Marilyn Milian, Esq. (born May 1, 1961 in Queens, New York) is a former Florida state circuit court judge and currently presides over the American television program The People`s Court. She is the first female judge to preside over the long-running show and the first Hispanic judge to sit on the bench of any English language television court show. On September 20, 2006, she received the "Groundbreaking Latina of the Year" award from Catalina magazine and the National Association of Latina Leaders.

Born to Cuban parents, Milian is originally from Queens, NY. Her family moved to Miami when she was eight years old. She graduated from St. Brendan High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average. She then attended Georgetown Law School, earning her law degree cum laude at the age of 23. Milian worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the Dade County State Attorney`s Office. She was appointed to the position by Janet Reno, who was then the state attorney for the county. In 1999, Florida governor Jeb Bush appointed her to the Miami Circuit Court. In 2001, she replaced Jerry Sheindlin as judge of The People`s Court. She is currently in her seventh season on the show. At some point, according to her in one of the episodes of The People`s Court, she also taught law at the University of Miami for many years.

Milian is married to Judge John Schlesinger, a former Assistant United States Attorney, who in 2004 was elected to the 11th Judicial Circuit for Miami-Dade County, Florida. This is the same position that Milian held before retiring to The People`s Court. They live in Coral Gables, Florida, with their three children, Cristina, Alexandra, and Sofia. She travels to New York City every week for two days of filming.

Post a Comment | View All Comments (2)