5 Ways to Look Stupid on a Court TV Show

It's no surprise that court TV programs have become a mainstay of daytime television. Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Marilyn Milian of The People's Court and others hear cases by regular folk and dispense a boobtubeful of common sense justice Monday through Friday. If you're considering an appearance on a court TV show, here are 5 mistakes you'll want to avoid making, if you aim to keep the peace.

How to look stupid on a court tv show - #1: Dress like a hooker, pimp or like you're visiting a dump. Shorts, belly shirts, plunging necklines (remember LiLo's gem? See it here at PopSugar), ripped jeans, and anything dirty connote disrespect for the bench, your suit counterpart and yourself. You may think your behind looks smokin' in those ripped denim daisy dukes, but consider them a one-way ticket to loserville. If you want Judge Judy to think you're an angel who would never ever try to get out of repaying a loan, you have to look credible.

How to look stupid on a court tv show - #2: Show up empty-handed. If you're trying to convince Judge Joe Brown that you loaned your sister-in-law's boyfriend fifty bucks, you'd better as heck have the canceled check to prove it. The proof is in the pudding, after all, and if you fail to whip up a batch, you're screwed.

How to look stupid on a court tv show - #3: Talk over the judge. In the Land of No-Nos, this is a big one. There's not a solitary court tv judge out there who won't get mad if you talk over him or her, period. If you like to hear yourself chatter, do it in the mirror before you leave home, because interrupting a judge who clearly knows more than you do about your case - you ARE on TV trying to settle a dispute, after all - is a fast track to dismissal.

How to look stupid on a court tv show - #4: Speak too quietly, too loudly or in an unintelligible dialect. The goal is to communicate your position in clear, concise fashion, and if the judge can't understand what you're saying, you're out of luck.

How to look stupid on a court tv show - #5: Dig at an ex. If you're suing your jilted ex-fiancee, it's bad form to bring your new girlfriend along for moral support. You may think it's funny to get in a good jab, but viewers - not the mention the judge - will see you as the insensitive jerk you are.

If a visit to Judge Judy is in your future and you want to walk away a winner, make sure you avoid the pitfalls outlined above.

Sources

Lindsay Lohan Makes Her Court Date and Gets Sentenced to Another Summer with a SCRAM Bracelet, PopSugar, May 24, 2010