Judge Judy has built her career on delivering common-sense justice to everyday Americans.
But now she’s taking on something much bigger than daytime TV disputes.
And Judge Judy revealed one outrageous legal injustice that will make your blood boil.
Judge Judy reveals the case that started it all
Judge Judith Sheindlin has launched a new show called "Justice on Trial" that’s been over 10 years in the making.
The Prime Video series revisits eight of the most controversial court cases in American history – letting viewers decide if justice was truly served.
But there’s one case in particular that lit the fire under Judge Judy to create this show.
And when you hear the details, you’ll understand why she couldn’t let it go.
"It was a case that happened in New York many, many years ago," Sheindlin told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.
Here’s what happened – and it’ll make you question everything about our legal system.¹
Two thugs rob elderly man on subway – then one gets rich
The story Judge Judy tells sounds like it came straight out of a nightmare.
Two young criminals decided to rob an elderly man named Jerome Sandusky on the New York subway.
Sandusky was well into his 70s when these predators targeted him.
One thug acted as a lookout while the other went down to the deserted platform and started beating up the old man.
They were trying to steal his watch and whatever cash he had on him.
But then a transit police officer heard Sandusky’s screams echoing from the subway platform.
The officer ran down the stairs, pulled out his revolver, and shouted "Stop, police!"
The young thug who was beating up the elderly man ran off and headed up the stairs.
The police officer yelled "Stop, police!" again.
But the criminal kept running.
So the officer shot him in the back as he was fleeing the scene.
That should be the end of the story, right?
Wrong.
The criminal gets millions while the victim gets nothing
Here’s where this story takes a turn that will make your head spin.
"The young man pled guilty to the robbery, was sentenced, but hired a lawyer who sued the transit authority in the city of New York and received a judgment, a jury verdict for $4.3 million," Sheindlin explained.
You read that right.
The thug who was beating up a 70-year-old man for his watch ended up with $4.3 million courtesy of New York taxpayers.
Meanwhile, Jerome Sandusky – the actual victim – took a very long time to recover from his physical wounds.
And as Judge Judy pointed out, if you’re a crime victim, "you really never get over being a victim of violent crime."
When Sandusky found out that his attacker had become a millionaire, he said "Well, that’s sort of outrageous. I was the victim."
So Sandusky hired a lawyer to go after some of that money.
But here’s the kicker – his lawsuit was barred by the statute of limitations.
The criminal got $4.3 million.
The victim got nothing.
This is what passes for justice in America today
Judge Judy didn’t mince words about what this case represents.
"So there are many facets to that case. Whether or not, ultimately, justice was served is an issue. And if you ask 10 people, given those set of facts, you will get at least eight different opinions," she said.
But let’s be honest here.
There’s really only one sane opinion when you look at these facts.
A criminal who was in the middle of beating up an elderly man for pocket change shouldn’t become a millionaire because a police officer stopped him.
This is the kind of backwards thinking that has turned our justice system upside down.
The same mentality that lets criminals sue homeowners who defend themselves.
The same warped logic that makes victims pay for their attackers’ legal fees.
Judge Judy takes on controversial cases Americans need to see
The new Prime Video series doesn’t shy away from the hard cases that expose the problems in our system.
Episode seven features the controversial "Snyder v. Phelps" case where the Westboro Baptist Church protested a military funeral with signs reading "God Hates Your Son" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers."
The grieving father sued for emotional distress and initially won $10.9 million.
But the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that even the most "abhorrent" speech is protected by the First Amendment.
Judge Judy acknowledged the difficulty of these constitutional questions.
"I wouldn’t want to tolerate seeing the American flag burned in protest in America. Just wouldn’t. It would offend me. But you have the right to do it," she said.
The series also covers the famous Scopes Monkey trial, Gideon v. Wainwright, and People v. Turriago.
In the Turriago case, a traffic stop for speeding led police to discover a decomposing body in a steamer trunk – raising questions about whether the search was legal.
Americans deserve to know when justice fails
Judge Judy’s new series arrives at a time when Americans are losing faith in our justice system.
We’ve watched criminals walk free while law-abiding citizens get prosecuted for defending themselves.
We’ve seen district attorneys who refuse to prosecute crime while going after political opponents.
And we’ve witnessed a two-tier justice system where your politics determines your treatment in court.
The case that inspired Judge Judy to create this series perfectly captures everything wrong with our approach to justice.
When criminals become millionaires and victims get nothing, something is fundamentally broken.
Americans need to see these cases and ask themselves: Is this really justice?
Or is this just another example of a system that has lost its way?
Judge Judy spent decades delivering common-sense justice on television.
Now she’s using that same approach to help Americans understand when our courts get it wrong.
¹ Cortney O’Brien, "Judge Judy recreates controversial American verdicts and challenges viewers in ‘Justice on Trial’," Fox News, July 28, 2025.
