Gregory Ellis “Greg” Mathis, in a retired American 36th District Court judge from Michigan State who is also known popularly as Judge Mathis. Mathis serves in the position of an arbiter on the syndicated television program, ‘Judge Mathis’, the longest-running American television reality show based on the courtroom genre. One of the most successful shows on American television, it has been airing since 1999, having entered its 19th season in September 2017. Mathis holds the distinction of being the longest reigning judge of African-American ethnicity to serve as a court show judge.
Mathis is viewed as a brilliant advocate of the youth, encouraging them repeatedly to pursue and complete a formal education. He is credited for carrying the same professional level of court decorum of an actual court-room on his show. Mathis regularly alludes to his own experience and example as a petty criminal when he was seventeen, to inspire the youth to reform their lives, serving a brief jail term at Wayne County Jail. On ‘Judge Mathis’, Mathis addresses several civil cases and pronounces legally binding judgement and decisions.
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Early Life and Education
Mathis was born on 5th April 1960 in Detroit, Michigan, USA as the youngest child of his parents Alice Lee Mathis and her husband Charles Mathis who divorced while he was still young. He was raised along with his three younger siblings by his mother and was estranged from his father. As a teenager, Mathis became associated with Detroit’s notorious street gang Errol Flynns, for which he was arrested several times in the 1970’s.
With the guidance of a family friend, Mathis joined the Eastern Michigan University, where he developed an interest in politics and public administration. He enrolled into the Ypsilanti campus of Michigan university from where he graduated with a B.S. in Public Administration, however his criminal past, prevented Mathis from getting the license to practice law. In 1987, Mathis earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit.
Career Rise
Mathis began his career as a judge in 1995 when he was elected to the position of a district court judge for Michigan’s 36th District. He earned the distinction of being the youngest judge to hold the post in the state of Michigan. Mathis served in the position for 5 years during which his name frequently featured in the list of the district’s top five judges. In 1998, Mathis was named the head of Jesse Jacksons Presidential campaign in Michigan. He also served as the head of the re-election campaign of Mayor Coleman Young, which resulted in Coleman’s victory. Mathis was then chosen to run the east side city hall of Detroit.
Mathis is known for his inherent passion for politics that he regularly makes a topic of conversation on his own TV reality court-room show ‘Judge Mathis’. He primarily focuses on urban politics and the African-American movements. Mathis received an invitation from former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration to participate in the White House initiative “My Brother’s Keeper”, focusing on empowering American men of colour. Mathis is known for his dedication for reaching out to the youth and ex-offenders with his Detroit base community centre ‘Young Adults Asserting Themselves’ or YAAT which guides people by providing career guidance, assistance for job opportunities, trainings etc. As of September 2017, Mathis has entered the 19th season of his program ‘Judge Mathis’.
Wife and Children
Mathis met Linda Reese shortly after he lost his mother to colon cancer. The couple began dating while they were both attending Eastern Michigan University and got married in 1985. Together, they are parents to children; two daughters named Jade and Camara, born in 1985 and 1987 respectively and two sons named Greg Jr. and Amir, born in 1989 and 1990 respectively.
Judge Mathis – Net Worth and Salary
Mathis has an estimated net worth of $20 Million. His salary is $5 million (estimated) per year.