Talk:Greg Mathis

Untitled
The person who believes it is appropriate to integrate some personal advertiseing of their web page- which isn't even very interesting or entertaining, and obvious is just a vanity website, detracts from the higher goal of wikipedia to make the encyclopedia a worthwhile and reliable reference source. Thus I deleted the material below:

"He has also been recognised in the best page in the universe's tribute to real men."--Mikerussell 18:01, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

judging
Anything in the article about the good humor of Judge Mathis? He is probably the funniest judge. He has me laughing on each episode and his courtroom looks pretty cool too. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.31.99.71 (talk • contribs).

NPOV?
This article is obviously NPOV. We need to clean it up and actually cite sources. This dude has a bio better than Kim Jong Il's. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.24.52.51 (talk • contribs)


 * That doesn't even make sense. NPOV means neutral point of view, and you don't provide any actual basis for this.  Thats the way an article should be.  Please read over WP:NPOV, in full before you attempt to go any further on this.--  Oni Ookami Alfador Talk 05:43, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
 * The source, more or less, is the book, it might be useful to tag the page numbers to the sections, but the only real source used is his published memoir that goes up to his getting the Judgeship in Detroit and just barely addresses his TV show. If you, or anybody else can find other sources, then add them and expand the article. It is not POV to use a published source and to document his achievements. Nor is the article POV in my opinion, it is pretty frank about his criminal conduct, troubled family background, struggles to keep on the right side of the law, and mentions his illgetimate kid and failing the bar exam- all things Judge Judy, I bet, or many other people concerned about their public image, would ever willingly discuss in print. The book, and not this article, even talks about him getting an STD as a kid- so it is far from a "puff piece" biography like so many other wanna-be politicians and celebrities. Personally, my hunch is that he is too candid for some readers and people want to slam him for being who is and not "conforming" or trying to "pass" as part of the legal establishment's expected manner and way of talking about his past. That being said, if their are "negative" sources, find them and add them. --Mikerussell 04:54, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

Someone who knows anything about this dude, please edit this hagiography. It reads like a Hallmark Special about Santa Claus combined with Ghandi.

Sorry, Gandhi. But hopefully you take my point.

It's still not NPOV. For instance: "but he met his eventual wife shortly after her passing and Linda, a fellow EMU student, would grow into his soul mate, and the two would go on to have three children together." I don't think it's NPOV to call someone a "soul mate" and this shouldn't be included unless it's a direct quote. I deleted it.

Also, for some reason the article skips from his first failure of the bar exam to his appointment to judge. I think we're missing something there.Ormaybemidgets (talk)

I agree that this thing needs to be rewritten, calling Mathis a "victim" of Detroit in his early life bio pretty much shows how neutral this article really is... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.117.26.198 (talk) 21:34, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

a retired Michigan 36th District Court judge?
the first sentence mentions this, but nothing in the article discusses it. was he appointed? by whom? was he elected? when did he serve? Kingturtle (talk) 16:24, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Obviously he was elected, why someone edited out such factual information from the article gives you an idea why wikipedia is always a poor source. I reentered the factual account, but if you are looking for real sources search here, oh but yeah- they aren't impartial and objective according to the brainacs here- just if you want true info they are the place to go. (If you need a bunch of people to tell you what is "objective" and "neutral"- use the wikipedia article and the junta of NPOV thought police, but if you can trust yourself to measure a variety sources read more widely including these links and think for yourself!)  [], --Mike Russell 14:43, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

Addictions
I just wanted to comment on drug addictions as well as alcohol addiction. Judge Mathis has mentioned several times how people can't stop smoking crack, cyrstal meth, or drinking without help. That is not true and I am living proof of it. I smoked crack for several years as well as cyrstal meth (at a different time in life). I also drank, (after my drug years) for 8 years. I drank whiskey daily and lots of it,(1.75 liters every two to three days). I am currently clean and sober on my own with no outside help whatsoever. I have been off of crack for about twenty years. I currently was roommates with my cousin who smoked daily(crack), and I wouldn't touch it if you put a gun to my head. The same with cyrstal(1992-1994).I just recently quit drinking because it was just causing too many problems, personal and healthwise.Rbelew (talk) 23:34, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

???????? Huh????????

Are you really that desperate to tell people that you're sober that you have to go to - of all places - Judge Mathis's wikipedia page to brag about your sobriety? Do you really think this is relevant to Mathis? And if it is, does it belong in an encyclopedia entry on him? And let's say, hypothetically, that what you've said is true: do you have a source to cite to prove it? Where'd you get this info about Mathis's beliefs on drugs/sobriety? Was it from watching his show? Did he say it in an interview? Was it in his book? If you have a reliable source, that actually talks about or quotes Judge Mathis explaining his beliefs on this subject, cite it; if not, then you're just some guy on the wikipedia talk page of a TV judge, rambling about himself and saying stuff that's totally irrelevant to the page you're on. This is probably the weirdest wiki talk page entry I've ever seen, by far. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.34.121.130 (talk) 05:42, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Unable to practice Law?
The article states that Greg Mathis was unable to practice law due to his arrest record. This simple fact could make for a very interesting story about overcoming this roadblock. One part of the article states he served for five (5) years but his biobox states he served 1995-1998 (max possible 4 years). This needs to be converted to months to be more accurate; did he serve from December 1995 to January 1998?(26 months)Was there term limits? If not, why did he step down? If his arrest record was an issue in practicing law, was it an issue for him to become a Judge? Did Greg Mathis EVER work for a law firm? How could a law student, who may never have practiced law as a lawyer(no citing)be elected as a court Judge? His high school record is never mentioned. Did he go to private school or public? What kind of student was he? did he graduate? What is his full arrest record? How long was he on probation? Did he ever serve jail time? Restitution? The article states he was arrested multiple times; was the interventions by his "influential" family hindering his sense of responsibility by rescuing him? If a biography was written by Greg Mathis why is it not cited here?

I don't care for the implied idea that Greg Mathis may have had a rough street life by omission of information. Did he live in the projects or Grosse Pointe and simply a spoiled brat who did what he wanted? The article does state he received help through influential family members, is this how his arrest record and practicing law became a non issue? Was he afforded rights that he normally should not have been afforded w/o connections? What type of education and training and life experience did he have to run a political campaign?

The idea that Greg Mathis was pulled in two different directions is facinating and could make for a great biographical centerpiece. On one side he has a stepfather who practices law and supports his family. On the other side Greg is pulled into the dangerous gang world by his attraction and need to be with his bioligical father. Was he ever with his father as a child? Was his father and mother ever married? Was he born into a gangsters life then removed from it by his mother? To me, this life experience is more facinating than his arrests and career.

TV Career
Probably the most important part of the page, the career section doesn't even mention his show, when it started, how he was chosen to start a show, etc. It jumps from not practicing law in the 80s(?) to handing out free gas in 2011 to people who voted for him? very confusingly written section. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.53.106.69 (talk) 18:44, 25 July 2018 (UTC)

children
According to his autobiography (which I think would be the source people would want to look to, given that he knows his life story better than anyone), his first daughter Jade was born from a one-night stand with an older colleague at Detroit City Hall, while he was engaged to his future wife. He has 3 children with his wife and 1 child with another woman from a one-night stand. Look inInner City Miracle 98.10.165.90 (talk) 16:18, 27 September 2019 (UTC)