We can’t get a Latino judge onto the Supreme Court but if you watch daytime television you can watch a whole roster of Latino judges dole out justice in English. While the Cuban Dra. Ana Maria Polo continues to mediate disputes on Telemundo’s Caso Cerrado, you can take your pick of four Latino judges on mainstream English language networks. Three out of the four of the judges are Cubanos, and three of the four are mujeres.

The Latino judge with the longest time on air is Judge Marilyn Milian who presides over The People’s Court, which now airs on both FOX and My 9. Milian, a Cubana born in Queens, has worn her television robe since 2001 and can be heard peppering her rulings with dichos or sayings in Spanish. Millian is the first female judge to preside over the long-running show and the first Latino judge to sit on the bench of any English language television court show.

Last year Cuban exile Judge Alex Ferrer made his debut on air on the Fox network. Interestingly enough, the only male among the TV judges, he is not known for using Spanish at all in his television courtroom.

The two newcomers are Cristina Perez and Maria Lopez. Cristina Perez hosts Cristina’s Court on Fox and is the first TV judge ever to cross-Over from Spanish-language to English-language television. This Colombiana was named California’s Woman of the Year and ranked as one of America’s Top 10 Latina Advocates by Latino Leaders Magazine. She, like Marilyn Milian, uses dichos when using her gavel to make rulings.

Tha Latino tv judge with the darkest past is Judge Maria Lopez who can be seen on the CW network. This Cubana was reprimanded by the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct who found that Lopez had abused her office and lied under oath. She was asked to apologize and serve a six-month suspension; she elected instead to resign her judgeship.

It’s a sad state of affairs when we can see more Latino judges on television than in the real halls of justice. Maybe life will imitate really lowbrow art.

Via / Wikipedia and Hispanic Trending