'People's Court'judge discusses job, life

Leaving her job in the government court system to preside on a nationally syndicated television show was scary and exciting, "The People's Court" judge told a crowd of about 100 Thursday night in Wilson Hall Auditorium.

Sponsored by Center for Multicultural/International Student Services as part of its National Hispanic Heritage month celebration, Marilyn Millian described how work in television has affected her life, and how she has, in turn, been able to influence the lives of others.

"The most amazing part of it is being the very first Hispanic on a nationally syndicated court TV show," she said. "For me to be able to represent my culture in this very popular and widespread form has been a blast and an awesome responsibility."

Millian's journey into television began when a neighbor gave her name to Harvey Levin, the driving force behind the "The People's Court."

According to Levin, the producers were looking for a way to revamp "The People's Court" in the wake of newer court television shows. They had decided that the show needed a Latina judge.

Levin's call surprised Millian. "I was in the middle of a first-degree murder trial in a criminal courthouse in downtown Miami," she said. "My track was that I wanted to be a federal judge, perhaps a [United States] Supreme Court judge."

She said "That was where all of the mentors in my community pegged me, and now, all of a sudden, I was going to be a TV judge?" She said her husband and friends encouraged her to audition, so she became very excited about the possibility of a new adventure.

However, after her trip to New York City, Levin called to inform her that the president of the production company didn't find her "Latina enough." In order to secure the job, she dyed her hair red like the president asked. The producer's desire for a saucy Latina illustrates the amount of stereotyping that goes on behind the scenes, according to Millian, explaining that companies must cater to the masses.

She said working on "The People's Court" lets her show off the fiery side of her personality. Millian said that television allows her to make side comments and voice her opinions more openly than government courts do.

She also appreciates the educational aspect of court television. Millian said she receives e-mails from people thanking her for the practical information they get while watching the show.

As a mother, Millian treasures her ability to advocate children's issues on the show. "When I talk to [negligent parents], I'm talking to America," she said.

Millian said she loves the support of diversity in the United States. "After [Sept. 11, 2001], people in the country stopped thinking of themselves as Hispanic-American, etcetera," she said. "They became just American. People should take pride in their origins."

Before Millian worked on "The People's Court," she had 16 years of legal experience. She attended the University of Miami as an undergraduate, then studied law at Georgetown University. Millian spent five years in the Miami County Court in the Domestic Violence, Criminal and Civil Divisions. In 1999, she served in the Criminal Division of the Miami Circuit Court.

Millian also spent a year at Harvard Law School as director of training for the Guatemala project. The project helped the Guatemalan government set up an open judiciary, which dispelled some of the distrust and corruption in their written judiciary system by replacing it with a more oral system.

Mariama S. Boney-Padilla, associate director of CMISS, helped coordinate Millian's visit to JMU and felt that students would be interested in what Millian had to say.

"We are proud of her accomplishments," she said. "She's pushed some boundaries in a good way."

"I am a huge fan of hers," freshman Emily Moats said. "I watch the show every chance that I get."

"I enjoyed the fact that she was very down-to-earth," she added. "She didn't lecture or just go on and on. She also talked about how we need to be accepting of ourselves and what we are."