Bailiff Byrd

Byrd has starred in several major motion pictures. Fear PHarm 2, and a critically praised performance in the 2023 release AMY'S LIST where he plays a judge in a pivotal scene.

It was announced in April 2022 that Byrd will return to the court show genre, resuming his televised bailiff duties in the upcoming panel-based spin-off courtroom series, Tribunal. The series is created by Judy Sheindlin and her personal production team and will feature a 3-judge panel.

Byrd landed a guest voice acting role in the upcoming Disney+ revival of The Proud Family, set to premiere in 2022.

On April 28, 2022, it was announced that Byrd would be holding the role of bailiff for an upcoming court show produced by Sheindlin's team that is currently in development. The court show, entitled Tribunal, will be presided over by now former Hot Bench judges, Tanya Acker and Patricia DiMango, along with Sheindlin's son, former district attorney Adam Levy.

On April 28, 2022, it was announced that Byrd would be holding the role of bailiff for another court show produced and created by Sheindlin's team that is currently in development, also to be streamed on Amazon Freevee like Judy Justice. The court show, entitled Tribunal, will be presided over by now former Hot Bench judges, Tanya Acker and Patricia DiMango, along with Sheindlin's son, former district attorney Adam Levy.

On August 5, 2021, Byrd performed in his first post-Judge Judy role as a guest on The Bold and the Beautiful. In the episode, Byrd plays a marriage officiant at Steffy (played by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Finn's (played by Tanner Novlan) wedding.

A streaming court spin-off of Judge Judy, entitled Judy Justice (also hosted by Judy Sheindlin), premiered on IMDb TV from Amazon Studios on November 1, 2021. In December 2020, during 25th season production of Judge Judy, Byrd noted publicly that he would be "honored" if invited back for the spin-off series in an interview with the Associated Press. However, the first trailer for the court show, released in September 2021, was absent of Byrd with a different bailiff presented, and Sheindlin additionally remarking that she was solo as far as a cast for the past 25 years in advertising Judy Justice as conversely having a cast. This was met with widespread outrage and criticism from Judge Judy fans.

Addressing fan complaints over his absence in an October 8, 2021, interview with Entertainment Weekly, Byrd stated that he was not asked to participate in Judy Justice. Byrd added that he was not offered an audition nor communicated with at all in regards to the spin-off since Sheindlin first disclosed news of the court show in a March 2020 Ellen DeGeneres Show appearance—news that came as a surprise to Byrd. It was not until July 2021 after the Judge Judy program ended and production of Judy Justice began was there a discussion, resulting from Byrd himself phoning Sheindlin at the behest of his wife Makita (former Judge Judy producer who was requested to return for the spin-off series but could not due to suffering from a cancerous brain tumor). According to Byrd, when he asked Sheindlin if he would have a role in the streaming series, Sheindlin explained that he was not invited to take part in the program because his salary would have been too high. Byrd described feeling perplexed by Sheindlin's statements, stating he never had the opportunity to discuss salary or lower salaries with anyone. Byrd has described feeling "confused and dismayed" by Sheindlin's treatment. He added, however, that he was humbled by the show of support from fans. In her own statements to the press, Sheindlin remarked, "Byrd is terrific, and we had a great 25 year run. This is a whole new program with a whole new cast and an exciting energy."

In early November 2021, Byrd additionally shared that he felt snubbed when he was not allowed to present Sheindlin's Lifetime Achievement Award to her at the Daytime Emmy ceremony. Byrd added that he was seated 15 to 20 rows back while Sheindlin sat with Judge Judy Executive Producer Randy Douthit in the front rows. Questioned about the matter, Sheindlin shared that it was Amy Poehler who called up the Television Academy and requested to present her with the award because she was a big fan. According to Byrd, however, Poehler later shared with him that she was equally perplexed over his exclusion from the ceremony.

Since October 2018, Byrd and his current wife, Makita Bond, have co-hosted a web series with a title that plays off their last names, "Bonding with Byrd". The couple posts new episodes on Tuesdays from Byrd's "Petri Hawkins-Byrd" Facebook page, and their joint "Bonding with Byrd" YouTube channel. Judge Lynn Toler, former court show arbitrator and longest reigning arbitrator of the courtroom series Divorce Court (formerly taped from the same studios as Judge Judy and thus a longtime friend of Byrd's), made an appearance on Bonding with Byrd on October 19, 2021. In the interview, Toler provided details on her various dissatisfactions leading to her resignation from Divorce Court and her current hosting role on Marriage Boot Camp.

For much of the 25th and final season of Judge Judy, Byrd's personal life revolved around attending to Bond as she had suffered a cancerous brain tumor in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that season, she was heavily involved in chemotherapy. By April 2021 after Bond's surgery, 95 percent of the tumor was successfully removed. As reported on Bonding with Byrd in late October 2021, she is continuing with chemotherapy.

Byrd married former fellow Judge Judy crew member Makita Bond Byrd on May 4, 2019. Prior to Bond becoming a producer for the court show, the two first met on the Sunset Bronson Studios lot (where the Judge Judy program was filmed for its entire run) back in 2012. After going on a date to a comedy show at around that time, the two lost contact. In 2015, the two briefly reconnected through Byrd greeting Makita in text message, her replying but no further communications at that time. In 2016, Bond landed a producer role on Judge Judy. She set up a surprise appearance as new producer on the set of the court show for Byrd, thinking he would remember who she was because of a Facebook request he sent her once she landed the position. Byrd later admitted, however, only pretending to remember her when they reunited, privately questioning a fellow Judge Judy crew member who she was. If not for a photo that Bond still had of the two of them on the Sunset Bronson Studio lot back in 2012, Byrd has stated he would not have remembered who she was.

