Gregory Ellis Mathis (born April 5, 1960), known professionally as Judge Mathis, is a former
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
36th District Court
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
, television court show arbitrator, author, television producer, and
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
interests motivational speaker/activist.
Since September 13, 1999, Mathis has presided over his
NAACP Image Award
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
and
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 (N ...
winning, syndicated
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
courtroom show, ''
Judge Mathis
''Judge Mathis'' is an American syndicated arbitration-based reality court show presided over by Judge Greg Mathis, a former judge of Michigan's 36th District Court and Black-interests motivational speaker/activist.
The courtroom series prem ...
'', for which he is best known. His program entered its milestone 20th season on Monday, September 3, 2018.
Mathis boasts the longest reign of any
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
presiding as a court show judge. Mathis is also the second longest serving television arbitrator ever, behind only
Judith Sheindlin
Judith Susan Sheindlin (''née'' Blum; born October 21, 1942), known professionally as Judge Judy, is an American court show arbitrator, media personality, television producer, author, women's advancement philanthropist and former prosecutor an ...
of ''
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 courtr ...
'' and ''
Judy Justice
''Judy Justice'' is an American streaming arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. ''Judy Justice'' is a spin-off of courtroom series ''Judge Judy'' (1996–2021). The show feat ...
'' by three seasons.
Emanating from the success of his courtroom series, Mathis has also made a name for himself as a prominent leader within the African American community, providing mentorship, charity and campaign efforts towards the advancement of African Americans.
Mathis is also heavily wrapped up in rallying public support, community outreach and philanthropy for the state of Michigan, such as for the
Flint water crisis.
On May 4, 2022, Mathis was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
.
A spiritually inspired play, ''Been there, Done that'', based on his life toured twenty-two cities in the U.S. in 2002. In addition, ''Inner City Miracle'', a memoir, was published by Ballantine Books. On June 19, 2022, a new
E! reality program, ''Mathis Family Matters'', premiered, starring Greg Mathis as the paternal head of household along with his family and their various loved ones as they encounter various domestic ups and downs.
Early life
Mathis was born in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
, the fourth of four boys born to Charles Mathis, a
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
native, and his wife Alice Lee Mathis, a devoted
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...
, nurse's aide, and housekeeper. Alice (then divorced from Charles) raised Mathis alone in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s. Mathis moved to
Herman Gardens
Herman Gardens was a public housing project located in the northwest area of Detroit, Michigan.
History
Built in 1943, Herman Gardens, known locally as "the Gardens", had 2,144 units primarily within two-story multi-family buildings. The 129-uni ...
in 1964 and lived there with the family until roughly 1970.
They moved away from the housing complex to avoid rising drug use and rates of violent crime.
Judge Mathis' biological father was estranged from him, but associated closely with the
Errol Flynns, a past notorious
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
street gang, that Mathis would eventually join while a teenager doing drugs . In the 1970s, he was arrested numerous times (mainly for purse snatching, breaking and entering, and robbery). While he was incarcerated in
Wayne County Jail, as a seventeen-year-old juvenile for concealing a gun in school, his mother visited him and broke the news that she was diagnosed with
colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...
. Mathis was offered early probation because of his mother's illness. The judge overhearing his case would subsequently give him an ultimatum of G.E.D. or jail.
Education
Once out of jail, Mathis began working at
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
, a job he needed to keep in order to maintain his release on probation. A close family friend helped Mathis get admitted to
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...
, and he discovered a new interest in
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
and
public administration
Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit establ ...
. He became a campus activist and worked for the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, organizing several demonstrations against South African
Apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
policies. He graduated with a B.S. in
Public Administration
Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit establ ...
from the
Ypsilanti campus and began to seek employment in Detroit's City Hall. He also became a member of
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...
fraternity.
Career
Television
Mathis's biggest claim to fame is his television court show, ''
Judge Mathis
''Judge Mathis'' is an American syndicated arbitration-based reality court show presided over by Judge Greg Mathis, a former judge of Michigan's 36th District Court and Black-interests motivational speaker/activist.
The courtroom series prem ...
'', currently into its 24th season as of September 5, 2022. The program is one of the longest running shows in the court programming genre, 4th in place behind only ''Divorce Court'', ''The People's Court'' and ''Judge Judy'' (now out of production), respectively. As ''Divorce Court'' and ''The People's Court'' have suffered temporary cancellations/re-installments/judge-role recasting, Mathis and ''Judge Judy'' boast the longest single-production runs as well as runs with a single presiding judge. With ''Judge Judy'' out of production after 25 seasons as of July 2021, ''Judge Mathis'' is now the longest running active single-production court show. Mathis is also the second longest reigning arbitrator in courtroom television history.
