Bailiff Byrd
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Petri Hawkins-Byrd (born Petri Adonis Byrd; November 29, 1957), also known as Bailiff Byrd or simply Byrd, is an American
court show A court show (also known as a judge show, legal/courtroom program, courtroom series, or judicial show) is a broadcast programming genre comprising legal dramas and reality legal programming. Court shows present content mainly in the form of legal ...
bailiff A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
,
television personality Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
,
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, actor,
voice actor Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...
, writer, and former New York State Court Officer. Hawkins-Byrd is best known for his
sidekick A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. Origins The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of ...
role as Bailiff Byrd for the entire series run–totaling 25 seasons–of Nielsen top-rated courtroom television program ''
Judge Judy ''Judge Judy'' is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. The show featured Sheindlin as she adjudicated real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated court ...
''. From his stint on ''Judge Judy'', he is television's longest court show
bailiff A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
in history. Since October 2018, Hawkins-Byrd along with his wife, Makita Bond, have hosted their Facebook/YouTube
talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...
-like series entitled "Bonding with Byrd", with a new installment released every Tuesday. It was announced in April 2022 that Hawkins-Byrd will return to the court show genre, resuming his televised bailiff duties in the upcoming panel-based spin-off courtroom series, Tribunal Justice. The series is created by
Judy Sheindlin Judith Susan Sheindlin ( Blum; born October 21, 1942), also known as Judge Judy, is an American attorney, jurist, court-show arbitrator, media personality, television producer, and former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge. For 25 seas ...
and her personal production team and features a three-judge panel.


Youth, early adulthood and career beginnings

Petri Adonis Byrd was born on November 29, 1957, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
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. Taking to comedy and impressions from an early age, Hawkins-Byrd's father thought he was so entertaining and amusing as a child that he and his friends frequently called him up from prison just so they could hear him imitate celebrities. Growing up, he admired and imitated such celebrities as
Flip Wilson Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American comedian and actor best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s and 1970s. From 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series '' The ...
,
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
,
Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...
,
Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...
,
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
and others. Meanwhile, his stay-at-home mother held their family together. Hawkins-Byrd has described his mother as a strict disciplinarian who was insistent about her children achieving their education and treating people with respect. Of his childhood, Hawkins-Byrd has stated, "My escapes were going to school, reading, television and movies—anything that would take me out of the world I was in and put me in a world that could be." After graduating from
Eastern District High School The Grand Street Campus is a building used as the home for three high schools in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City. The current building at 850 Grand Street opened in 1981; its identity as the Grand Street Campus dates to 1996. It is curre ...
in Brooklyn, he attended
Hostos Community College Eugenio María de Hostos Community College of The City University of New York is a public community college in the South Bronx, New York City. It is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system and was created by an act of the Board ...
in
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. Although drawn to the idea of
acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...
, he had also taken an interest in
law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
while growing up. His interest in law emanated from his awareness of active
Jim Crow laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...
and the civil rights movement during his youth, desiring to
revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
ize racially discriminatory practices. With that, he started work as a court officer for the Brooklyn circuit of the
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
court system in the early 1980s. In 1986 he was transferred to the
family court Family courts were originally created to be a Court of Equity convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, including custody of children, and could disregard certain legal requirements as long as the petitioner/plaintif ...
division in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
while also attending
John Jay College of Criminal Justice The John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) is a public college focused on criminal justice and located in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay was founded as the only liberal arts col ...
. It was in this capacity that he met
Judge Judy Sheindlin Judith Susan Sheindlin ( Blum; born October 21, 1942), also known as Judge Judy, is an American attorney, jurist, court-show arbitrator, media personality, television producer, and former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge. For 25 seas ...
, who was the Supervising Family Court Judge for Manhattan. From 1986 through 1989, he worked in the Manhattan family court system as a courtroom officer on a rotating basis for varying judges, Sheindlin among many others. Recounting the times he was assigned to function as Sheindlin's bailiff in the Manhattan family court system, he commented, "I was never bored in her courtroom. Her get-to-the-point style didn't always sit well with the litigants, and there were times she was definitely glad to have me around." In 1989, Hawkins-Byrd obtained a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in
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from
John Jay College of Criminal Justice The John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) is a public college focused on criminal justice and located in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay was founded as the only liberal arts col ...
. That same year, his personal life changed radically: he and his wife, Felicia, separated and she moved with the couple's children to California. The couple tried to get their marriage back on track by participating in cross-country
relationship counseling Couples therapy (also known as couples' counseling, marriage counseling, or marriage therapy) is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to improve intimate relationships, resolve interpersonal conflicts and repair broken bonds of love. History Marri ...
for five months. A year later in 1990, he moved to
San Mateo, California San Mateo ( ) is the most populous city in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It is part of the San Francisco Bay Area metropolitan region, and is located about south of San Francisco. San Mateo border ...
to reunite with his family and reconcile with his wife. There, he accepted a job as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshall. In 1992, he made another career transition, becoming a student counselor at
Monta Vista High School Monta Vista High School is a four-year public high school in Cupertino, California. Part of the Fremont Union High School District, the school serves most of the area of western Cupertino. In 2020, Monta Vista was ranked by ''Newsweek'' as the ...
in Cupertino, California, remaining in this profession until 1996. As a side job during this time, Hawkins-Byrd also delivered pizzas.


