Report: Anna Nicole Smith Judge Larry Seidlin Cuts Deal With CBS

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Larry Seidlin, the unforgettably goofy judge from the Anna Nicole Smith body custody hearing, has committed to develop a fall 2008 court show with CBS Television Distribution, according to Broadcasting & Cable magazine.

Seidlin is expected to tape a pilot or sales presentation July 2-3 in Los Angeles, Broadcasting & Cable reported, citing multiple industry sources.

The over-the-top, made-for-TV Florida judge resigned his seat on the Florida circuit family court effective at the end of July, as FOX News and other media reported Tuesday.

Click here to read Seidlin's resignation letter (PDF)

In a letter dated June 13, 2007, and addressed to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Seidlin says it is "time for me to devote more of my daily life to my own young family and to pursue the many opportunities that have been offered to me outside the legal system and I have disregarded until now.

"While those opportunities are varied, they all share in common a further commitment to helping my fellow citizens through roles in the educational system, the media and nonprofit organizations," he continued.

According to reports, Seidlin received at least 200 phone inquiries from TV recruiters, including CBS' weekend "Early Show," during and after the Smith hearing.

CBS Television Distribution (CTD) has been considered the favorite to land him, due to its status as the industry’s leading court-show supplier, Broadcasting & Cable reported. It already has the No. 1 and 2 programs in the crowded genre with "Judge Judy" and "Judge Joe Brown."

During the Smith hearing in February, gossip Web site TMZ.com published a report that Seidlin was angling for his own television program.

And, it certainly seemed that way many times during the hearing. Seidlin frequently threw out comedic one-liners; sent the courtroom into bursts of laughter by calling lawyers nicknames like "Texas" and "California"; badgered attorneys with repeated interruptions about bad grammar and questionable strategies; interrogated witnesses himself; and even made broad, bold declarations such as "I am the trier of fact" and "We are here on a search for the truth."

At one point, "Judge Larry" even invoked the War on Terror with a bizarre request that the courtroom stop and pay homage to American troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Seidlin is a former Bronx, N.Y., taxi-cab driver.