Petri Hawkins-Byrd is a $2.5 million net-worth American bailiff, television personality, actor, writer, and producer. Petri Hawkins-Byrd, also known as Bailiff Byrd, began working as a bailiff in the Brooklyn court system in the early 1980s before moving to the Family Court in Manhattan.

While working as a bailiff in Manhattan, Byrd began working for Judge Judith Sheindlin, and when he learned that she would be featured on her own court show, he wrote her a letter of congratulations. She later called him and invited him to serve as her bailiff on the show, and Petri has become well-known throughout the United States as the bailiff on “Judge Judy.”

Who is Petri Hawkins-Byrd?

Petri Hawkins-Byrd was born Petri Adonis Byrd in Brooklyn, New York on November 29, 1957. Byrd started making impressions at a young age, and his father believed he was so amusing that he and his friends would frequently call young Petri from prison to hear his impressions.

Bill Cosby, Flip Wilson, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin were among the celebrities Byrd impersonated. He was reared by a stay-at-home mother who he describes as a tough disciplinarian who emphasized the need to treat others with respect and obtain a decent education. “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 mine,” Byrd recalled of his boyhood.

Petri graduated from Eastern District High School and subsequently attended Hostos Community College. He became interested in law as a child because of the civil rights struggle and Jim Crow legislation, and he beg an working as a court officer for the New York City court system’s Brooklyn circuit in the early 1980s.

Byrd created, produced, and starred in the 2017 television film “Tom Hennessy,” and he also produced and starred in the 2022 film “A Polished Soul.” Petri has over 25 acting credits, including the films “Playing Mona Lisa” (2000), “Redemption of the Ghost” (2002), “A Deeper Love” (2007), “In the Eyes of a Killer” (2009), “Under the Palm Tree” (2021), and “Amy’s F**k It List” (2023), as well as the television series “Nash Bridges” (1997), “The Parkers” (2000), “Everybody Hates Chris” (2006), ”

He began working as a bailiff on the Amazon Freevee court show “Tribunal Justice,” developed by Sheindlin, in 2023.

How old is Petri Hawkins-Byrd?

He is currently 66 years old.

What is Petri Hawkins-Byrd’s net worth?

Petri is estimated to be worth $2.5 million.

What is Petri Hawkins-Byrd’s career?

In 1986, while studying at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Byrd was sent to Manhattan’s family court division, where he met the Supervising Family Court Judge for Manhattan, Judge Judy Sheindlin. Petri worked as a courtroom officer for various judges in the Manhattan family court system from 1986 until 1989. “I was never bored in her courtroom,” he remarked of his stint as Sheindlin’s bailiff.

Her direct attitude didn’t always sit well with the litigants, and there were occasions when she was delighted to have me around.” Byrd received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 1989 and relocated to California the following year to reconcile with his then-wife, Felicia, where he served as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshall in San Mateo.

He began working as a student counselor at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, in 1992 and remained there until 1996.

When Byrd learned that Sheindlin was filming a new show in Los Angeles, he wrote her a note of congratulations, adding, “If you ever need a bailiff, my uniform still fits.” Judy called Petri and offered him the post, which he took from 1996 until 2021. Petri added “Hawkins” to his name after being cast on the show in memory of his late mother. Over the course of 25 seasons, “Judge Judy” broadcast 6,280 episodes and received multiple Daytime Emmy nominations and three victories. Judy became the highest-paid individual on television during the show’s latter seasons, with her compensation regularly exceeding $50 million.

Hawkins-Byrd’s compensation on “Judge Judy” is unknown, however, it is known that he was paid on a per-episode basis rather than an annual wage. Assume he earned $5,000 per episode based on comparable wages from other daytime television stars. That works out to about $1.2 million for each 250-episode season. If he was paid $1,000 per episode, he would have received $250,000 per season.

Interestingly, Petri was not requested to be a bailiff on Sheindlin’s Amazon show “Judy Justice,” and when he inquired as to why, Judy informed him that his salary was not budgeted.