Judge Judy’s husband is Jerry Sheindlin, a former New York State Supreme Court judge who later worked as a television judge on The People’s Court. Judy and Jerry married in 1978, divorced in 1990, and remarried about a year later. The details below separate what the official Judy Justice biography, CBS News and Biography.com each establish, so you can see which source supports which claim.
Who Jerry Sheindlin is
The official Judy Justice biography identifies Jerry Sheindlin as a former Judge of the Supreme Court of New York and as Judy Sheindlin’s husband. A 2003 CBS News profile adds that he retired his New York State Supreme Court robes after 16 years. That 16-year figure describes his tenure as reported in 2003, not his work today.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Moonwalk: A Memoir | $23.38 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir | $10.26 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic – A Modern-Day Memoir from the Trailer Parks of Vegas... | $15.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography | $15.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Book of Sheen: A Memoir | $16.61 | Buy on Amazon |
Judicial career
Jerry’s judicial background is the foundation of his public profile. Before his television work, he served on the New York State Supreme Court, which in New York is a trial-level court rather than the state’s highest appellate court. CBS’s account gives the length of that service as 16 years.
Television work on The People’s Court
After leaving the bench, Jerry joined The People’s Court as a television judge. Biography.com reports that he appeared on the program for about two years. In the 2003 CBS interview, he summed up the experience this way: “I had a very good time. It was a very nice run.” (Jerry Sheindlin, CBS News profile, April 28, 2003.)
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
Relationship timeline
Biography.com gives the following sequence. The dates and the explanation for the divorce come from that account, not from a current statement by the couple.
- 1976: Judy divorces her first husband. Biography.com says she met attorney Jerry Sheindlin afterward.
- 1978: Judy and Jerry marry.
- 1990: They divorce. Biography.com ties the split to the period after the death of Judy’s father.
- About one year later: The couple remarry.
CBS’s 2003 interview independently confirms that the divorce lasted about one year and that the pair reconciled. Judy said they had been willing to make concessions to each other. Jerry joked that she had promised not to curse at him.
The blended family
The Sheindlins’ family is blended, meaning each partner brought children from an earlier marriage. The table below separates the figures by source, because the official biography and Biography.com cover different parts of the family.
| Family member group | Count | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Judy’s children from her earlier marriage (Jamie and Adam) | 2 | Biography.com |
| Jerry’s children from his earlier marriage | 3 | Biography.com |
| Total children in the family | 5 | Official Judy Justice biography, 2025 |
| Grandchildren | 13 | Official Judy Justice biography, 2025 |
| Great-grandchildren | 2 | Official Judy Justice biography, 2025 |
The five children are not all biological children shared by Judy and Jerry. The totals are the figures listed in the 2025 official biography and may change as the family grows.
Recommended Free Tools
How their careers compare
The two careers are easiest to compare on two axes: legal-court experience and television tenure. Judy’s television run is far longer than Jerry’s, but the sources reviewed here do not give an exact length for it.
| Axis | Jerry Sheindlin | Judy Sheindlin |
|---|---|---|
| Legal-court experience | Former New York State Supreme Court judge; 16 years as reported by CBS News in 2003 | Not stated in the sources cited here |
| Television tenure | About two years on The People’s Court, per Biography.com | Much longer run on Judge Judy; exact years not stated in the sources cited here |
Handling claims about the couple’s private life
Tabloid stories about the Sheindlins are not reliable sources. The Associated Press reported that Judy filed a 2024 lawsuit over a story she said falsely claimed she was trying to help the Menendez brothers. AP also noted a 2017 retraction and apology for false claims about her health and marriage. Treat those allegations as claims that were disputed or retracted, not as established facts.
Rank #4
Where to see more
CBS lists Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable as a streaming special about Judy Sheindlin’s life and career. The listing does not say how much screen time Jerry gets, so check the CBS listing for current availability before you watch.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
