Harrell: Beginning in Season 6 (1986-1987), and running until the end of the Wapner run in 1993, the opening disclaimer by Jack Harrell was changed: On September 8, 1997, when The People's Court expanded from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, where former New York mayor Ed Koch became the judge, the show moved to New York City, and the opening disclaimer was changed and was narrated by Curt Chaplin: On September 13, 1999, when Jerry Sheindlin replaced Ed Koch as the judge, the opening disclaimer by Curt Chaplin was changed: When Marilyn Milian replaced Jerry Sheindlin as the current judge on March 12, 2001, the opening disclaimer was changed: Later, Milian's opening disclaimer was changed: Then, a couple of years later, Milian's opening disclaimer changed again: After a few months, the soundbites of Judge Milian's voice were removed from the opening, and Curt Chaplin's opening disclaimer was slightly changed: In September 2009, the current opening disclaimer was used: Litigant compensation At the end of each show, the following disclaimer appears: Both the plaintiff and the defendant have been paid from a fund for their appearance. The amount, if any, awarded in the case, is deducted from this fund, and the remainder is divided equally between both litigants. The amount of the fund is dependent on the size of the judgment. No information is given as to what relation the amount of the fund bears to the size of the judgment, nor the amount of the fund if a verdict for the defense is rendered. In a talk-show appearance, Judge Wapner gave a few more specifics as to how compensation was typically calculated. In his words, if the plaintiff won, the show would pay his/her judgment and give the defendant $50 for his/her time, whereas if the defendant won, the parties would "split $500". In 1989, a litigant sued the producers, claiming, "I was only willing to appear because they guaranteed me $1,500. I never would have appeared on that show and made a fool out of myself for a chintzy $250." (In response, an associate producer said that before going on the show, participants are given a packet of information "where everything is clearly outlined to the nth degree.") The New York Post reported on some of the details surrounding compensation for a lawsuit filed by Claudia Evart. "The show pays all damages awarded to defendants and plaintiffs, as well