Podcast
Judge John Hodgman
Hosted by John Hodgman and Maximum Fun · EN
Have your real-life disputes settled in Fake Internet Court! Despite no legal background, Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn are the arbiters of justice that you need. No case is too big or too small. They judge them all!
Is a hot dog a sandwich? When does a collection become a hoard? Is it ever ok to flush soup down a toilet? Only one can decide! Submit your dispute at maximumfun.org/jjho!
80episodes
Episodes
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Road Rules
1w ago01:09:03Tap to summarizeVROOM VROOM! Buckle your seatbelts and pile in our station wagon, because this week’s episode is all about ROAD TRIPS! From passenger etiquette to divvying up the driving duties, we’re covering any and all disputes related to car travel. Should you divide up driving duties by hour or by mile? Which is the better way to road trip: getting to your destination faster or stopping and enjoying the sights - and potential ice cream - along the way? And when you’re a passenger, should you point out the sights along the road, or shut up and let the driver concentrate? Plus, the weirdest game of the classic road trip game, 20 questions! Getting ready for your own road trip? We have a playlist for that! Tap here for hours of JJHo classics, sure to keep everyone entertained! We need YOUR disputes to make this show! So please send us your hottest takes, unresolved arguments, and everything in between for our judgment! Submit them at maximumfun.org/jjho! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →Counter Argument
2w ago01:10:18Tap to summarizeAndie is tired of James leaving breakable items in peril! He plates, microwave dishes full of hot food, and even his ipad hanging on the edge of their countertops and tables. James says it’s easier to pick up items when they are not flush with the surface. But it stresses Andie out! She’s worried one errant hip bump will send all the hot food flying. James argues that saving a plate from crashing to the floor is the ULTIMATE thrill. Who's right? Thanks to reddit user u/banjo_solo for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →Crime and Bunishment and Mailbags
3w ago00:58:16Tap to summarizeIt’s summertime, so we’re opening the member mailbag! We’ve pulled the greatest hits from our Members Only Mailbag, to give you a taste of the unfiltered JUSTICE that our members get every month. In this episode, we talk about: picking up critters in the wild, state birds, cutting a sandwich, and goth parts of Los Angeles. Plus, a classic dispute of night owl versus early bird... and hanging drywall? Judge John Hodgman, Bailiff Jesse Thorn, and Producer Jennifer Marmor (aka the J Squad) weigh in on all these issues and more! Love the mailbag, and want to weigh in each month? Become a member at just $5 a month for exclusive bonus content, or join us at $10 a month for access to an AD-FREE Feed! Thank you so much for continuing to make our show possible. Join us directly here: maximumfun.org/joinjjho Remember, we need YOUR disputes to make this show! So please send us your pettiest partner fights, your most unhinged sibling drama, and all the friendship mess that your fingers can type. Submit them at: https://maximumfun.org/jjho/ ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →TEASER: Members Only Mailbag June 2026
3w ago00:05:21Tap to summarizeIt’s the Members Only May Mailbag! This month: the science of moving with a moving truck, cross-country tandem bike rides, and much more! Plus, producer Jennifer gets a new catchphrase! Here's a bit from this month's episode. If you want to listen to the rest, head to your bonus content feed! Not a member yet? You can become a member TODAY at maximumfun.org/join. Just $5 a month gets you immediate access to the full episode and our entire library of bonus content. And thank you to all of our members for keeping this show going! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →Passover-ruled
Jun 2401:12:50Tap to summarizeMarc is Jewish, and Marianne is Catholic. Together with their extended family (and friends!) they celebrate a LOT of holidays. The dispute? When a holiday falls in the middle of the week, as many Jewish holidays do, Marc would prefer to celebrate them on a Saturday night instead, so more of their loved ones can join. But Marianne says no! It's not kosher! Who's right? Thanks to reddit user u/lexfri for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →Special Episode: JJHo Visits Tijuana with Al Otro Lado