Television career


Bailiff Byrd on ''Judge Judy'' (1996–2021)

In 1995, Hawkins-Byrd read a news article in a Liz Smith column about Sheindlin's new book, ''Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining'', as well as her then upcoming television
court show A court show (also known as a judge show, legal/courtroom program, courtroom series, or judicial show) is a broadcast programming genre comprising legal dramas and reality legal programming. Court shows present content mainly in the form of legal ...
project to be filmed in
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. He subsequently wrote Sheindlin a congratulatory letter, stating: "If you ever need a bailiff, my uniform still fits." After Sheindlin was feeling lack of chemistry between her and the test actor who performed as bailiff in her pilot episode, she phoned Hawkins-Byrd to offer him the role as bailiff in her courtroom series, which he accepted. Byrd added "Hawkins" to his name when he joined the ''
Judge Judy ''Judge Judy'' is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. The show featured Sheindlin as she adjudicated real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated court ...
'' program as a salute to his late mother; Hawkins was her maiden name. In the program, Sheindlin referred to him simply as "Byrd," or less frequently "Officer Byrd." Hawkins-Byrd ended up performing as ''Judge Judy'' program bailiff for its entire series run of 25 seasons (1996-2021), making him the longest serving television court show bailiff in history. ''Judge Judy'' remained the number 1 Nielsen-rated court show for its entire series run. In addition, the court show scored highest in daytime and syndication ratings for much of its first run, and won 3 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program. In the series, Hawkins-Byrd took the role of Sheindlin's typically apathetic and lightly surly courtroom bailiff, as one who did not hesitate to assume a menacing presence with litigants when Sheindlin needed extra reinforcement. His main role in the series constituted introducing the cases (calling the parties forward, swearing the litigants, directing the courtroom audience when to rise and be seated, delivering the docket number and handing Sheindlin the case files), delivering materials between the judge and the litigants, dismissing the parties, and escorting them out once the case was complete. Opening and closing out the proceedings, each ''Judge Judy'' case began with Hawkins-Byrd making the statement of "Order! All Rise!" and ended with him stating, "Parties are excused. You may step out." (this was later changed in the final season to "This case has concluded, parties are excused"). Limited in his speaking role, Hawkins-Byrd typically only commented when addressed by Sheindlin, supplying her with always curtly expressed nonchalance and lighthearted comments. He typically answered Sheindlin with simple, unadorned nonverbal expressions or
exclamation Exclamation may refer to: * Exclamation mark, the punctuation mark "!" * Exclamation, an emphatic interjection * Exclamation, a type of sentence * Exclamation, a statement against penal interest In United States law, a statement against penal ...
s. On numerous occasions over the course of the show's 25-year run, Byrd played a key role in the proceedings: he was frequently sought by Sheindlin to look up vehicle estimates from the
Kelley Blue Book Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. (KBB) is an American vehicle valuation and automotive research company. Based in Irvine, California, the company is owned by the Cox Automotive subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. History The company began as the Kelley ...
so that she could award the accurate judgment amount. He also contacted litigants' parole officers and performed
drug test A drug test (also often toxicology screen or tox screen) is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, or saliva, oral fluid/saliva—to determine the presence or absence of specified parent ...
