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Judge Maria Lopez, from Massachusetts’ Superior Court to television’s center court in a series beginning on Monday. |
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And justice for all
All rise, court is in session, the honorable Judge Maria Lopez presiding
By Sue Harrison
Banner Staff
On Monday viewers all across America meet Judge Maria Lopez when her TV series of the same name debuts. Get ready for fireworks, quick wit and no-nonsense justice as the former Mass. Superior Court judge takes on daytime television and, as she always did on the real bench, tells it like it is.
From Cuban refugee to law student at Boston University, she appeared to go straight up the American dream ladder. Right out of law school she was recruited to work in the state Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division and from there was appointed to the District Court and was the first Hispanic appointee to the Superior Court. But the traits that made her a success — her compassion, toughness and no BS attitude — made her enemies in other quarters. Ultimately, in the way that politics often work, she says, those who opposed her attacked her for her courtroom demeanor, not her decisions, and rather than apologize, she resigned. That could have been the end of the story, but it wasn’t.
When Sony Television was looking for a new judge to join the daytime pantheon of truth and justice they were steered to Lopez, who was first bemused and then interested. Sony wanted someone outspoken and clear with real opinions and no fear of voicing them. That’s what they found.
Lopez, who is married to Boston Phoenix publisher Stephen Mindich, talked to the Banner at her home overlooking the harbor in Provincetown. Two laptop computers dueled at the dining room table, which was stacked with files for cases she’s about to adjudicate.
The television cases are real cases, she explains. People in dispute agree to go before a judge, in this case Lopez, and tell their stories and then live with whatever she decides. The defendants and plaintiffs are chosen for their colorful appeal in hopes that the unexpected will pop up regularly.
Lopez, like a regular court judge, receives a stack of files at the beginning of the week with the basic information and briefs about the case. She has time to research similar cases and get familiar with the facts as stated and disputed.
The show itself is 30 minutes long and will broadcast in two back-to-back episodes at 1 and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday on channel 38, WSBK in the Boston area. (For the rest of the country, see www.judgemarialopez.com for stations.)
How did an eight-year-old Cuban refugee, who lost her toenails to frostbite when she refused to come inside the first time she saw snow, grow up to be the latest queen of the courtroom? Easy. She looked at her own experience and always followed her own sense of right and wrong, even if it cost her a few toenails along the way.
Her decision to study law was based on believing — as that generation did — that she could make a difference and seeing that law was one way to do it. She was immediately tapped by the director of Boston Legal Services and, after two years there, moved to the Attorney General’s office in the Civil Rights Division.
Her legal career continued as a general counsel in the state’s department of refugees and immigrants. Then, in 1988, Gov. Dukakis named her to the District Court bench. Five years later Gov. Weld moved her up to the Superior Court.
After her resignation, Sony offered her a deal — make a pilot and, if it sells, sign on for 130 shows. The pilot was marketed and sold in 90 percent of the country in six weeks.
Interestingly, she was not a big TV fan before, especially not of daytime TV. Now, she’s seen them all and praises the other courtroom shows.
“All the cases are unique because each judge brings to bear their life experience and point of view,” she says.
And she knows why the courtroom shows are so popular.
“I know from research that people like conflict and they like resolution,” she says. “It’s real, there’s conflict and there’s immediate resolution. You get satisfaction from that. And the other thing is you get to learn about the law. My function is to educate on the law and entertain, to resolve conflict in an entertaining way.”
artseditor@provincetownbanner.com
For the full story, see this week’s Banner.
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In the Arts
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Sep 7th, 2006