TV Judge Tanya Acker and more dish on how to tell when litigants are lying
The judges on "Tribunal Justice" share observations they've picked up over the years in courtrooms to figure out when litigants are stretching the truth.
EXCLUSIVE - The three judges who deliberate cases on "Tribunal Justice" shared some of their tricks of the trade in how to tell when someone is lying in the courtroom.
Streaming now on Amazon Freevee, "Tribunal Justice" features a panel of three judges, Patricia DiMango, Tanya Acker, and Adam Levy. DiMango is a former New York State Supreme Court Justice, Acker served as Temporary Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, and Levy is a former district attorney in New York’s Putnam County. Levy also happens to be the son of the one and only Judge Judith Sheindlin, better known to fans as Judge Judy, who serves as a creator on "Tribunal Justice."
Adam Levy, right, is Judge Judy Sheindlins son, and stars with Judge Tanya Acker and Judge Patricia DiMango in the new series "Tribunal Justice." (Michael Becker/Amazon Freevee)
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Having years of experience in courtrooms, the judges said they've made some mental notes when determining when litigants are stretching the truth. For DiMango, her observations even come in handy outside the courtroom.
"I think I've got a pretty good knack for it," DiMango told Fox News Digital. "I think that I have - and even when I'm in a social setting, I really try to evaluate what people are doing and saying like, 'Why do I find somebody more credible or more likable? What is it that they're doing? When I watch TV or commercials, I always try to analyze like, 'Why do they have this set up this way? Why is he wearing a wedding band?'"
Judge Patricia DiMango says she has a "knack" for knowing when someone is lying. (Fox News Digital)
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DiMango said she tends to zoom in on the "small" details.
"I think that I am very observant," she said. "I have laser focus on what they're doing and saying and their body language and their movements. And so I really do think that I am quick to reach a conclusion. And I'm hopeful that it's more right than wrong most of the time. So, it's the small things. It's the way your eyes move, the way you smile is, the way you look down, the amount of hesitation in your answer, how your body sways. All those things you've got to focus on quickly."
Acker, who previously served as DiMango's fellow judge on the Emmy-nominated series, "Hot Bench," said she's also picked up on some "triggers" in the courtroom. In some cases, Acker said that having three judges on "Tribunal Justice" easily exposes some of the more amateur liars.
"I think sometimes there are some triggers," Acker said. "There are some things that can suggest someone's not telling the truth. I'm really careful, though, at least for me, about suggesting that, like I can always tell when you're lying. There are sometimes really good liars in the world, and that's why the law has certain legal standards where you can rely on - there's a certain way you're supposed to consider evidence. For instance, there are certain types of evidence that take precedence over other types of evidence."
Judge Tanya Acker shares clues she's picked up on when someone is lying in the courtroom. (Fox News Digital)
"So, there are some other backstops that I think we have as legal decision makers that don't just rely on gut check," Acker added. "Now, my gut's pretty good. But, I don't think the law is built on people's gut checks. We've got to have other objective indicia of whether or not someone's telling the truth. But all that being said, sometimes it's just so clear because some liars are just really sloppy. We've had cases where people change their stories. There are three judges. We'll get three different versions of the same story in like 40 minutes. So sometimes it's easier than at other times. But, you know, I. I don't pretend to be a computer or a machine. I'm not AI."
Levy said his New York credentials have served him well during deliberations.
"Listen, I was born and raised in New York City, and New Yorkers are known to have the sixth sense," Levy told Fox News Digital. "Walking down the street, you can tell if someone is a little off, if they're not exactly doing the right thing, dealing with people the same way - we're known as pretty direct people in New York. And it's just based upon the background. And it's based upon my courtroom experience."
"When people are talking, and they're not telling the truth, they talk in circles," he continued. "They don't answer the question right away. And obviously, when you have what evidence they claim supports their case, if someone's testifying inconsistently with that objective evidence, it's a real red flag. And then the trick is to lock them in and then knock them down. And that's what you see on ‘Tribunal Justice.’"
Judge Adam Levy shares some observations about when to know if someone is stretching the truth. (Fox News Digital)
Levy, who said his mom Judge Judy's no-nonsense attitude at work often translated at home too, said that if he does happen to catch someone lying in his courtroom, the justice is swift.
"When they are doing anything but testifying completely truthfully, I will not hesitate to interrupt and to let them know I know they're not telling the truth," he said.
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Levy said it may be a trait he's "picked up from his folks."
"Tribunal Justice" is streaming now on Amazon Freevee.