s. Hawkins-Byrd's menacingly stern interjections for brasher litigants typically allowed Sheindlin reinforcement—her extra measure of coercion for litigants whose behavior she had trouble controlling on her own. He was also tasked with controlling emotions that ran high among the parties and preventing potential altercations between the show's guests, typically by standing in-between them and the litigant podiums during the proceedings. Sheindlin frequently directed Hawkins-Byrd to expel litigants from the courtroom who acted in ways that she found inappropriate. He had been described by the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' as "the
guard dog A guard dog or watchdog is a dog used to watch for and guard people or property against unwanted human or animal intruders. A dog trained to attack intruders is known as an attack dog. History Dogs have been used as guardians since ancient ...
to the
pit bull Pit bull is an umbrella term for several Dog type, types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, A ...
." The court show was full of
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
s involving Hawkins-Byrd. One of them involved his preoccupation with doing crossword puzzles during the proceedings. On occasion, he nonchalantly disagreed with Sheindlin when she bounced a question off of him for his agreement, often in relation to dressing down the parties. In another running gag, Sheindlin relied on his
sophistication Sophistication refers to the qualities of refinement, good taste, and wisdom. By contrast, its original use was as a pejorative, derived from sophist, and included the idea of Mixture, admixture or adulteration. Today, as researched by Faye Hammi ...
and
academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
knowledge, with Hawkins-Byrd interceding in areas with which she struggled:
mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
, new media,
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, current
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s, etc. He also routinely delivered evidence to Sheindlin while having his head and eye contact directed away from her off to his sides, a trait observed publicly by
Amy Poehler Amy Meredith Poehler ( ; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award (out of 26 nom ...
. A trademarked
pet peeve A pet peeve, pet aversion, or pet hate is a minor annoyance that an individual finds particularly irritating to a greater degree than the norm. Origin of the concept The noun ''peeve'', meaning an annoyance, is believed to have originated in the ...
of Hawkins-Byrd's was frequently having to block litigants from attempting to deliver evidence to Sheindlin themselves directly when they were unaware of the show's practice of handing evidence over to the bailiff. On the rare occasion, Sheindlin requested litigants to approach the bench, for example, to present evidence of bodily injuries or document clarifications. Sheindlin often comically incorporated Hawkins-Byrd in the midst of her critiques and reprimands of the litigants, by sharing with the audience Officer Hawkins-Byrd's disapproving thoughts of the litigants without any communication of this from Hawkins-Byrd himself. Of their on-screen relationship, Sheindlin had quipped, "We're like two old married people who have reached an accord. I can rely on him to be my protector. We don't have to exchange words—he knows what I'm thinking. People who watch us sense we have a history, and that is very important." Hawkins-Byrd described Sheindlin as "Blunt, witty, and sharp as a tack." Though when asked if he'd like to appear as a litigant on the program, he answered candidly (laughing), "Hell no. And I don't advise any of my friends to do so. Not if they want to maintain their love of the judicial system." His duties and involvement were significantly reduced during the show's 25th and final season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. While he still introduced and closed out the cases, he no longer delivered evidence back and forth between Sheindlin and the parties and rarely communicated back and forth with Sheindlin. This was due to Sheindlin adjudicating the proceedings remotely from New York, while Hawkins-Byrd and the litigants still reported to the Los Angeles studio set.


