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Don’t lie and don’t cry. That sentiment has emerged as an unofficial motto for the daytime courtshow “Adam’s Law” after one week on the air.
The Monday-Friday syndicated series debuted Sept. 14 as a bet by CBS that the
court-show genre still has room for fresh faces. Judge Adam Levy comes to the bench with strong TV credentials. He spent several seasons on the Amazon Prime Video series “Tribunal Justice.” In his professional career, Levy established himself as a no-nonsense prosecutor and district attorney for New York’s Putnam County. He also logged many courtroom miles in private practice. On top of all those bona fides, it’s fair to say that being a TV judge runs in the family. He is the son of the most well-known jurist in America: Judith Sheindlin, aka Judge Judy.
Levy, 57, was undaunted in pursuing a career in law despite his mother’s significant presence as a family court judge in Manhattan and her later TV stardom. His stepfather, Jerry Sheindlin, is also a prominent lawyer and served three seasons on the bench for “The People’s Court” in 1999-2001.
Levy assures those who are ready to shout “nepo baby” that he brings his own style and a very different approach to how he settles familiar disputes revolving around landlords and tenants, employment and business fights, romances gone wrong and the like. He’s tough and he’s got a sharp tongue.
“You were stupid enough to sue her for it,” Levy told a plaintiff who sued a woman in a dispute over cash payments via CashApp for what the defendant said were sexual favors. (The man lost the case.)
RELATED STORY: A Generation Raised by ‘Judge Judy’: Judith Sheindlin Reflects on Her Long Run in TV, Shifting to Producing and Revving a ‘Baby Judy’ Series
“Adam’s Law” debuts as Judith Sheindlin formally hands the gavel to Levy and steps back from on-camera work, although she remains active as a producer including on “Adam’s Law.” (Sheindlin’s long run in TV will be saluted Tuesday night on theCBS special “Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable.”)
“Despite all of the naysayers who will cast aspersions simply because I am the son of a famous person, it doesn’t bother me,” Levy tells Variety. “I’ve tried many cases. I know I was good at it. I have the skill set to do this job. I haven’t put in place these unrealistic expectations for myself, like becoming more famous or better than Judy was — ever. We’re different. If I can have just a small piece of the success she had, I’d be thrilled.”
Levy’s approach to the cases he hears on “Adam’s Law” is different from Sheindlin’s process. He spends days preparing for each of the cases, researching the situations and the evidence presented by both sides. Sheindlin’s preference was to be surprised by the evidence and the individuals so that she did not appear to be acting on camera. Levy takes an entirely different tack.
“No other court shows do that,” Levy notes of his extensive preparation. “That was my requirement if I was going to do this type of a show, where the litigants were waiving their right to proceed in small-claims court in order to have me adjudicate the case. I had to make sure that my adjudication was based upon facts.”
Levy felt comfortable stepping into the demands of starring in a Monday-Friday series. The mechanics of television come relatively easy to him, so long as he’s sufficiently prepped on his cases. “Adam’s Law” is filmed at studios in Stamford, Connecticut.
“We tape anywhere between five and eight cases a day,” Levy says.
“It’s really a mini trial. I will do a brief opening statement and lay out what the case is about, and then we do a direct examination. I assist to help get the story out,” he explains. “What happened, where were you, what did you see, what did you say — open-ended questions, and then we’ll do a cross-examination to test whether the plaintiff or the defendant said things that are demonstrably false from outside independent evidence. And then I sum up the case and I issue a verdict. We do almost 20 of those a week.”
As was the case for “Judge Judy,” Levy feels like education is a big part of the show’s mission, as much as it is to entertain.
“The audience will have an opportunity watching ‘Adam’s Law’ to see how cases really should be tried, whether it’s a small-claims court or in any court,” Levy says. “My decisions are based upon facts, not feelings.”
Levy credits his upbringing, during a tough time in New York City in the ‘80s and ’90s, for his ability to discern truth from fiction and to be a strong judge of character. As a teenager, it became clear to Levy that he was not likely to find a career into the worlds of math or science. In hindsight, Levy’s pursuit of a J.D. was hardly a surprising for someone who grew up listening to legal debates at the dinner table.
“The law was just a natural path for me to take,” Levy says. “When it came to debates and logical thinking and two-step process thinking, that’s how my brain already worked. Having common sense and sizing up people was part of growing up in New York City. You had to size people up relatively quickly to know that if you were in danger or not. I found that law was a perfect place for me.”
If there’s one message that Levy hopes viewers take from watching “Adam’s Law,” is it to respect the sanctity of the court. Don’t lie to any officers of the court — that never ends well — and spare the judge the waterworks.
“I want to show America that if you find yourself in a position of being a litigant, plaintiff or a defendant — there are do’s and don’ts,” Levy says. “The dos are: Be prepared, get your evidence together to help the court make a decision in your favor. The don’ts are: come in unprepared, exaggerate your claim, whether you’re the plaintiff or whether you’re the defendant, and most certainly: don’t lie.”
Levy learned a long time ago to develop a thick skin against emotional defendants in court. If you’re in the wrong, you’re in the wrong — and no amount of regretful tears will change the judge’s position (in most situations), Levy asserts.
“When a litigant starts crying, that doesn’t work with me. I’m immune from that,” Levy says. “I care about facts — I could care less about your feelings. What I care about is that you come to court and you tell the truth. You don’t exaggerate. You don’t manipulate. You don’t say things that are designed to inflame someone’s emotions. I don’t have emotions when it comes to trying cases.”
“Adam’s Law” airs on weekdays in national syndication. Check local listings for broadcast times.