Following the success of his ongoing court show, Mathis also stars in another program entitled ''Mathis Family Matters'' that revolves around himself, his family and their loved ones as they face domestic highs and lows.
Outside of television
Mathis began his political career as an unpaid intern, and then became an assistant to Clyde Cleveland, a city council member. It was at this time Mathis took the
LSAT
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT; ) is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension as well as logical and verbal rea ...
and applied to
law school
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
s; he was conditionally admitted to the
University of Detroit School of Law, which was located in downtown Detroit, walking distance from city hall. He passed a summer course and was officially admitted to the night program, which took four years to complete.
Mathis was denied a license to practice law for several years after graduating from law school because of his criminal past. He received his
J.D. from the
University of Detroit Mercy
The University of Detroit Mercy is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 ...
in 1987. In 1995, he was elected a district court judge for Michigan's 36th District, making him the youngest person in the state to hold the post. During the five years he was on the bench, he was rated in the top five of all judges in the 36th District; there are about thirty judges each year.
Mathis was appointed head of
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...
's Presidential campaign in the state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
in 1988. Mathis later became head of Mayor
Coleman Young
Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) was an American politician who served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan, from 1974 to 1994. Young was the first African-American mayor of Detroit.
Young had emerged from the far-left ele ...
's re-election campaign and after the victory was appointed to run the city's east side city hall.
Mathis has continued to be involved in politics after rising to national entertainment prominence through his television show. Urban politics and African-American movements have been his focus. Most recently, Mathis was invited by the Obama administration to be a part of "My Brothers Keeper", a White House Initiative to empower boys, and men of color.
On June 4, 2011, Detroit-area drivers lined up for blocks as Mathis offered up to $92 worth of free gasoline apiece to the first 92 drivers to show up at a northwest Detroit
Mobil
Mobil is a petroleum brand owned and operated by American oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil. The brand was formerly owned and operated by an oil and gas corporation of the same name, which itself merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil in 1999.
...
station. He told the ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' it was a gift to the people who elected him to District Court despite his youthful criminal record. "LA didn't elect me judge," he said. "Chicago didn't elect me judge. Detroiters took a chance on me. It's just the right thing to do. And when you're blessed, you have to look out for the rest." The giveaway took place near the Mathis Community Center, which he funds. Its activities include self-improvement classes, food and clothing assistance, and training for ex-convicts. "No matter what international fame he's achieved, he's still a hometown guy," said WMXD-FM's Frankie Darcell, who announced the location on the air. "Everybody's happy. I'm happy," said gas station owner Mike Safiedine. "The people need it, especially (because) the price is very high."
In September 2008, Mathis wrote a novel called ''Street Judge'', based on the life of a judge who solves murders. It was co-written by
Zane, a well-known erotic series writer of ''Zane's Sex Chronicles''. Mathis also wrote a book entitled ''Of Being a Judge to Criminals and Such''.
Activism
Following his time spent in the Herman Gardens mixed-income housing, Mathis remained devoted to aiding families in the area. In 2003, he lobbied city officials on the behalf of former Herman Gardens residents, imploring lawmakers to allow these individuals first chance to move into new apartments built where Herman Gardens once stood.
Personal life
Mathis met his wife, Linda, a fellow
EMU
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
student, shortly after his mother's death. They would go on to have four children together, a daughter Jade, born May 1985, daughter Camara, born October 1987, son Greg Jr. born January 1989 and son Amir, born July 1990. Mathis who is a member of the City Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church, was awarded the Black History Achievement Award from
Oakwood University
Oakwood University is a private, historically black Seventh-day Adventist university in Huntsville, Alabama. It is the only HBCU owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Oakwood University is accredited by the Southern Associa ...
, which he says is the most meaningful award he has received.
Bibliography
* Mathis, Greg and Blair S. Walker. ''Inner City Miracle'', Ballantine: New York, 2002.
* Mathis, Greg. "Black men must fight back against obstacles." (For Brothers O ''Ebony'' (magazine). February 1, 2007. vol: 62:4 p. 38
References
External links
Judge Mathis Empowerment Network web siteJudge Mathis television web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathis, Greg
1960 births
African-American judges
American Seventh-day Adventists
African-American television personalities
Eastern Michigan University alumni
Former gang members
Living people
Michigan Democrats
Michigan state court judges
Lawyers from Detroit
University of Detroit Mercy alumni
Television judges