RIP: Joseph Wapner, judge on ‘The People’s Court,’ dies at 97

[aznation]

Joseph A. Wapner, a retired California judge whose flinty-folksy style of resolving disputes on the show “The People’s Court” helped spawn an entire genre of courtroom-based reality television with no-nonsense jurists and often clueless litigants, died Feb. 26 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 97.

A grandson, Gabriel Wapner, confirmed the death but did not know the immediate cause. Judge Wapner had several strokes in recent years.

 

After graduating in 1941 from the University of Southern California, Judge Wapner saw Army combat in the Pacific. While on Cebu, an island province in the Philippines, he was wounded by shrapnel from a grenade and risked his life to save a wounded soldier from being raked with machine gun fire. His decorations included the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

 

 

Thank you for your service Judge, and may you rest in peace.

[gwb123]

Wow. Who knew about his military service. Thank you for posting.

[Garandomatic]

I wondered when i saw he was 97.

[Blacksmith]

Rest in peace Your Honor.

[teufelhunde.ret]

Rest In Peace soldier....

[patches]

Yes he was in the AMERICAL's 132nd Infantry, I think I saw that he had three campaign stars for his A&P ribbon, if so we can say he was on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Southern Philippines.

 

I also remember reading in one of those soft cover paperback WW2 trivia books from the 80s how his unit once came under enemy artillery fire, and while running for cover was hit in the back, he had his pack on, a musette bag I imagine, but the splinter hit a C-ration can ripping it open, guess he wasn't so lucky the next time.

[sundance]

May he rest in peace.

[Salvage Sailor]

As mentioned above, Joseph Wapner was in the AMERICAL Division, 132nd Infantry Regiment, serving as a Lieutenant and Infantry platoon leader.  He served on Guadalcanal, in the Bougainville Campaign and the Philippines.  He was wounded on Cebu by a sniper and received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

[Thor996]

Did not know this about his service, RIP.

[aerialbridge]

Ditto,  That adds another dimension of respect for his contributions.   Hands down, he was the first and foremost TV judge and by far the most qualified of those that have come after him, with 18 years on the LA Superior Court bench from 1961 to 79,  two of them as the presiding judge in charge of all the others. 

[copper252]

I didn't know he was in the Americal, I did check my records and he was in I Company, 132nd.

[militbuff]

I didn’t know that he lived to 97 or that he was in WWII!  RIP Judge Wapner.