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Judge Judy Sued Over $500K Worth of China, Silverware

By Andrew Lu on March 13, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The tables have turned, and Judge Judy now finds herself being sued over fine china and silverware.

The popular TV judge apparently got a good bargain. However, the previous owner (or perhaps co-owner) of the china and flatware -- worth more than half a million dollars -- claims Judge Judy basically stole it from her when she purchased the goods for a fraction of their value, writes TMZ.

Strangely, this battle over fine china stems from a divorce dispute.

A producer on Judge Judy's show, Randy Douthit, was divorcing a woman named Patric Jones. Jones apparently claims that she owned the china and silverware (or at least half of it, as California is a community property state), and filed the lawsuit against Judge Judy, reports TMZ.

Jones claims Douthit entered into a fraudulent scheme in which he let Judge Judy purchase the tableware -- valued at $514,421 -- for only $50,000. The sole purpose of the scheme was purportedly to get revenge against Jones.

Along with the china and silverware, Jones also claims that her husband entered into an agreement with Judge Judy to reduce his pay from the show. That way, he wouldn't have to pay as much money to Jones in the divorce settlement, Jones' lawsuit asserts.

So as a result of this divorce, Judge Judy allegedly got expensive tableware for a tenth of the cost, and also got to pay her producer less money.

The famously outspoken Judge Judy, whose real name is Judith Sheindlin, told TMZ that not only has she not seen a complaint, but that Jones should spend more time trying to find a job instead of bringing "frivolous lawsuits."

Legally speaking, a frivolous lawsuit is one that asserts a legal claim that has no legal merit. If such a suit is tossed out, whoever filed it can herself be slapped with a lawsuit seeking compensation for the other party's attorney's fees, or even sanctioned by a court.

We'll have to wait and see what happens as the Judge Judy lawsuit proceeds.

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