Other entertainment media appearances

Hawkins-Byrd was also on the long running
UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that operated from 1995 to 2006. It was originally a joint venture between Chris-Craft Industries (later sold to News Corporation)'s subsidiary, United Television, ...
show
The Parkers ''The Parkers'' is an American television sitcom created by Ralph Farquhar, Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears. The series ran for five seasons from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004, on UPN. It stars Mo'Nique, Countess Vaughn, Mari Morrow, Dorien Wi ...
. He portrayed a motorcycle Police Officer. Hawkins-Byrd has participated in several movies and TV shows, including ''Tom Hennessy'', ''Soul Lake'' (a 2015 independent horror film), ''Under The Palm Tree'', ''American Skin'', ''Sheen Talk'', ''Inspirit,'' and ''Reesie's Pieces''. By the same token, his other projects include ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (through the show visiting the ''Judge Judy'' program), ''A Deeper Love'', ''Playing Mona Lisa'', ''In the Eyes of a Killer'', ''Saviour of None.'' He also played a judge role in the independent film ''End of the Law'', which was shot in
Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
and premiered at the Crest Theatre on October 3, 2003. In August 2018, Hawkins-Byrd appeared in an episode of medical advice talk show '' The Doctors'', as a guest in the program to address concerns with his health as it relates to a spike in his
glycated hemoglobin Glycated hemoglobin, also called glycohemoglobin, is a form of hemoglobin (Hb) that is chemically linked to a sugar. Most monosaccharides, including glucose, galactose, and fructose, spontaneously (that is, non-enzymatically) bond with hemoglob ...
levels. In December 2019, he returned to disclose improvements in relation to diabetes and his overall health. On August 5, 2021 Hawkins-Byrd performed in his first post-''Judge Judy'' role as a guest on ''
The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''Th ...
''. In the episode, Hawkins-Byrd plays a
marriage officiant A marriage officiant or marriage celebrant is a person who officiates at a wedding ceremony. Religious weddings, such as Christian ones, are officiated by a pastor, such as a priest or vicar. Similarly, Jewish weddings are presided over by a ra ...
at the wedding of Steffy (played by
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (born 17 April 1987) is a Canadian actress, musician, model and television personality. She is best known for playing the fashion executive and heiress Steffy Forrester Finnegan on the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the ...
) and Finn (played by Tanner Novlan). Amid Byrd's much publicized exclusion from Sheindlin's spin-off series ''
Judy Justice ''Judy Justice'' is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. ''Judy Justice'' is both a spin-off and continuation of courtroom series ''Judge Judy'' (1996–2021) ...
'' (which includes several former ''Judge Judy'' crew members) and the strong fan response received, he was reportedly approached by producers to present a program of his own that would see him as the mediator in some form. Hawkins-Byrd communicated an interest in the idea of acting as a television mediator. Hawkins-Byrd landed a guest
voice acting Voice acting is the art of performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animated, off-stage, off-sc ...
role in the
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series '' The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'' which premiered in 2022. On April 28, 2022, it was announced that Hawkins-Byrd would hold the role of bailiff for a new court show produced by Sheindlin's team. The show, '' Tribunal Justice'', premiered in 2023 and is presided over by former ''
Hot Bench ''Hot Bench'' is an American nontraditional panel-based court show that debuted in first-run syndication on September 15, 2014. The series was conceptualized and produced for CBS Media Ventures by Judith Sheindlin of ''Judge Judy'' fame, alon ...
'' judges Tanya Acker and Patricia DiMango, along with Sheindlin's son, former
district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
Adam Levy. Hawkins-Byrd has starred in several motion pictures, including ''Fear Pharm 2'' (2021) and ''Amy's F*** It List'' (2023). In 2024, Hawkins-Byrd appeared in an acting role as American basketball executive
Alvin Gentry Alvin Harris Gentry (born November 5, 1954) is an American professional basketball executive who is the vice president of basketball engagement for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A former basketball player and ...
in the
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television sports drama miniseries '' Clipped''.


