Entertainment
FOX's latest reality series is going to bring the legal system into viewers' living rooms like never before. You the Jury, which premieres on Friday, April 7 at 9 p.m. ET, will let viewers at home vote to determine the verdicts of controversial civil cases. So who better to host You the Jury than Jeanine Pirro, a woman who has spent her career fighting for justice, much of the time in the spotlight.
Pirro will be emceeing everything that happens in the You the Jury courtroom, the set of which looks exactly how you would imagine a courtroom that's been given a reality TV makeover to appear. Each week on You the Jury, the show's prosecution and defense, both of which are made up of real-life, high-profile attorneys, will question and cross-examine the litigants and expert witnesses in the hopes of building the best argument as they present their side's case. All of that goes down before viewers cast their votes for "America's Verdict."
If this all sounds a bit like that "Razzle Dazzle" musical number from Chicago, you might not really be too far off. Luckily, You the Jury has the successful, stern, and sassy Pirro at the helm to keep it from becoming too much of a three-ring circus. That's what I'm hoping at least.
Perhaps what makes me so confident in Pirro is the fact that she doesn't just talk the talk, but she also walks the walk in the world of the law. Yes, the You the Jury host is not just a show biz vet; she has also left a major mark on the legal system. Read on to find out why Pirro is more-than-qualified to hold court on You the Jury.
She Has Years Of Experience In Law
Pirro started off her career as a prosecutor, which included accomplishments like being appointed by three governors to help draft legislation on behalf of crime victims and being appointed to chair a commission investigating New York fatalities, according to her bio on FOX's website. She eventually worked her way up to being elected to serve in the Westchester County Court in 1990 and to becoming the Westchester County district attorney in 1994.
It was in her post as the Westchester County district attorney that Pirro began to rise to national prominence. She was named one of PEOPLE's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1997. Pirro also grabbed headlines for reopening the cold case of Kathleen Durst's disappearance in 1982 when she was married to Robert Durst, which Pirro spoke about in HBO's The Jinx.
Her Career Has Included A Lot Of Firsts
But wait! There's more that Pirro has accomplished during her law career, and it includes many groundbreaking moments. She was the first woman to prosecute a murder case in Westchester County, she started the nation's first domestic violence unit in a prosecutor's office in 1978, she was the first woman to serve on the Westchester County Court bench when she was elected in 1990, and she became the first female district attorney in the county in 1994, according to her official show bio. And now she's about to host a show using what is reportedly "the biggest jury pool in history." Talk about a full circle moment.
'You The Jury' Isn't Her First TV Show
You've probably seen or heard about Pirro on TV before. Prior to You the Jury, Pirro has appeared as a commentator on loads of news, political, and talk shows, including Larry King Live, The TODAY Show, and The O'Reilly Factor. Pirro also once took the bench on her very own court show called Judge Jeanine Pirro. She even played herself in an episode of Law & Order: SVU. These days, Pirro can most regularly be seen on her FOX News show Justice with Jeanine Pirro.
She's All About Politics, Too
Since Pirro has her own show on FOX News, you may have been able to guess that she's quite political. Pirro was New York State's Republican lieutenant governor candidate for about two days before announcing her withdrawal from the race in 1986. Pirro threw her hat in the ring for the Republican nomination in New York's 2006 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Senator Hillary Clinton. She made a memorable gaffe during the announcement of her campaign when she misplaced a page from her speech and paused for 32 seconds, which was lampooned by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Pirro then turned her attention to running for New York State Attorney General as the Republican nominee in 2006, but she lost to Andrew Cuomo.
She may no longer hold an elected office, but Pirro is still making waves in politics today. She has been a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, who recently tweeted that his followers should tune in to Justice with Jeanine Pirro. She also recently grabbed headlines when she stated that Paul Ryan should step down as Speaker of the House after the failure of Trump's healthcare bill. Since many of the cases on You the Jury are said to deal with "hot-button issues that define America today," it'll be interesting to see if Pirro has something to say about them, too.
She's In Print
If you want to see more of Pirro's commentary, you can always check out one of her books. Pirro has authored two non-fiction books on law and order (To Punish and Protect: A DA's Fight Against a System That Coddles Criminals and He Killed Them All: Robert Durst and My Quest for Justice) and two novels featuring feisty DA Dani Fox (Sly Fox and Clever Fox).
Get ready for Pirro to show off a whole new side of herself on You the Jury, too.
