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Judge Greg Mathis

About Me

Greg Mathis grew up in the housing projects of Detroit, and as a teenager was well on his way to a life of crime. But, as a promise to his dying mother, he vowed to change his ways. At age 18, he turned his life around, earning his GED, continuing on to college and earning a jurist doctorate degree. Despite tremendous obstacles and odds, Mathis became the youngest judge in Michigan’s history and was elected a Superior Court Judge for Michigan’s 36th District.“It pains me to think of all the hurt that I caused my neighborhood, my community, my family,” said Mathis. “That’s why I’ve made a lifetime commitment to redeeming myself and changing my life and helping to inspire other street youth to redeem themselves and change their lives. With Judge Mathis, I hope to reach even more people with my story and, hopefully, make an even bigger difference in the lives of others.”Sensitive to social issues of the day, Mathis strives to involve himself with a political agenda and initiatives that fight to improve the system. His life of public service began when he joined the staff of Detroit City Councilman Clyde Cleveland. He then went on to work for legendary Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young as Manager of Detroit Neighborhood City Halls. He has served as a campaign coordinator for numerous successful political campaigns, including the 1989 re-election campaign of Young, and as a national assistant and Detroit campaign manager in Jesse Jackson’s historic Michigan presidential campaign victory in 1988. His interest in social reform has served as a catalyst for his career on the bench.In addition to public service, Mathis’ civil rights activism also began during his college years at Eastern Michigan University, leading groups like Free South Africa. After graduating from college in 1983, Mathis continued his activism working on Jackson’s Operation P.U.S.H. and the Rainbow Coalition, where he led numerous protests and marches, and continues to be a member today. In October 2000, Judge Mathis' efforts were recognized by the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition when they honored him with an Advocacy Award for his tireless civil rights work

My Interests

After another extraordinary year and over 1,000 episodes, “Judge Mathis” returns for its eighth season on September 11, 2006. Inspired by Judge Greg Mathis’ own gang-to-gavel story, “Judge Mathis” is a nationally syndicated reality-based court show presided over by former Detroit-area District Court Judge Greg Mathis. Each one-hour episode of “Judge Mathis” features four cases, and Mathis’ decisions are legal and binding. In addition, he uses the bench to provide resolution and counseling to the litigants. That powerful combination helped earn the show a 2005 NAACP Image Award Nomination and a 2004 NAACP Image Award win.Judge Greg Mathis is a unique role model and personality, which makes him stand out from other court show judges. The continued success of his show has led to the growth of a new generation of younger court viewers, with “Judge Mathis” consistently ranking as one of the youngest skewing court shows on television.In its seventh season, “Judge Mathis” displayed greater lead-in growth than any other court show with the key court demo, W25-54, up +40% share over its lead-in. Judge Mathis also delivered +40% share lead-in growth with W18-49 and was up +50% share with Households. In May 2006, Mathis delivered the largest lead-in gains in Daytime (9a-3p). Judge Mathis was up +50% share with Households, +40% share with W18-49, and +40% share with W25-54. In Early Fringe time periods (3p-6p), Judge Mathis built +20% share with Households, +17% share with W18-49, and +17% share with W25-54. “Judge Mathis” continues to be an enduring success sweep by sweep with unmatched performance.This past season Judge Mathis celebrated its 1,000th episode with a celebratory party at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.As a young man, Greg Mathis was involved with gangs, dropped out of school, spent time in jail and then, as a promise to his dying mother, turned his life around. He attended college, earned a law degree, became the youngest judge in Michigan’s history and then served as a Superior Court Judge for Michigan’s 36th District. Known for running his courtroom with a no-nonsense style and streetwise sensibility, Mathis often uses himself as an example to those who appear before him.The key to Mathis’ success in the courtroom is his relatability. Having made the journey from behind bars to passing the bar, Mathis believes rehabilitation is within everyone’s reach if they receive the right guidance, which is what he tries to provide. In addition to upholding the rule of law in court, he makes it a point to stress that education is the key to a better future.Even though he dispenses some of that “tough love” every now and then in his courtroom, people understand that it’s his concern for their future that motivates his decisions. Year after year, Judge Mathis continues to extend this advocacy to the streets. During his visits to local markets, he speaks to young adults and provides them with the tools necessary to turn their lives around, while also encouraging them to take advantage of the opportunities available in their own hometowns – even in the toughest of neighborhoods. Armed with the motivation, the information and the resources, Mathis believes anyone can turn their life around, no matter their background or life experience.This inspirational and positive message was also recognized by the entertainment industry in May 2002, when "Judge Mathis" was honored with a PRISM Commendation for a special episode about teens and drunk driving. So concerned is the Judge with helping steer troubled youth in the right direction, that the show’s second season featured a documentary on Greg Mathis’ life."Judge Mathis" offers powerful and effective drama in the form of real-life litigant claims, and viewers can often expect to see cases pulled from the news. With the abundance of celebrity transgressions and small-town disputes in local newspapers across the country, "Judge Mathis" stays current bringing viewers up-to-date with the cases of the day.“Judge Mathis” is produced by And Syndicated Productions and Telepictures, an industry leading and Emmy award winning producer of syndicated programming, and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.