Fan protests over perceived snubs


''Judy Justice'' spin-off

A streaming court spin-off of ''Judge Judy'', entitled ''
Judy Justice ''Judy Justice'' is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. ''Judy Justice'' is both a spin-off and continuation of courtroom series ''Judge Judy'' (1996–2021) ...
'' (also hosted by Judy Sheindlin), premiered on
IMDb TV Amazon Freevee (stylized as freevee and fv, also shortened as Freevee, formerly known as IMDb Freedive and IMDb TV, and sometimes spelled FV) is an American ad-supported video-on-demand (VOD) streaming service owned by Amazon, with original an ...
from
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on November 1, 2021. In December 2020, during 25th season production of ''Judge Judy'', Hawkins-Byrd noted publicly that he would be "honored" if invited back for the spin-off series in an interview with the ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
''. However, the first trailer for the court show, released in September 2021, was absent of Hawkins-Byrd with a different bailiff presented, and Sheindlin additionally remarking that she was solo as far as a cast for the past 25 years in advertising ''Judy Justice'' as conversely having a cast. This was met with widespread outrage and criticism from ''Judge Judy'' fans. Addressing fan complaints over his absence in an October 8, 2021, interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'', Hawkins-Byrd stated that he was not asked to participate in ''Judy Justice''. He added that he was not offered an audition nor communicated with at all in regards to the spin-off since Sheindlin first disclosed news of the court show in a March 2020 '' Ellen DeGeneres Show'' appearance—news that came as a surprise to him. It was not until July 2021 after the ''Judge Judy'' program ended and production of ''Judy Justice'' began was there a discussion, resulting from Hawkins-Byrd himself phoning Sheindlin at the behest of his wife Makita (former ''Judge Judy'' producer who was requested to return for the spin-off series but could not due to suffering from a cancerous brain tumor). According to Hawkins-Byrd, when he asked Sheindlin if he would have a role in the streaming series, Sheindlin explained that he was not invited to take part in the program because his salary would have been too high. He described feeling perplexed by Sheindlin's statements, stating he never had the opportunity to discuss salary or lower salaries with anyone. He has described feeling "confused and dismayed" by Sheindlin's treatment. He added, however, that he was humbled by the show of support from fans. In her own statements to the press, Sheindlin remarked, "Byrd is terrific, and we had a great 25 year run. This is a whole new program with a whole new cast and an exciting energy." In following appearances on ''
The Real In continental philosophy, the Real refers to reality in its unmediated form. In Lacanian psychoanalysis, it is an "impossible" category because of its inconceivability and opposition to expression. In depth psychology The Real is the ...
'', ''
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'' and The Black News Channel, Hawkins-Byrd quipped that Sheindlin's treatment of him was akin to
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
abandoning Robin. When questioned on the nature of his relationship with Sheindlin, he answered that he and Sheindlin never treated each other like friends throughout the court show's entire 25 season run, nor while working within the family court system prior to that. Rather, he described himself as only having a professional relationship with Sheindlin limited to behaving cordially around each other; using the analogy of what a relationship might be between a low-ranking mail clerk employed for
Bill Gates William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American businessman and philanthropist. A pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, he co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend ...
at one of his companies. Elaborating, he pointed out that Sheindlin never once invited him to a lunch or celebratory get-together in all of the show's 25 seasons. Hawkins-Byrd has stated that he welcomes a phone call from Sheindlin if she takes exception to any of his media appearances or opposes any of his public claims. He has added ultimately that he holds no grudges, is grateful to Sheindlin and wished her all the best with ''Judy Justice''.


Hiring for another bailiff role

On April 28, 2022, it was announced that Hawkins-Byrd would be holding the role of bailiff for another court show produced and created by Sheindlin's team, also to be streamed on
Amazon Freevee Amazon Freevee (stylized as freevee and fv, also shortened as Freevee, formerly known as IMDb Freedive and IMDb TV, and sometimes spelled FV) is an American Free ad-supported streaming television, ad-supported video on demand, video-on-demand ( ...
, entitled '' Tribunal Justice.'' Tribunal Justice is presided over by now former ''
Hot Bench ''Hot Bench'' is an American nontraditional panel-based court show that debuted in first-run syndication on September 15, 2014. The series was conceptualized and produced for CBS Media Ventures by Judith Sheindlin of ''Judge Judy'' fame, alon ...
'' judges, Tanya Acker and Patricia DiMango, along with Sheindlin's son, former
district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
Adam Levy with Byrd as the bailiff.


Sheindlin's 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award

In early November 2021, Hawkins-Byrd additionally shared that he felt snubbed when he was not allowed to present Sheindlin's
Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...
to her at the
Daytime Emmy The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...
ceremony. He added that he was seated 15 to 20 rows back while Sheindlin sat with ''Judge Judy'' Executive Producer Randy Douthit in the front rows. Questioned about the matter, Sheindlin shared that it was
Amy Poehler Amy Meredith Poehler ( ; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award (out of 26 nom ...
who called up the Television Academy and requested to present her with the award because she was a big fan. According to Hawkins-Byrd, however, Poehler later shared with him that she was equally perplexed over his exclusion from the ceremony.


