The Judge

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
His Honor

Sooner or later, everyone winds up in front of The Judge.

Often - but not always - the Only Sane Man in a fictional legal proceeding, he is the authority who keeps order in the courtroom. If the part of a judge is a small role, it is generally filled by stern black women (with hair pulled tightly back) or gruff older white men. Sometimes these archetypes mix, leading to the stern, slightly below middle age black male or white female judge.

If there's a tribunal or other situation with more than one judge, both the stern black woman and the gruff older white man will usually appear, though a Bald Black Leader Guy is a distinct possibility. For example, Charlton Heston played the gruff older white man in one of the last episodes of the 90s Outer Limits, and there was also a stern black woman present.

It's been said that the above-average presence of black judges in popular media, particular American television is a sort of Political Correctness Gone Mad designed to show African-Americans in positions of authority. This is often a convenient Cop Out in shows that otherwise feature very few black characters of any importance.

Examples of The Judge include:

Film

Literature

  • Judge J.J. Ford, from the children's mystery novel The Westing Game, fits the stern black woman version of this trope perfectly. She does mention that she worked hard to be the first black or female judge in the state's history.
  • In The Butterfly Kid, one spontaneously appears (along with a court room) when someone mentions a trial for the alien invaders who have just been defeated. Although the heroes aren't entirely sure he's real (It Makes Sense in Context), the aliens take him very seriously.

Live-Action TV

  • One or more examples is visible in every episode of every series in the Law & Order franchise.
  • This Is Wonderland had many judges, being a courtroom drama and all. Perhaps the sternest of them was the African-Canadian woman. There were two old white men, one of whom was the Mental Health Court judge and the Nicest Guy imaginable, although he got pretty tough in Plea Court. The other was a eccentric snarky Jerk with a Heart of Gold and a clown fixation.
  • Star Trek: Deep Space 9's Odo got Judge-like as the series got more and more Arc-ish.
  • Averted on Night Court, where the judge is not only the main character but a happy-go-lucky young white guy.
  • There was a TV Show called The Judge, starring Robert Shield.
  • Both versions have appeared a couple of times on CSI.
  • Averted in Arrested Development, where the semi-recurring and somewhat bemused Judge Ping (presiding George Bluth's trial) is played by the Chinese American Michael Paul Chan.
  • Generally averted on The Practice. Most judges with recurring roles had physical oddities, semi-disruptive personality quirks, or both.
  • Judge Judy Sheindlin, from the reality show named after her, Judge Joseph Wapner from the original version of The People's Court (later replaced by Ed Coch and then Jerry Sheindlin); court shows in general tend to have them.

Tabletop Games

Video Games

  • The nameless Judge and his brother (also a judge) from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and its sequels. He does not resemble the typical judge seen in Western fiction, as he is indecisive at times and is often very forgiving to the defense. The prosecution, however, can manipulate him very easily, often to the point of doing his job for him. Despite the fact that he's outright senile at times, he's supposedly renowned as a fair judge who almost always hands down the right verdict.
  • The player is this in Dragon Age: Inquisition ("inquisitor" is the title, naturally), meaning the fate of several defeated villains in the game is their decision.
  • In Final Fantasy XII, the Archadian Judges (intimidating soldiers in scary-looking armor) have that role In Name Only. What they truly are is Elite Guard of House Solidor, making them de facto officers in the Imperial Army. Balthier claims they are "more executioner than judge", and he should know, seeing as he used to be one.

Western Animation