There’s a category here on Sidebar called “Getting the media involved.” I haven’t written much about it, although I have certain experiential advice. But when I wrote “media,” I was not thinking about reality TV.
Yet, just after I filed a Small Claims Court case in Manhattan, I heard first from Judge Milian, followed thereafter by Judge Judy. And now, yesterday I got a letter from … Judge Mathis! Since I don’t watch these shows and have only a filtered recognition of the names of TV judges, I did not recognize Judge Mathis’s name on the envelope. In fact, given that it came from Chicago, I was figuring that the judge was running for the bench out there and wanted a campaign contribution. (Let’s not get me started on the raging impropriety of judges raising money to run for … my fingers were on the brink of typing “office,” which the bench is not, but that’s how rotten is the entanglement of politics, money and justice in this country.)
I’m not going to replicate Judge Mathis’s offer here. It offers the same deal as did Judge Judy and Judge Millian: they all are eager to run my Small Claims Court case against Chaz Skush-O’Brien on their show. (Judge Mathis’s producer did ask, “…call me…as soon as possible, as our court dates fill up fast!” Really?)
Sorry, Judge Mathis. I am going the actual legal court way. In December, I will be in Manhattan Small Claims Court to pursue real, not TV, justice.