Marilyn Milian

Marilyn Milian (born May 1, 1961) is an American television performer, lecturer, and retired Florida Circuit Court judge who presides over the American courtroom television series The People's Court. She is apart of a court show.[1]

Marilyn Lucille Milian
Milian in 2016
Born	May 1, 1961 Manhattan, New York City, US
Alma mater	University of Miami (B.S.) Georgetown University (J.D.)
Occupation	Television, judge
Employer	Harvard Law School (1989–1990) University of Miami (adjunct faculty)
Known for	The People's Court (2001–present)

Milian became the presiding judge on The People’s Court during the current edition's fourth season in 2001, replacing Jerry Sheindlin, and has been with the program ever since; she surpassed Joseph Wapner, the original presiding arbitrator, during the 2012–13 season as the longest serving judge across the entire history of the series.[1]

Early life

Milian was born in Manhattan to Cuban parents Jorge, a general contractor,[2] and Georgina Milian.[3][4] She is fluent in English and Spanish.[5] The family moved from Astoria, Queens, to Miami when she was eight years old. She graduated from St. Brendan High School.[3]

Milian earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Miami. She then attended Georgetown University Law Center, earning her J.D.[4] She spent a year working at Harvard Law School, where she served as director of training for the Guatemala Project. She was responsible for training the Guatemalan trial judiciary, defense, and prosecution bar in investigatory and trial techniques.[4]

Career

Legal career

Milian was appointed assistant state attorney for the Dade County State Attorney's Office by Janet Reno, who was then the county's state attorney. After ten years in that position, she then worked for the Miami County Court, serving in the domestic violence, criminal, and civil divisions.[4] In 1999, Florida governor Jeb Bush appointed Milian to the Miami Circuit Court, where she served in the Criminal Division.[4][6] In 2001, she replaced Jerry Sheindlin as judge of The People's Court, and became the first Hispanic judge on any English-language television court show. Milian is listed as an adjunct faculty member of the University of Miami School of Law, teaching litigation skills.[7]

The People's Court

Milian serves as presiding judge in the second life of the courtroom show The People's Court, the first arbitration-based reality court show and the second-longest running court show in history. Milian has presided over the program since spring 2001, which was late in The People's Court's 17th season (or fourth season of the revived version of the show).

The People's Court has featured several arbitrators, with Milian currently holding the title of the longest-presiding arbitrator over the series. By completion of the show's 28th season (2012–13), Milian had completed twelve and a half seasons presiding over the program, officially making her the longest-running judge on The People's Court. Joseph Wapner, the show's original judge, was the previous holder of this record.

In contrast to The People's Court's previous arbiters, Milian is considerably more animated in her role,[8] but she's also known for being levelheaded and logical in her observations and handling of the cases.[8][9] Although engaging for the most part,[10] Milian also dishes out a good-natured, lively sass at the litigants and does not tolerate any disrespect from them.[1][11]

Milian explains Americans' fascination with the court show genre: "We are a fast-food nation. People love to see resolution, they want to watch someone who has done wrong confronted and see justice prevail … all in an hour."[12]

Milian was portrayed by Cecily Strong in a 2017 Saturday Night Live parody of The People's Court where she presided over a case between President Donald Trump and three judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[13]

Personal life

Milian is married to John Schlesinger, a former assistant United States attorney, who in 2004 was elected to the 11th Judicial Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, Florida, the same position that Milian held before retiring to The People's Court. They live in Coral Gables, Florida, with their three children. She travels to Stamford, Connecticut, bimonthly for three days of taping of The People's Court.

Milian is the spokesperson for the FBI's Safe Online Surfing (FBI-SOS)[14] campaign.

Television credits

Television
Year(s)	Title	Role	Notes
2001–present	The People's Court	Herself
2002	As the World Turns	Judge	3 episodes
2007	George Lopez	Judge Alvarez	2 episodes

References

1. "The People's Court | Judge Milian". Peoplescourt.warnerbros.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
2. "Sewage Backup Blowout". The People's Court. Warner Bros. Entertainment. January 9, 2018.
3. Diaz, Johnny (December 28, 2001). "Verdict's in on Milian's first year on 'People's Court'". The Journal Times. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
4. Ogunnaike, Lola (July 2, 2006). "Don't Mess With the People's Judge, Marilyn Milian". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
5. "Marilyn Milian". TV.com. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
6. Rapacciuolo, Anthony (April 2016). "Living the Dream at The People's Court | New York Lifestyles Magazine". www.newyorklifestylesmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
7. "University's of Miami - School of Law". Retrieved September 1, 2016.
8. "Marilyn Milian's "People's Court" moves to WSFL - Sun Sentinel". Articles.sun-sentinel.com. August 27, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
9. "The People's Court | Judge Milian". Peoplescourt.warnerbros.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
10. "Tube Talk 19, "The People's Court"". Dabelly.com. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
11. "University of Wisconsin- Whitewater | Handbook". Uww.edu. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
12. "Marilyn Milian Biography". Fordham University School of Law. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
13. McGee, Ryan (February 12, 2017). "Alec Baldwin on 'SNL': 3 Sketches You Have to See". Rolling Stone.
14. "FBI — New Cyber Safety Website for Teachers, Students". Fbi.gov. Retrieved October 16, 2012.

External links

• Marilyn Milian at IMDb