Is ‘Hot Bench’ Scripted? What We Know About Daytime Courtroom Show

Since 2014, the judges on Hot Bench have been hearing cases and doling out verdicts. The Emmy-nominated court show was created by Judge Judy Sheindlin and currently features Rachel Juarez, Yodit Tewolde and Daniel Mentzer as a panel of judges for its 12th season. But are the cases being heard by these judges real? And are they legitimate judges themselves? Scroll down for everything we know. Is Hot Bench real or scripted? The show is completely real. The cases heard by the judges on the show are legitimate. Ahead of the show’s 2,000th episode in early 2025, Tewolde confirmed to Us Weekly, “These are real cases filed across the country in real courthouses.