Trial attorney Daniel Mentzer will join Yodit Tewolde and Rachel Juarez on the panel of judges for the nationally syndicated courtroom show Hot Bench in its upcoming 12th season this fall.
Shooting on Season 12 began this week in Hot Bench‘s new location, Stamford Studios in Connecticut, where the show moved from Los Angeles due to lucrative local tax credits.
Mentzer, who succeeds retiring Judge Michael Corriero, won’t be the only new face next season. Gina Findley, a former NYPD Detective in the Chaplains Unit who retired last year after decades on the force, has joined as the new Bailiff. She replaces Sonia Montejano who had worked as Bailiff on Hot Bench for its 11 seasons to date but did not make the move to Connecticut. Corriero had been on the show for nine seasons.
“We are thrilled to welcome Judge Daniel Mentzer to the bench for Season 12,” said Hot Bench executive producer David Theodosopoulos. “His expertise in criminal justice brings another dynamic perspective to our courtroom, perfectly complementing Judge Tewolde and Judge Juarez. I can’t wait for viewers to experience the fresh energy and compelling arguments he brings to the series they know and love.”
On Hot Bench, created by Judy Sheindlin, a three-judge panel takes on real small claims cases from courthouses across the country. Returning Judges Tewolde and Juarez have been on the show since Season 9.
A seasoned trial attorney and legal analyst, Mentzer has served as an expert for Court TV and is featured on the upcoming Prime Video series Judge Judy Presents: Justice On Trial, the latest offshoot in Sheindlin’s Justice court franchise for the streamer.
Prior to joining Hot Bench, Mentzer, who is Sheindlin’s son in law, was a criminal defense attorney in the Bronx, a Special Assistant Attorney General investigating Medicaid fraud, and a defense lawyer for The Legal Aid Society. He led 90 trials, including 32 homicide cases. Mentzer holds degrees from UC Santa Barbara, SUNY Buffalo Law, and an LL.M. in Taxation from William and Mary.
“After over 30 years in the courtroom as a trial attorney, I’m fired up to take the bench alongside the established powerhouse judges of Hot Bench,” Mentzer said. “We will continue to make sure that the truth rises to the top, and that our verdicts are fair and just.”
Hot Bench is the #1 syndicated court show in original production, averaging nearly 2 million daily viewers. It ranks in the top 10 first-run shows in all of syndication, and is the only court show to see year-over-year ratings and viewer growth. Hot Bench is distributed by CBS Media Ventures.
