© 2026 | Jefferson Public Radio
Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6301 | 800.782.6191
Listen | Discover | Engage a service of Southern Oregon University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Popular 'People's Court' Judge Joseph Wapner Dies At 97

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Rachel Martin. And if you were a child of the '80s, this music meant only one thing. Judge Wapner was in the house and on your TV. Joseph Wapner was the mild-mannered judge who served over "The People's Court" for more than a decade. He died on Sunday at the age of 97. According to a 1989 poll, only 9 percent of Americans surveyed could name the chief justice on the Supreme Court. Fifty-four percent knew Wapner was the guy laying down the law on "The People's Court." It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.