ADVERTISEMENTJoseph Wapner, the feisty retired judge who for more than a decade presided over courtroom TV show “The People’s Court,” has died. Wapner, who was the first judge to serve on the bench of “The People’s Court,” helped popularize the court TV genre. Wapner was technically an arbitrator in his capacity on the show, but he was a real judge: He spent 20 years as an L.A. County Superior Court judge before becoming a TV star. “Before I even passed the bar, he had cards printed up that read ‘Wapner and Wapner,’” the judge said. In a positive way.” Wapner is survived by his wife of 70 years, Mickey Wapner, and sons Fred ― also an LA Superior Court judge ― and David.

Source: Huffington Post February 26, 2017 20:10 UTC