Plot Synopsis

Created by Judge Judy Sheindlin, HOT BENCH is a syndicated series (check local listings) that features three judges -- Judge Patricia DiMango and attorneys Tanya Acker and Larry Bakman -- who hear court cases, argue the merits of the cases amongst themselves, and then render verdicts. DiMango, a New York State Supreme Court Judge in Brooklyn, graduated from St. John's University School of Law. Acker, a graduate of Yale Law School, is a Los Angeles-based practicing attorney. Bakman, a graduate of Southwestern Law School, is a member of the State Bar in California and New York. In each 30-minute episode, the judges hear one or two cases, including: the custody of a service dog, whose ownership is contested between its emotional owner and a couple who grew close to it during a time of grief; an uninsured motorist involved in a crash, who insists that he was on his way home to pay for his lapsed car insurance; a woman who sues her former friend for faulty home renovations; an ex-lover who sues a firefighter for repayment of a loan he insists was a gift; and many more complaints and disputes. The term 'hot bench' is used to describe a court where the judge frequently interrupts lawyers' presentations with questions, often leading to lively exchanges.

Season 2 of HOT BENCH premiered on Monday, September 14, 2015 (check local listings for time and channel). In the new season, in addition to the courtroom proceedings, cameras follow the judges into chambers for the first time, where they hash out the facts and majority rules. In the season opener, "Drunk Teacher or Honest Preacher," a dramatic young man accused of drinking, driving and totaling a car claims he was never told the truth about the death trap of a car he was in.

Judge Michael Corriero joined the three-judge bench beginning Monday, November 1, 2016. HOT BENCH creator Judge Judy Sheindlin said, "Judge Corriero brings a new dimension to HOT BENCH and I'm convinced that the audience will immediately embrace the wisdom of his judgment fine tuned during his 28-year judicial career." Corriero joined the program one day after Judge Judy made a guest appearance on HOT BENCH on Monday, October 31, trying two cases with Judges DiMango and Acker.

Beginning October 31, 2022, Judge Yodit Tewolde and Judge Rachel Juarez joined respected veteran Judge Michael Corriero, bringing new voices and views to the three-judge format taking on real small claims cases from courthouses across the country.
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HOT BENCH returned for its eleventh season in national syndication on Monday, September 9, 2024. (Check local listings for time and channel.) HOT BENCH continues to be led by a trio of judges -- Yodit Tewolde, Rachel Juarez and Judge Michael Corriero -- who take on real small claims cases from courthouses across the country. In the season opener, "Little Pink House," a woman sues her uncle, saying he evicted her from his land, then blocked in her RV with boulders and logs.

HOT BENCH has already been renewed through the 2025-26 television season.