Judge Greg Mathis is bringing his life story to the Detroit Music Hall with “Don’t Judge Me,” an interactive production he says is designed to entertain — and inspire — through resilience and second chances.
“It means everything to me. This is where everything started,” Mathis said during an appearance with his wife, Linda Reese Mathis, on Live in the D. “This is going to be filmed, streaming on several platforms.”
Mathis said the show blends a live cast with on-screen elements. “It’s a very exciting, first-of-its-kind interactive film and stage play — screen talks back and forth to the cast,” he said, adding that he interacts with both the screen and audience alongside lights, dancers and singers.
“Don’t Judge Me” traces Mathis’ journey from a troubled Detroit youth — including a stint in Wayne County Jail at age 17 — to courtroom success and television fame. He recounted a pivotal moment when his mother, dying of cancer, asked him to change his life, prompting him to earn his GED, attend Eastern Michigan University and later battle to practice law. Mathis said the state bar held his law license for two years over his teenage record; he took the case to the Michigan Supreme Court and won. He later won election as a judge, a rise he attributes to persistence. “You gotta hang in there and keep fighting. Don’t give up,” he said.
The production also includes a call for redemption aimed at people who came up in the same era he did. “I’m going to have them do what I’ve done for over 40 years. Redeem yourself, work in the community,” Mathis said.
Linda Reese Mathis, who met Mathis at 18, appears in the show as an essential part of the story. “We’ve been together so long, so to leave me out of it would be just a false story,” she said. She added that even in his rougher days, what stood out was his curiosity and candor: “He was able to hold conversations, and he knew about so many things.”
“Don’t Judge Me” will run at the historic Detroit Music Hall on January 16-17 before being released on streaming platforms.
To watch the interview segment, click the video above.