Joseph Wapner, the judge of the reality show The People’s Court, died Sunday after suffering from breathing problems, the Associated Press reports. He was 97.
Wapner’s son, David Wapner, said his father passed away on Sunday morning at home in his sleep. Wapner had been hospitalized a week ago with breathing problems and had been under home hospice care.
Born November 15, 1919, in Los Angeles, Wapner graduated from USC and the USC Law School. He served in WWII and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star while serving in the South Pacific in Cebu.
From 1961 to 1979, Wapner served at the L.A. Superior Court before retiring. He then became the judge for the court show The People’s Court, which debuted in 1981. He was on the show for 12 seasons, ending his run in 1993. The show, which continued without him, became a pop culture hit and was parodied on Saturday Night Live and was mentioned by Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man when all he wanted to do was watch The People’s Court. “Three minutes to Wapner,” he told Tom Cruise in a scene.
Wapner received a star on the Walk of Fame on November 12, 2009, and on his 90th birthday he returned to The People’s Court to serve as a guest judge.
The People’s Court paved the way for many other court shows, including Divorce Court, Judge Mathis, Judge Judy and more.
