Mablean Ephriam

Mablean Ephriam

Born: April 23, 1949
in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, USA
Mablean Deloris Ephriam, Esq. (born April 23, 1949) is a former Los Angeles prosecuting attorney. She started her law career as a corrections officer in the Women's Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She attended night classes at Whittier Law School where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1978. In 1982, she opened her own law practice, dealing mainly with personal injury and family law cases. She soon became a Los Angeles Prosecuting Attorney.

In 1999, the television courtroom series Divorce Court was revived a third time for a 17th season, and she was named the show's arbitrator. She was the first star of the reality-based version of Divorce Court. Previous to that, the show used dramatic reenactments of real-life divorce cases. She was also the first African American and female to preside over the series. She presided over Divorce Court for seven seasons from 1999–2006. She was replaced by Judge Lynn Toler.

Ephriam made a short appearance in the film adaptation of the play Diary of a Mad Black Woman. She also portrayed the same judge character in both Madea's Family Reunion and Madea Goes to Jail. She portrays a strict and stern judge character in Madea films, who frequently presides over the many cases Madea lands herself into, always as result of violent and destructive conduct.

Ephriam returned to television in fall 2014 with a new courtroom series titled after her, Justice with Judge Mablean. The series, produced by Entertainment Studios, is airing on the Justice Central cable channel and syndicated on various stations. It is the fifth courtroom series from Entertainment Studios.

Movies for Mablean Ephriam...

Title: Justice with Judge Mablean
Character: Judge
Released: September 15, 2014
Type: TV
Judge Mablean Ephriam, who presided over "Divorce Court" from 1999-2006 as the first star of the revived version of the show, returns to the courtroom genre with his half-hour series that deals with life and the law. The former Los Angeles-based prosecutor takes on the typical cases that are found on TV court shows. The arbitrator says that her show "will be life because everything we do, it involves the law."
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Madea Goes to Jail
Title: Madea Goes to Jail
Character: Judge Mablean Ephriam
Released: February 16, 2009
Type: Movie
After a high-speed car chase, Madea winds up behind bars because her quick temper gets the best of her. Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Josh Hardaway lands a case that's too personal to handle: that of a young prostitute and former drug addict named Candace. When Candace winds up in jail, Madea takes the young woman under her protective wing.
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Madea's Family Reunion
Title: Madea's Family Reunion
Character: Judge Mablean Ephriam
Released: February 24, 2006
Type: Movie
Based upon Tyler Perry's acclaimed stage production, Madea's Family Reunion continues the adventures of Southern matriarch Madea. She has just been court ordered to be in charge of Nikki, a rebellious runaway, her nieces, Lisa and Vanessa, are suffering relationship trouble, and through it all, she has to organize her family reunion.
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Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Title: Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Character: Judge Mablean Ephriam
Released: February 25, 2005
Type: Movie
Charles, an attorney, and Helen, his devoted wife, seemed to have everything – money, a beautiful mansion – the American Dream. However, as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life takes an unexpected twist when she comes home to find her clothes packed up in a U-Haul van parked in the driveway. Charles is divorcing her and kicks her out. Helen moves in with her grandmother Madea, an old woman who doesn't take any lip from anyone. Madea helps Helen through these tough times by showing her what is really important in life. Helen is forced to rediscover love, life and religion on her pursuit for happiness.
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Title: Celebrity Fit Club
Character: Contestant
Released: January 9, 2005
Type: TV
Celebrities compete to lose weight and get in shape. The celebrities take part in a range of physical and motivational activities designed to shed pounds, increase team spirit, and win prizes. In the end, they face the scales at a weigh-in ceremony where they are individually weighed in by a panel of experts.
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Title: The Bernie Mac Show
Character: Judge Mablean Ephriam
Released: November 14, 2001
Type: TV
The Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana, and Vanessa.
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Title: The Proud Family
Character: Self (voice)
Released: September 15, 2001
Type: TV
Follow the adventures and misadventures of Penny, a 14-year-old African American girl who's doing her best to navigate through the early years of teen-dom. Penny's every encounter inevitably spirals into bigger than life situations filled with hi-jinks, hilarity and heart. Her quest to balance her home, school and social lives are further complicated by friends like the sassy Dijonay, Penny's nemesis LaCienega Boulevardez, her loving, if not over-protective parents and her hip-to-the-groove-granny, Suga Mama.
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Title: One on One
Released: September 3, 2001
Type: TV
A sportscaster becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the country and his teenage daughter, Breanna, moves in with him.
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Title: The Best Damn Sports Show Period
Released: July 23, 2001
Type: TV
The Best Damn Sports Show Period is an American sports television show that used to air on Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. The show regularly featured irreverent and opinionated interviews with top athletes, coaches, celebrities, and entertainers. It also aired Top 50 countdown shows and other sports specialty shows. Since its debut on July 23, 2001, BDSSP welcomed thousands of guests and aired more than 1,300 episodes. The last original show aired June 30, 2009, however, FSN will tape a handful of Top 50 specials. The show aired weeknights at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time, usually after FSN Final Score, or later if there was a local live sporting event that ran longer than expected, depending on the region and telecast schedule.
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Title: Divorce Court
Character: Judge
Released: July 8, 1999
Type: TV
The venerable courtroom show takes a look at real-life divorcing couples. The soon-to-be exes tell their stories to the judge, who gives the ruling and settles all the usual -- and unusual -- divorce issues by the end of the episode. This third incarnation of the show premiered on August 30, 1999, with the first having premiered in 1957. This current incarnation has seen different presiding judges: former Los Angeles prosecuting attorney Mablean Ephriam (1999–2006), former municipal court judge Lynn Toler (2006–2020), former NYC prosecutor Faith Jenkins (2020–2022), and former Brooklyn A.D.A. Star Jones (2022- ). Since the debut of the original series in 1957, it is one of the longest-running syndicated television programs of all time. Divorce Court also holds the record for the longest-running court show of all time, leading the second-place show The People's Court by two years.
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Title: The Chris Rock Show
Released: February 7, 1997
Type: TV
The Chris Rock Show is a late night comedy talk show featured on HBO. It was created by Chris Rock and featured various guests. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1999. It ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2000.