Protection Court

File:Judge Carroll J. Kelly at Florida Courts.jpg

The show features real cases of people seeking restraining orders at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse in Miami, presided over by Judge Carroll Kelly, who has served as administrative judge for the domestic violence division of Dade County, FL for 22 years. Both the producer Scott Sternberg, and Judge Kelly made statements prior to the original release of the show describing their thoughts on what the show was about. They said that real people from the public would be entering into a real courtroom situation, and that the show would not only benefit its participants, but would also serve as an educational and informational tool for viewers who might be in similar situations.{{cite web |title=WNY native Judge Carroll Kelly starring in Protection Court on CW 23 |url=https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/buffalo/wny-native-judge-carroll-kelly-starring-in-protection-court-on-cw-23/ |website=wivb.com |date=October 9, 2019 |access-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401082654/https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/buffalo/wny-native-judge-carroll-kelly-starring-in-protection-court-on-cw-23/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title='Protection Court' to Premiere in Syndication This Fall |date=May 6, 2019 |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/protection-court-to-premiere-in-syndication-this-fall |publisher=NextTV |access-date=November 25, 2021 |archive-date=November 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125222842/https://www.nexttv.com/news/protection-court-to-premiere-in-syndication-this-fall |url-status=live }}

In 2018, prior to the filming of Protection Court, the Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee released an opinion that the decision as to 'Whether a judge may permit court cases to be filmed and televised' should be made by court administration, since it was not an ethical issue.{{Cite court|court=Fla. JEAC|opinion=2018-23|date=September 26, 2018|url=https://jeac.flcourts.gov/Opinions-by-Year/2018-JEAC-Opinions/2018-23}} Subsequently, the filming of Protection Court was approved of by the court administration.{{cite web |title=Miami domestic-violence judge faces discipline over filming of 'Protection Court' TV show |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article242546006.html |website=Miami Herald |publisher=David Ovalle |access-date=August 10, 2021 |archive-date=August 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810224141/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article242546006.html |url-status=live }}

Trifecta Entertainment stated that a motivating factor behind the production of the show was the prevalence of intimate partner and domestic violence in the United States, affecting 1 in 4 women, 1 in 10 men, and 1 in 15 children.{{cite web |title='Protection Court' Heads to Law&Crime Network |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/protection-court-heads-to-lawandcrime-network |website=nexttv.com |date=March 21, 2022 |access-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401081337/https://www.nexttv.com/news/protection-court-heads-to-lawandcrime-network |url-status=live }} The show originally aired from 2019 to 2020 in broadcast syndication. It went out of production due to issues related to the Coronavirus pandemic, but was later licensed for broadcast by Law&Crime on March 21, 2022.{{cite web |title=Law&Crime Network Picks Up 'Protection Court' From Trifecta Entertainment |url=https://tvnewscheck.com/programming/article/lawcrime-network-picks-up-protection-court-from-trifecta-entertainment/ |website=tvnewscheck.com |date=March 21, 2022 |access-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401081220/https://tvnewscheck.com/programming/article/lawcrime-network-picks-up-protection-court-from-trifecta-entertainment/ |url-status=live }}

In 2020, Protection Court drew controversial media attention when the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission filed a complaint against Kelly related to the show, due to allegations of litigants being filmed without their consent, and allegations that Kelly "made misleading statements" to the court administration when seeking approval to film the show.{{Cite court|litigants=INQUIRY CONCERNING A JUDGE NO. 19-377 VS RE: CARROLL KELLY|court=Fla.|date=February 2, 2021|url=https://acis.flcourts.gov/portal/court/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/case/6e78c63a-29b5-411b-b89c-730260a2493b }} The show continued to air during the investigation.{{cite web |title=Florida judge faces allegations over TV show filmed in her courtroom |url=https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-judge-faces-allegations-over-tv-show-filmed-in-her-courtroom-27271913 |website=orlandoweekly.com |access-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401081213/https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-judge-faces-allegations-over-tv-show-filmed-in-her-courtroom-27271913 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Florida judge violated ethics rules by turning court into reality show |url=https://nypost.com/2020/05/07/judge-violated-ethics-rules-by-turning-court-into-reality-show/ |website=New York Post |date=May 7, 2020 |access-date=April 16, 2023 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401075829/https://nypost.com/2020/05/07/judge-violated-ethics-rules-by-turning-court-into-reality-show/ |url-status=live }} Some of the arguments made by Kelly include the facts that footage of litigants who did not give consent was not used in the show, and that the JQC was in violation of a settlement agreement where Kelly agreed to stop participating in the show. Kelly had stopped participating, but episodes continued to air using previous footage. The case against her was dropped.{{cite web |title=Ethics case tossed against judge accused of allowing reality TV show to film in her courtroom |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ethics-case-tossed-against-judge-over-filming-of-reality-tv-showin-her-courtroom |website=ABA Journal |access-date=November 25, 2021 |archive-date=November 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125223731/https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ethics-case-tossed-against-judge-over-filming-of-reality-tv-showin-her-courtroom |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Case Dismissed: Miami Judge Emerges From Ethics Battle Over Court TV Show |url=https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2021/02/03/charges-dropped-miami-judge-emerges-from-ethics-battle-over-court-tv-show/ |website=law.com |access-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415222208/https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2021/02/03/charges-dropped-miami-judge-emerges-from-ethics-battle-over-court-tv-show/ |url-status=live }}

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{{reflist}}

• {{official website|https://trifectaentertainment.com/protectioncourt.html}}
• {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221211054319mp_/http://protectioncourt.com/home|title=Previous official homepage}}
• {{IMDb title|10666060}}
• {{Facebook|ProtectionCourt}} (Contains clips from the show)

Category:Court shows

Category:2010s American reality television series

Category:2020s American reality television series

Category:2019 American television series debuts

Category:2020 American television series endings