Byrd is best known for his sidekick role as Bailiff Byrd for the entire series run–totaling 25 seasons–of Nielsen top-rated courtroom television program Judge Judy. From his stint on Judge Judy, Byrd is television's longest court show bailiff in history. Since October 2018, Byrd along with his wife, Makita Bond, have hosted their Facebook/YouTube talk show-like series entitled "Bonding with Byrd", with a new installment released for every Tuesday.

In August 2018, Byrd appeared in an episode of medical advice talk show The Doctors, as a guest in the program to address concerns with his health as it relates to a spike in his glycated hemoglobin levels. In December 2019, Byrd returned to disclose improvements in relation to diabetes and his overall health.

Byrd has participated in several movies and TV shows, including Tom Hennessy, Soul Lake (a 2015 independent horror film), Under The Palm Tree, American Skin, Sheen Talk, Inspirit, and Reesie's Pieces. By the same token, his other projects include Curb Your Enthusiasm (through the show visiting the Judge Judy program), A Deeper Love, Playing Mona Lisa, In the Eyes of a killer, Saviour of None. Byrd also played a judge role in the independent film End of the Law, which was shot in Sacramento, California and premiered at the Crest Theatre on October 3, 2003.

In 2000, Byrd and his family moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Elk Grove, California. The move was said to have resulted from Byrd and his family taking a liking to Elk Grove's affordable housing community and family-oriented atmosphere. Asked if he'd ever move to Los Angeles, California, where he reported to the set of Judge Judy for 25 years, Byrd answered with an emphatic "No." Byrd said he greatly disliked all the extravagance and glitz of Hollywood and preferred a simple, reflective life. Byrd is a churchgoing Christian.

Byrd added "Hawkins" to his name when he joined the Judge Judy program as a salute to his late mother; Hawkins was her maiden name. In the program, Sheindlin referred to him simply as "Byrd," or less frequently "Officer Byrd." Byrd ended up performing as Judge Judy program bailiff for its entire series run of 25 seasons (1996-2021), making him the longest serving television court show bailiff in history. Judge Judy remained the number 1 Nielsen-rated court show for its entire series run. In addition, the court show scored highest in daytime and syndication ratings for much of its first run, and won 3 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program.

In 1995, Byrd read a news article in a Liz Smith column about Sheindlin's new book, Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining, as well as her then upcoming television court show project to be filmed in Los Angeles. He subsequently wrote Sheindlin a congratulatory letter, stating: "If you ever need a bailiff, my uniform still fits." After Sheindlin was feeling lack of chemistry between her and the test actor who performed as bailiff in her pilot episode, she phoned Byrd to offer him the role as bailiff in her courtroom series, which he accepted.

In 1989, Byrd obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College. That same year, Byrd's personal life changed radically: he and his wife, Felicia, separated and she moved with the couple's children to California. The couple tried to get their marriage back on track by participating in cross-country relationship counseling for five months. A year later in 1990, Byrd moved to San Mateo, California to reunite with his family and reconcile with his wife. There, he accepted a job as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshall. In 1992, Byrd made another career transition, becoming a student counselor at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, remaining in this profession until 1996. As a side job during this time, Byrd also delivered pizzas.

After graduating from Eastern District High School in Brooklyn, Byrd attended Hostos Community College in The Bronx. Although drawn to the idea of acting, Byrd had also taken an interest in law while growing up. His interest in law emanated from his awareness of active Jim Crow laws and the civil rights movement during his youth, desiring to revolutionize racially discriminatory practices. With that, he started work as a court officer for the Brooklyn circuit of the New York City court system in the early 1980s. In 1986 he was transferred to the family court division in Manhattan while also attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It was in this capacity that Byrd met Judge Judy Sheindlin, who was the Supervising Family Court Judge for Manhattan. From 1986 through 1989, Byrd worked in the Manhattan family court system as a courtroom officer on a rotating basis for varying judges, Sheindlin among many others. Recounting the times he was assigned to function as Sheindlin's bailiff in the Manhattan family court system, Byrd commented, "I was never bored in her courtroom. Her get-to-the-point style didn't always sit well with the litigants, and there were times she was definitely glad to have me around."

In 1980, Byrd married Felicia Hawkins, the mother of his children. The two later separated in 1989, and Felicia moved to the West Coast with the couple's children. After marriage counselling Byrd and Hawkins reconciled, though not permanently. Altogether Byrd has four children, all adults and all from his first marriage to Hawkins.

Petri Hawkins-Byrd (born Petri Adonis Byrd; November 29, 1957 in Brooklyn, New York), better known as Bailiff Byrd or simply Byrd, is an American court show bailiff, television personality, social media personality, actor, voice actor, writer, and former New York State Court Officer.

Petri Adonis Byrd was born on November 29, 1957, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Taking to comedy and impressions from an early age, Byrd's father thought he was so entertaining and amusing as a child that he and his friends frequently called Byrd up from prison just so they could hear him imitate celebrities. Growing up, Byrd admired and imitated such celebrities as Flip Wilson, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Ed Sullivan, Bill Cosby and others. Meanwhile, Byrd's stay-at-home mother held their family together. Byrd has described his mother as a strict disciplinarian who was insistent about her children achieving their education and treating people with respect. Of his childhood, Byrd has stated, "My escapes were going to school, reading, television and movies—anything that would take me out of the world I was in and put me in a world that could be."

Byrd's duties and involvement were significantly reduced during the show's 25th and final season due to the COVID-19 pandemic: while he still introduced and closed out the cases, he no longer delivered evidence back and forth between Sheindlin and the parties and rarely communicated back and forth with Sheindlin. The cause of this was due to Sheindlin adjudicating the proceedings remotely from New York, while Byrd and the disputants still reported to the Los Angeles studio set.