Mablean Ephriam Biography
Mablean Ephriam born Mablean Deloris Ephriam, Esq. is a former Los Angeles prosecuting attorney. She is best known as the adjudicator of the courtroom series Divorce Court for seven seasons from the 1999–2006 season.
Ephriam was replaced by Lynn Toler in the show’s 2006- 2007 season. Ephriam is also known for her judge roles in Tyler Perry‘s Madea films.
She returned to television in fall 2014 with a new courtroom series titled Justice with Judge Mablean, after her. It is produced by Entertainment Studios and aires on the Justice Central cable channel and syndicated on various stations. Justice with Judge Mablean is the fifth courtroom series from Entertainment Studios.
Although Mablean had never actually served as a judge before presiding on Divorce Court, she joined the series with significant legal experience and knowledge of the law. Ephraim started her law career as a corrections officer in the Women’s Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
She later attended night classes at Whittier Law School where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1978. Mablean opened her own law practice in 1982, dealing mainly with personal injury and family law cases. She then became a Los Angeles Prosecuting Attorney.
Mablean Ephriam Age
Mablean was born on April 23, 1949, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, U.S. She is [agecalc birthdate=1949-04-23]
Mablean Ephriam Mother | Mablean Ephriam Sister
Ephriam was born to a family of three. She is the daughter to Mable Ephraim and Robert Ephraim. Ephriam has a brother Frank Ephraim and sister Mae Stewart.
She was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi but her family moved to Los Angeles, California where she was raised from the age of six. Mablean is the aunt of American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist Toni Braxton.
Judge Mablean Ephriam Husband | Mablean Ephriam Cassius Paxton
Mablean had been married to Cassuis Paxton until 1981 when they divorce. The couple has a daughter together.
Judge Mablean Ephriam Daughter
Mablean and Cassuis have a Tamajika Paxton. Tamajika is a writer, director, and producer.
Divorce Court Judge Mablean Ephriam
Divorce Court was revived and she was selected to be the show’s arbitrator in 1999. She was the first star of the reality-based version of The Divorce Court. The show used dramatic reenactments of real-life divorce cases previous to that. Ephriam was also the first African American and female to preside over the series.
Ephriam was noted for her humor while presiding over Divorce Court. Her audience was frequently brought to laughter by her striking and quirky voice and reactions of appall and bewilderment by the ex-couple’s outrageous and absurd behaviors.
Her trademark phrase on Divorce Court was “Look deep before you leap.” She advised would-be newlyweds to examine each other’s behaviors and also attitudes carefully before they decide to wed. While she encouraged her litigants to discuss sensitive issues to get to the heart of what was causing their divorce, she was quick to restore order in her courtroom when things got out of hand. Ephriam also scolded her litigants for disrespectful behavior towards herself and each other in court.
In March 2006, It was announced that she would leave Divorce Court at the end of the 2005–06 season (her seventh behind the bench). Reportedly, it was because she and the show’s producers were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension.
Ephraim was replaced by Judge Lynn Toler, who was a former judge from Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Toler formerly presided over the short-lived syndicated courtroom TV show Power of Attorney.
Madea’s Court Judge
Ephraim portrays a strict and stern judge character in Madea films. She frequently presides over the many cases Madea lands herself into, which are always as a result of violent and destructive conduct.
She never sentences Madea to prison, instead, Mablean gives Madea unflattering though less severe punishments such as house arrest, becoming a foster mother to a wayward teen which is played by Keke Palmer and also going to therapy sessions with Doctor Phil.
Mablean made a short appearance in the film adaptation of the play Diary of a Mad Black Woman. She portrayed the same judge character in both Madea’s Family Reunion and Madea Goes to Jail. As a judge, Ephraim’s first name is pronounced “may-BLENE,” as in the Chuck Berry song “Maybellene.”
Justice with Judge Mablean
Mablean returned to TV with a new courtroom series, produced by Entertainment Studios in the fall of 2014. It aired on cable channel Justice Central and ABC stations being the fifth courtroom series from Entertainment Studios.
Mablean Ephriam Foundation
Judge Mablean is involved in the day to day operation of her non-profit, the Mablean Ephriam Foundation.
The mission of the foundation is to strengthen families, educate minds, and financially empower the residents of the impoverished communities of Los Angeles. It has also adopted two schools, Peary Middle School(Gardena) and Jefferson High School her alma mater.
It provides both academic and cultural enrichment programs and scholarships for graduating seniors. Mablean is also the founder of an annual event, Honoring Unsung Fathers (H.U.F.)Awards and Scholarship Brunch.
Since 2004, it is held on Father’s Day each year. It also awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors throughout Los Angele. Ephraim also travels extensively as a much sought after public speaker.
Mablean Ephriam Net Worth
The former attorney has a net worth of $15 million dollars. She has earned her wealth through her long-time career as an attorney and also her television career.