Jun 2201:31:05Tap to summarizeWe are excited to share this very special bonus episode featuring our trip to Tijuana and the border wall with the non-profit group Al Otro Lado. If you'd rather watch the full video version of this episode, tap here. Al Otro Lado is a bi-national organization that provides free legal and humanitarian aid to immigrants, deportees, and separated families. Thanks to the leadership of Jesse Thorn and his wife, Theresa Thorn, and especially to all of our listeners, we were able to raise over $400,000 to support Al Otro Lado’s humanitarian and legal efforts. Join us as we travel to their headquarters in Tijuana to see their good work in action, meet the staff who make it possible, and meet some of the people who have benefited from Al Otro Lado’s work. We recorded this episode at Friendship Park, which is located on the water in Tijuana next to the border wall. We hope you listen to our powerful conversation with Nicole Ramos, Director of the Border Rights Project at Al Otro Lado, and Cassandra Lopez, Director of Litigation at Al Otro Lado, who work in San Diego and Tijuana to advance the rights of all immigrants, refugees, and deportees, on both sides of the border. We know this is a departure from our usual content, but we believe in this powerful work and wanted to share it with you, our listeners. Learn More about Al Otro Lado and donate to support their work at: AlOtroLado.org Follow Al Otro Lado on Instagram here Support Baraka’s GoFundMe here Support Baraka’s Music and Merch at linktr.ee/frankiejaxnomad ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →Pecks and Balances
Jun 1701:14:02Tap to summarizeErich brings the case against his wife, Allison. When they first started dating, they had a tradition called the "safety kiss." If they were driving anywhere, they would check their seatbelts, secure the dogs, and then kiss each other for safety. They are now expecting their first child. Erich wants to reinstitute the Safety Kiss tradition. But Allison is opposed! She doesn’t want to teach her child to be fearful and superstitious. Also: when she kisses Erich, she burps. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Thanks to reddit user u/fille_philadelphie for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →Is Butter Pecan For Old People?
Jun 1001:00:47Tap to summarizeIs Butter Pecan ice cream for old people? Or is it a flavor for all ages? It's time to clear the docket of all your coldest Ice Cream Queries. Is it okay to lie to a restaurant and tell them it’s your birthday to get free dessert? What should you do when your spouse and kids eat all your vegan ice cream - even though you buy them dairy ice cream too? What’s the best way to eat an ice cream sandwich? Plus, we get into the history of vanilla (yes, it’s a flavor!), chocolate-covered bugs in ice cream (good, actually), and break down the various niche ice cream orders of Judge Hodgman’s native New England. But first, we start our episode with our experience going to Mexico with our friends at Al Otro Lado, and how they work to improve the lives of migrants on both sides of our border. Ready yourselves for the brain freeze, and take a big scoop out of this episode of the Judge John Hodgman Podcast! NIGHT COURT is coming to the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA on June 11th! That’s TOMORROW! So grab those tickets, New Englanders, this is YOUR chance to experience the all-new live show from Judge John Hodgman at a venue near you. Get your tickets here! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →Lawn and Hors D’oeuvres Live in Los Angeles
Jun 300:42:48Tap to summarizeDying to see Judge John Hodgman live? We have the episode for you! We’re flashing it back to our live show, ROAD COURT in Los Angeles. Join Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn for the most unhinged, off-the-cuff, wild live show - that also dispenses pure, unadulterated JUSTICE. We are excited to release this never-before-seen episode from our bonus feed to all of our listeners. NIGHT COURT is coming to the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA on June 11th! That’s right, New Englanders, you have a chance to experience the all-new live show from Judge John Hodgman at a venue near you. Get your tickets here: https://coolidge.org/events/judge-john-hodgman-night-court Thanks to reddit user u/zabraxuss for naming this week’s case! To suggest a title for a future episode, keep an eye on the Maximum Fun subreddit at reddit.com/r/maximumfun! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
Transcribe →TEASER: Members Only Mailbag May 2026
May 2800:04:41Tap to summarizeIt's the Members Only May Mailbag! This month, our favorite nostalgic commercials, the correct way to organize bookshelves with a partner, go-to summer jams and so much more in the mailbag! Not a member yet? You can become a member TODAY at maximumfun.org/join. Just $5 a month gets you immediate access to the full episode and our entire library of bonus content. And thank you to all of our members for keeping this show going! ---Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Become a member to unlock special bonus episodes and more. Memberships start at just $5 a month. Just tap here!
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