Was Jerry Springer a real judge? Memorable Judge Jerry stint explored

American broadcaster Jerry Springer, best known for hosting the controversial The Jerry Springer Show, passed away on Thursday, April 27, at the age of 79 due to pancreatic cancer. The news was confirmed by his publicist Linda Shafran. In a statement issued to the media, Springer's family said he passed away "peacefully" in Chicago.

“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word. He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”

Jerry's controversial show, which was produced by NBCUniversal Studios and ran for 27 seasons, was first aired in 1991. The show was known for addressing controversial guests and people who engaged in over-the-top s*xual behavior, which ended up with them getting involved in brawls on national television.

While the now-deceased broadcaster made a name for himself with the show, after it concluded in 2018, he hosted another show called Judge Jerry.

---

Jerry Springer took some extra measures to be authorized as a judge

For his television show Judge Jerry, Jerry Springer took the appropriate steps to become a duly appointed judge. According to his Judge Jerry profile, Springer graduated from Northwestern University with a law degree in the late 1960s. He worked as a lawyer for a while before deciding to pursue a career in politics and television.

In 2019, as Judge Jerry was premiering, Springer was asked in a BUILD Series interview about the qualifications necessary to become a judge.

"Well, I'm a lawyer, so you would have to have that. In most of the country, you don't even have to be a lawyer necessarily to be a judge — it's an elected office."

As per MindelScott's website, Springer holds at least one of the Juris Doctor degrees, which is a prerequisite for becoming a judge. In addition, they must pass the bar exam and have several years of experience as a licensed attorney. If Springer had not passed the bar exam, he never would have become a lawyer, much less a partner in his own law firm for all these years.

As per the New York Post, Jerry Springer went on to share how he committed one day to obtain the necessary credentials for the title of judge.

"There was a day of reviewing how it works. You get special certification, and I'm a lawyer. You have to be certified [to be a judge]; it's a day thing, and if you're a lawyer it's almost automatic unless you've killed someone."

A person must be chosen or given a job as a judge to become one. Once a person is nominated or voted as a judge, they must attend training programs run by the state or other legal groups, such as the National Judicial College or the American Bar Association (ABA). So Judge Jerry is not a show. Springer has a background in law and was a real judge.

During the same interview, Springer explained the importance of making the right decision as a television judge.

"These are real cases ... Therefore I'm real conscious of treating these people with respect because these issues are important to them. The judgments are $5,000 or less, and for a lot of people $5,000 isn't chump change."

As per the news website Nicki Swift, Jerry Springer also told journalist Larry King that he tries to respect everyone he talks to while presiding as a television judge.

While appearing on Today in 2019, the former host said he took his role as Judge Jerry very seriously and explained how he has been able to apply his interest in law as a television judge.

"I get to be a judge and use whatever I learned in law school and practicing law. So I'm really enjoying it."

While speaking on AZTV7 in 2021, Jerry Springer said that the judge show was the "first grown-up job I've had in 30 years."