| Hot Bench | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Nontraditional arbitration-based reality court show |
| Created by | Judge Judy Sheindlin |
| Directed by |
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| Presented by | Sonia Montejano Gina Findley |
| Judges |
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| Narrated by |
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| Theme music composer | Michael Egizi |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 12 |
| No. of episodes | 2,000 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production locations | Stamford Studios Stamford, Connecticut |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | September 15, 2014 (2014-09-15) – present |
Hot Bench is an Americannontraditionalpanel-basedcourt show that debuted in first-run syndication on September 15, 2014. The series was conceptualized and produced forCBS Media Ventures byJudith Sheindlin ofJudge Judy fame, alongside executive producers Randy Douthit, Maureen FitzPatrick, David Theodosopoulos, and co-executive producer James Glover.
As of the show's twelfth season, which premiered in September 2025,Hot Bench is presided over by Rachel Juarez, a former prosecutor originally from Los Angeles; Yodit Tewolde, a municipal judge and criminal defense attorney from Dallas; and Daniel Mentzer, a California native who rose to prominence as a criminal defense attorney in New York. Gina Findley, a former New York Police Department detective, is the bailiff.
Hot Bench emanates fromStamford Studios inStamford, Connecticut; production relocated there fromSunset Bronson Studios inLos Angeles after the 2024–2025 season.
The series features a panel of three judges, which acts as an arbitral tribunal, and as with most televised court shows, the cases are a form of bindingarbitration in which the litigants forgo their actual lawsuit in favor of appearing on the program.
| Personnel | Role | Seasons | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||
| Tanya Acker | Judge, co-host | Main | |||||||||||
| Larry Bakman | Judge, co-host | Main | |||||||||||
| Patricia DiMango | Judge, co-host | Main | |||||||||||
| Michael Corriero | Judge, co-host | Main | |||||||||||
| Rachel Juarez | Judge, co-host | Main | |||||||||||
| Yodit Tewolde | Judge, co-host | Main | |||||||||||
| Sonia Montejano | Bailiff | Recurring | |||||||||||
| Daniel Mentzer | Judge, co-host | Main | |||||||||||
| Gina Findley | Bailiff | Recurring | |||||||||||
The concept was inspired by Judy's vacation toIreland, a country which occasionally uses panels of three judges to handle one case: "When my husband Jerry and I were in Ireland recently, we visited thecourts and watched a three-judge bench, which I found both fascinating and compelling." She added, "I immediately thought what a terrific and unique idea for a television program that brings the court genre to the next level. We have assembled three individuals with extremely varied backgrounds to serve as the judges. They are smart and talented, with terrific instincts and great chemistry, and are sure to create a 'hot bench'."[1] On April 26, 2024,Hot Bench has been renewed for its eleventh and twelfth seasons through 2025–2026 season.[2]
The current panel consists of Rachel Juarez, Yodit Tewolde, and Daniel Mentzer who preside oversmall-claims cases and then argue the merits of the case amongst themselves in the chamber room before rendering a verdict (under the format, only a majority—two of the three-panel members—need to agree on the verdict).
During the first two seasons, the panel consisted of attorneys Tanya Acker and Larry Bakman, along with former Brooklyn New York Supreme Court judgePatricia DiMango.[3]
In the beginning of the third season, Bakman announced that he was leavingHot Bench to focus on his law practice. Michael Corriero was named Bakman's successor. Bakman's final episodes originally aired on October 28, 2016, and Corriero's first episode was scheduled to originally air on November 1, 2016, with series creator Judge Judy Sheindlin and her husband, formerThe People's Court judgeJerry Sheindlin, serving as guest judges on theHalloween 2016 original broadcasts.[4]
In 2022, DiMango and Acker were replaced on the show by Juarez and Tewolde, while Corriero assumed the chief judge position.
In January 2025, Corriero announced he would leave the panel following the conclusion of the series' eleventh season.[5] Two months later, trial attorney Daniel Mentzer was named as Corriero's replacement. In addition, it was announced Montejano would exit as bailiff, following production's relocation to Connecticut; retiredNew York City Police Department Chaplains Unit detective Gina Findley was named as her successor.[6]
On December 11, 2014,Hot Bench was renewed for a second season.[7] The show airs in the UK onTruTV, and in Canada onYes TV and in syndication. The show has produced 1,535 episodes as of September 8, 2022. As of January 27, 2025, same-day airings air onDabl. The show currently has its own activeYouTube andPluto TV channels like its sister showJudge Judy.
Hot Bench has been nominated for threeDaytime Emmy Awards.
| Association | Year[a] | Category | Nominee(s) / Work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime Emmy Awards | 2017 | Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program | Randy Douthit, Maureen FitzPatrick, Amy Freisleben, Angela Ford, Jocelyn Jackson, Emily Michele, Arthur Thompkins, Kirk Leins, Christopher Thomas, Tanya Acker, Michael Corriero, Patricia DiMango, and James Glover | Nominated | [8] |
| 2020 | Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program | David Theodosopoulus, Amy Freisleben, Belinda Jackson, James Glover, Debbie Alpert, Sylvia Fierro, Jeffrey Pitts, Arthur Thompkins, Gina Yates, Kirk Leins, Christopher Thomas, Tanya Acker, Michael Corriero, Particia DiMango, and Sonia Montejano | Nominated | [9] | |
| 2023 | Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program | David Theodosopoulos, James Glover, Belinda Jackson, Debbie Alpert, Sylvia Fierro, Karen J. Beck, Chris Thomas, Jennifer Chandler, Jeff Pitts, DeLeesa Rouse, Destiny Sirivong, Lois Yaffee, Gina Yates, Tanya Acker, Michael Corriero, Patricia M. Di Mango, Rachel Juarez, Yodit Tewoldeand and Sonia Montejano | Nominated | [10] |