



Good Night Judge Wapner

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

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