PEOPLE'S COURT: Judge Wapner Dies at 97
Before presiding over The People’s Court from 1981 to 1993, he served as a real-life judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Joseph Wapner, best known as the original judge on The People’s Court, died at his L.A. home today (Sunday). He was 97.
His grandson, Gabriel Wapner, confirmed the death but did not reveal the cause. Judge Wapner had several strokes in recent years.
Before presiding over The People’s Court from 1981 to 1993, he served as a real-life judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court for 18 years before retiring in 1979. During World War II, he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
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