Court TV, the only multi-platform network devoted to live, gavel-to-gavel coverage, in-depth legal reporting and expert analysis of the nation’s most important and compelling trials.
Today the announce a new original true-crime series hosted by Ashleigh Banfield, the addition of Michael Ayala to the Court TV anchor team, and a binge-viewing marathon of the network’s complete OJ25 docuseries in Oct.
Court TV’s announcements during the 2020 summer press tour:
Judgment With Ashleigh Banfield, an all-new original series hosted by original Court TV alum and respected former CNN and MSNBC legal analyst Banfield, who made her Court TV return as a special contributor earlier this year. Judgment With Ashleigh Banfield will be a weekly hour-long series taking viewers on a deep dive into the most provocative and talked about trials and cases of all-time. With brand new interviews and exclusive first-time ever reveals, each installment will look to further explore everything people only thought they knew about these touchstones in judicial history. Initial cases featured include those involving Casey Anthony, Jodie Arias, O.J. Simpson, Conrad Murray and others. Judgment With Ashleigh Banfield will be seen Sunday Nights at 8:00 p.m. (ET) with the series premiere set for September 13, 2020.
“It is wonderful being back on Court TV and I’m very excited about Judgment,” said Banfield. “We have the luxury of having access to the vast Court TV library of more than a thousand trials, which allows us to share and re-visit the most intriguing and legally-fascinating cases in modern-day history. There are literally hundreds of compelling stories to tell – and we plan on telling them.”
Michael Ayala, a popular face on the original Court TV, will be joining the network once again teaming with Vinnie Politan, Julie Grant and Ted Rowlands on the network’s anchor desk. An attorney and EMMY®-Award winner, Ayala has over 20 years of experience in-front of the camera. He previously was an anchor, reporter, writer and researcher for the original Court TV where he covered and reported on the cases involving O.J. Simpson, Scott Peterson, the Menendez Brothers, Bill Cosby and Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Ayala, who also anchored for CBS in Chicago, will make his return debut on Court TV on August 24 and will anchor weekdays 3:00 – 6:00 pm (ET).
“Michael arrives with a wealth of trial coverage experience and hits the ground running given his history with Court TV. We are thrilled to have him back and we think viewers will be as well,” commented Scott Tufts, Court TV Senior Vice President.
O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of double murder on October 3, 1995. 25 years later, Court TV will present a marathon of OJ25, the network’s acclaimed, 25-episode original true-crime docuseries looking back at the world-famous case. OJ25 gives viewers a front row seat in the Simpson jury box, to relive the trial or discover it for the first time. Utilizing Court TV’s extensive library featuring every minute of the double murder trial, OJ25 encapsulates the courtroom action in the chronological order in which it took place 25 years ago in Los Angeles. Court TV’s OJ25 Marathon will air Oct. 3-4. The series is hosted by renowned long-time former Los Angeles prosecutor and respected legal analyst Roger Cossack.
Cases & Trials
The Death of George Floyd – Minnesota v. Chauvin et al
Four Minneapolis Police Officers will be tried in the death of George Floyd, the case which launched a national movement on race in America. Derek Chauvin, the man shown on video with his knee on Floyd’s neck, faces murder charges while three other officers are charged with aiding and abetting murder.
The Killing of Ahmaud Arbery – Georgia v. Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, William Bryan
Three white men are accused of murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed African-American man who was shot while jogging through a south- Georgia neighborhood.
The Case of The Doomsday Cult Mom – Idaho v. Lori Vallow & Idaho v. Chad Daybell
Lori Vallow and her husband, Chad Daybell, are facing charges after authorities discovered the bodies of their two children in their backyard. Daybell, a former gravedigger, has authored numerous doomsday books and is rumored to have built a cult-type following. Multiple other suspicious deaths surround the couple, including each of their previous spouses. Vallow currently faces two felony counts of conspiracy to destroy, alter or conceal evidence.
“The Jinx” Murder Trial – California v. Robert Durst
Robert Durst, a wealthy New York real-estate heir, faces first-degree murder charges in California as police allege Durst killed his longtime friend, Susan Berman. Authorities suspect Durst in the 1982 disappearance of his wife, Kathleen McCormack, and investigators believe that Durst, the subject of the HBO documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, killed Berman because she knew what happened to McCormack.
The R. Kelly Sex Abuse Case – U.S. v. Robert Sylvester Kelly
Entertainer R. Kelly, currently in a federal prison in Chicago, faces numerous racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving five women. With legal problems ignited by the television show “Surviving R. Kelly,” the singer is also facing additional state trials in Minnesota and Illinois.
“Given the current news climate in our country at the moment, there are trials ahead that represent some of the biggest, most critical and relevant cases we’ve seen in modern history,” commented Scott Tufts, Court TV Senior Vice President. “Court TV will be there, bringing viewers unrivaled access and insight into those cases as well as all the other compelling trials on the docket.”
Court TV’s on-air team of anchors, legal correspondents and veteran crime and justice journalists – all of whom are lawyers – include lead anchor Vinnie Politan, who is joined by Julie Grant, Ted Rowlands and Michael Ayala at the network’s desk; Ashleigh Banfield who serves as a special contributor and host of the new original true-crime series Judgment With Ashleigh Banfield; and legal correspondents and crime reporters Chanley Painter and Julia Jenaé. They are joined by the country’s brightest attorneys, most experienced investigators, and experts who provide legal insights, opinion, discussion, and debate.
Court TV is available to be seen on cable, over-the-air, and over-the-top. Court TV is also live-streamed on CourtTV.com, YouTube TV, Pluto TV, SiriusXM, as well as the Court TV app for Roku®, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android and Apple devices. All feature robust and exclusive content from the massive Court TV library, including the nation’s most compelling, high-profile cases over the past 20 years available on demand.
Become a Harlem Insider!
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