Off-air projects and activities

Hawkins-Byrd works part time as an event MC, guest speaker, charity supporter, and
community activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...
. He is a popular master of ceremonies and inspirational speaker and spends a lot of time motivating and building the lives of troubled youth. He is the national chairman of the O.K. Program, which addresses social issues confronting black youth and young black men. He is also on the board of the faith-based youth program Teen Center USA. Hawkins-Byrd also operates a nonprofit mentoring program, entitled "Teach Them to Fish", focusing on physical, mental, social and spiritual growth. He indulges his creative side by writing poetry and screenplays, and has been known to read his poetry at bars and restaurants near his home. Since October 2018, Hawkins-Byrd and his current wife, Makita Bond, have co-hosted a
web series A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), which first emerged in the late 1 ...
with a title that plays off their last names, "Bonding with Byrd". The couple posts new episodes on Tuesdays from Byrd's "Petri Hawkins-Byrd"
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
page, and their joint "Bonding with Byrd" YouTube channel. Judge Lynn Toler, former court show arbitrator and longest reigning arbitrator of the courtroom series ''
Divorce Court ''Divorce Court'' is an American court show that revolves around settling the disputes of couples going through divorces. The show has had four separate runs, all in first-run syndication. Since the debut of the original series in 1957, it is ...
'' (formerly taped from the same studios as ''Judge Judy'' and thus a longtime friend of Byrd's), made an appearance on ''Bonding with Byrd'' on October 19, 2021. In the interview, Toler provided details on her various dissatisfactions leading to her
resignation Resignation is the formal act of relinquishing or vacating one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or ...
from ''Divorce Court'' and her current hosting role on ''
Marriage Boot Camp ''Marriage Boot Camp'' (also known as ''Marriage Boot Camp: Bridezillas'', ''Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars'', ''Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars - Family Edition'' and ''Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition'') is an American reality televisio ...
''. In addition, Hawkins-Byrd and his wife founded a jointly owned production company that they named "Bonding with Byrd". He has shared that their production company is geared towards launching broadcast entertainment projects for
streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
as well as developing and presenting
stage plays A play is a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than mere reading. The creator of a play is known as a playwright. Plays are staged at various levels, ranging f ...
.


Personal life

In 2000, Hawkins-Byrd and his family moved from the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
to
Elk Grove, California Elk Grove is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. Located just south of the state capital of Sacramento, it is part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 176,124. A 2021 C ...
. The move was said to have resulted from Hawkins-Byrd and his family taking a liking to Elk Grove's affordable housing community and family-oriented atmosphere. Asked if he'd ever move to
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, where he reported to the set of ''Judge Judy'' for 25 years, he answered with an emphatic "No." He said he greatly disliked all the extravagance and glitz of
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
and preferred a simple, reflective life. He is a churchgoing
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. In 1980, Hawkins-Byrd married Felicia Hawkins, the mother of his children. The two later separated in 1989, and Felicia moved to the West Coast with the couple's children. After marriage counselling Hawkins-Byrd and Hawkins reconciled, though not permanently. Altogether, he has four children, all adults and all from his first marriage to Felicia Hawkins. Hawkins-Byrd married former fellow ''Judge Judy'' crew member Makita Bond Byrd on May 4, 2019. Prior to Bond becoming a producer for the court show, the two first met on the
Sunset Bronson Studios The Old Warner Brothers Studio, now known as the Sunset Bronson Studios (formerly known as KTLA Studios and Tribune Studios), is a motion picture, radio and television production facility located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Ca ...
lot (where the ''Judge Judy'' program was filmed for its entire run) back in 2012. After going on a date to a
comedy show Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehearse ...
at around that time, the two lost contact. In 2015, the two briefly reconnected through Hawkins-Byrd greeting Makita in text message, her replying but no further communications at that time. In 2016, Bond landed a producer role on ''Judge Judy.'' She set up a surprise appearance as new producer on the set of the court show for Hawkins-Byrd, thinking he would remember who she was because of a Facebook request he sent her once she landed the position. He later admitted, however, only pretending to remember her when they reunited, privately questioning a fellow ''Judge Judy'' crew member who she was. If not for a photo that Bond still had of the two of them on the Sunset Bronson Studio lot back in 2012, he has stated he would not have remembered who she was. The two married in 2019. For much of the 25th and final season of ''Judge Judy'', Hawkins-Byrd's personal life revolved around attending to Bond as she had suffered a cancerous brain tumor in the midst of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. During that season, she was heavily involved in
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
. By April 2021 after Bond's
surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...
, 95 percent of the tumor was successfully removed. As reported on ''Bonding with Byrd'' in late October 2021, she is continuing with chemotherapy.


References


External links

*
Bailiff Byrd Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins-Byrd, Petri Television sidekicks 1957 births American male actors Living people Television personalities from Brooklyn African Americans in law enforcement African-American television personalities John Jay College of Criminal Justice alumni 21st-century African-American writers 20th-century African-American people Hostos Community College alumni