Dennis Frailey

My wife and I have watched Judge Milian on The People's Court for over 20 years. The new show seems like it was designed by amateurs and intended to focus on the judge rather than presenting a well conceived show that helps us understand people and the law better. The interviews with the judge's husband, one of the best features of the Peoples Court show in its final years, appear randomly and in illogical places instead of regularly, with each episode, and at the end, where it makes the most sense, because, at least in theory, they could comment on the cases that were just heard. We also sorely miss Harvey's smart quips and, especially, his explanations of the finer points of the law, as they pertain to the case just heard. Judge Milian always interrupts litigants and witnesses too much, so we don't always get to hear what they are trying to say. She says at the beginning of the new show that she was a better talker than listener, and it shows - and not in a favorable way. A good judge should LISTEN to what people are saying. We realize that the judge is trying to deal with things according to the law and trying to get to issues that matter, legally, but we in the audiennce want to understand more about what the litigants are feeling and saying. It is especially irritating when what the judge says seems to be leading the witnesses or trying to steer them in a direction that may represent the judge's perspective, but is not that of the witnesses. We don't miss Doug's interviews with litigants at the end of each case. Those were usually rather lame, and they mostly just repeated what we already heard. But we really do miss Harvey's comments. One final comment. It has to do with episodes involving put bulls harming other dogs or people. I am very familiar with the dog fighting world and want the judge to understand that pit bulls are trained and bred to love their owners and their families, but to be very aggressive toward other dogs outside of their own household and toward people who they might perceive as potential enemies of their owners. The dogs think they are doing this for their owners and family. This is why so many pit bull owners will say things like "my dog is so gentle and good with the children". That's exactly right. The owners cannot conceive that their gentle pet would harm anyone. they need to be taught or told that their breed of dog has been bred to be very good with their own but very vicious with others.