I have no clue but I voted it so maybe someone else will be able to answer. 

Thank you, because I do need this answer.

 

You know, filed under the category of "things we learned about before we died" LOL

This is what I found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People's_Court:

Interestingly, the losing party does not actually need to pay the judgment as such. Instead (as is often stated in the disclaimer at the end of show) both parties are paid from a fund (set up by Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions) for their appearance on the show. If a monetary judgment is ordered, the losing party will have the amount of their appearance fee reduced by that amount. However, to prevent anyone from getting "easy money", both the plaintiff and defendant must have a legitimate case.

Hope that helps...

-- S

That helped me TREMENDOUSLY, Shiny.  Thanks to everyone who is hunting for me!  So, basically, as Judge Joe Brown says, if you make a "prima facia" case, you're gonna get paid.  If you lose the case, you get paid less.

 

I bet the fund would have to be HUGE to appear on Judge Judy.  If I were ever asked by her show to be on there as a Plaintiff, I would say "No thanks, I'll risk not ever getting my money in my local circuit court".  If I were the defendant, I'd say, "No thanks, if I lose, I'd rather make payments to the winner for the rest of my life!"