
Many popular court shows are on TV. How can the genre improve? How about using a three-judge panel? That's the concept of "Hot Bench," created by Judge Judy Sheindlin. After hearing each case, the judges discuss it among themselves before rendering a verdict. The show's title comes from a term describing a court action in which a judge frequently interrupts lawyers with questions.

A left-turn collision sparks a heated courtroom clash when a man says another driver refused a fair-damage split; she insists he hit her car and is simply trying to profit, so she countersues for damages!

A man says his ex-wife's nephew slashed his tires, costing him a day of work, but the nephew says the plaintiff made up the story to avoid paying for a washer and dryer.

A woman takes her sister's car late at night to buy beer and blames a deer for damaging the car; her sister accuses her of drinking beforehand and taking her keys without permission.

A homeowner says her contractor vanished after taking advance payment for custom doors; the contractor blames backorders, hospital stays and her constant design changes for the delays; when flaky fixes and flimsy fibs jam the frame, the judges pry open the truth.