WASHINGTON — Doug Llewelyn spent 12 years interviewing the litigants as they left Judge Joseph Wapner’s courtroom on “The People’s Court,” and he said the world has lost an iconic judge.
“He was the real deal and he was all law,” Llewelyn told WTOP.
Wapner’s family announced the judge’s death on Sunday. He was 97.
Wapner’s climb to celebrity came after he retired from being a real judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court, and he auditioned for and got the role of America’s first TV judge. He became a household name in the 1980s and 1990s, presiding over “The People’s Court” for 12 season.
Llewelyn said even though it was a television show, Wapner ran his set as a real courtroom.
“It was dead serious to him; there was no monkeying around,” Llewelyn added.
Llewelyn said he was the only courtroom reporter on the show who wasn’t a lawyer, but he learned a lot about the law, as viewers did, from Wapner.
“The main thing that he did was teach the American public about the small claims court system, which most people in this country didn’t know existed,” Llewelyn said.
Llewelyn also remembers Wapner as a fun man outside of the courtroom. He recalled a Halloween party at the judge’s home where he was greeted by Wapner and his wife, who were donning Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes.
“He looked like Judge Wapner dressed as Mickey Mouse; that was the kind of guy he was,” he said.
Llewelyn also said that after rejoining “The People’s Court” recently, he often thinks about his friend and the impact on his life and career.
“He was certainly an ideal one to teach me, and the ones who watched, about the law — no question about it,” Llewelyn said.
