New Judge Wapner : Son of ‘People’s Court’ Jurist, 2 Others Don Judicial Robes

“People’s Court” Judge Joseph Wapner, the silver-haired figure behind America’s most-watched small-claims court, brought himself, his son and his profession before the public Friday.

This time it was for the audience in the Los Angeles Municipal Courthouse who turned out for ceremonies to bring into the fold three newly appointed judges, including Wapner’s son, Frederick.

The senior judge Wapner, 69, who gives television audiences a daily look at the workings of the American legal system, rose from the bench during ceremonies in Division One of Municipal Court to help his son into his new court attire.

“ ‘Judge Wapner,’ it has a beautiful ring,” the retired Superior Court jurist said, commenting on his son’s new title after the three appointees were introduced to an audience of 250 relatives and friends. Then came the robes.

The younger Judge Wapner is assigned to downtown Traffic Court’s Division 62.

The senior Wapner also was called upon to offer words of advice to the new appointees.

“I’m very, very nervous,” he said, as he explained that he was moved to see his son carrying on the family’s legal tradition. “I must confess, I’ve been on the verge of tears two or three times today.”

To the three freshmen judges--whom he referred to as “raw material” and “still just babes in arms”-- Wapner advised: “Be humble” and “take your work seriously, but, for God’s sake, don’t take yourself too seriously.”

During the ceremony there were several references to the possibility of an on-camera legacy being passed from one generation of Wapner to the next.

“The family jokes about it,” Frederick Wapner, 39, said after the ceremony. “And I know sooner or later it’s going to happen that I’m going to do small claims, but about doing ‘People’s Court’ on television . . . .”

“He’s got 20 years to go before he would even think about that,” the elder Wapner said.

But the show does have its purpose, the younger Wapner noted.

“The more the public actually knows about the legal system the better off everybody is,” Frederick Wapner said.

A former Los Angeles deputy district attorney, Frederick Wapner served as prosecutor in the high-profile Billionaire Boys Club case, in which Wapner won the murder conviction of club founder Joe Hunt.

Judge Edward Ferns, who along with Lloyd Nash also received their robes at the ceremony, said there were no hard feelings over the attention the Wapners received. Ferns, who said he is a friend of Frederick Wapner, added that he is not a fan of the “People’s Court” show.

When asked whether the court proceedings on the program seem real, he said, “I wouldn’t know if they are good examples of the legal system or not. I’ve never seen the show.”