Famed TV judge can often tell when she's not getting a straight answer
EXCLUSIVE — Avid fans know "Judge Judy" Sheindlin always had a knack for knowing when litigants were lying. It turns out she's just as good at picking up on those hints outside the courtroom, too.
In the 25 years she starred on "Judge Judy," Sheindlin often caught plaintiffs or defendants in lies in the middle of awkward diatribes. One young woman, for instance, uttered one too many "ums" in her answers when she claimed her license was suspended because she had unpaid parking tickets on her mom's car and failed to appear in court.
"That's a lie," the judge replied in a now viral clip. "They wouldn't suspend your license if you had parking tickets on your mother's car."
But the examples are usually more subtle, Sheindlin said. The judge provided a list of common traits and tics she believes are telltale signs someone isn't telling the truth.
"First of all, when someone's lying to you, they're not going to look you straight in the eye," she told Fox News Digital. "They're going to try to deflect because the truth comes in the eyes."
Judge Judy Sheindlin is known for her tough but fair approach to justice. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images)
JUDGE JUDY SHARES THE BEST PIECE OF PROFESSIONAL ADVICE SHE EVER RECEIVED AHEAD OF HER HONOR EVENT
"Women also get flushed right around here when they're telling a lie," Sheindlin continued, pointing to the chest area. "That's very easy. Men often start to sweat, they get a little bit of a glistening, looking from side-to-side."
Sheindlin indicated that men sweat right above their lips and on their forehead.
But, most importantly, she said, if something doesn't make sense, it's usually not true.
"Not always," she said. "There are sometimes aberrations. But aberrations come rarely in life. Most of life has a rhythm. So if something doesn't make sense to you, it's usually not true. And if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck."
Judge Judy Sheindlin on "Judy Justice." (Michael Becker/Amazon Freevee)
JUDGE JUDY WARNS GEN Z ABOUT WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR: ‘SOMEBODY WILL NOTICE THAT’
Some of Sheindlin's cases on "Judge Judy" were simple to solve, like when one young man incriminated himself and lost his case within 26 seconds. In the popular 2015 clip, the plaintiff tells Judge Judy that her wallet was stolen along with $50, gift cards, an earpiece and a calculator. The defendant interrupts to say, "There was no earpiece in there, ma’am."
"I love it," Sheindlin laughed, quickly awarding the plaintiff $500.
"Judge Judy" ran for 25 years before Sheindlin left in 2021. She now presides over cases on "Judy Justice," now in its third season and returning with new episodes weekdays on Amazon Freevee and Prime Video later this summer.
Sheindlin also created and is one of the executive producers for "Tribunal Justice." Season 2 episodes of the popular show are expected to start streaming on Amazon Freevee, though a date hasn't been announced.
Judge Judy chats with Fox News Digital ahead of the Her Honor luncheon. (Laura Carrione)
Sheindlin described "Judy Justice" as being "more fun" than "Judge Judy" because it includes what she used to have in family court: a clerk and a stenographer.
"Other than that, the people are the same," she said. "The problems are the same, a little bit bigger perhaps because the amount of award is increased from $5,000 to $10,000. So, the quality of the cases is different. It's sometimes more important cases. I'm still having a good time."
Fox News Digital's Josh Comins, Nikolas Lanum and Laura Carrione contributed to this report.
Cortney O'Brien is an Editor at Fox News. Twitter: @obrienc2