Get Ready For Judge Larry

The good news? It appears Judge Larry Seidlin is not coming to the "Early Show."

The bad news? Seidlin has reportedly signed with CBS Television Distribution, home of Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown. So while he may not be becoming a member of the nuclear family of the news division, it looks like Seidlin is still going to earn 'relative' status.

As you may recall, Seidlin was approached in February by the "Saturday Early Show" after presiding over the Anna Nicole Smith trial. "I have been extremely impressed by your compassion in the Anna Nicole case and I would love to discuss with you the idea of being our judge on a new segment, `Morning Justice,'" wrote senior producer Michael Rosen in a letter to Seidlin obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It would be a semi-regular segment in which you would resolve the ethical and legal questions of our viewers who send in the issues troubling them."

Public Eye expressed its disappointment with this development at the time, due to the fact that many legal experts thought Seidlin's performance on the bench was – how can I put this charitably? – disappointing. CBS News legal top dog Andrew Cohen was less diplomatic. "His performance over the past week was so bad, so unseemly, and so inappropriate that the Florida bar ought to immediately launch an investigation into whether he is truly fit to determine the rights and liberties of others," he wrote.

Broadcasting & Cable reports that Seidlin has resigned his seat, effective at the end of next month, and "is expected to tape a pilot or sales presentation July 2-3 in Los Angeles." In his resignation letter, Seidlin wrote that "it is now the time…to pursue the many opportunities that have been offered to me outside the judicial system…[w]hile those opportunities are varied, they all share in common a further commitment to helping my fellow citizens through roles in the educational system, the media and non-profit organizations."

Seidlin famously cried while announcing the verdict in the Smith case, about two minutes after calling on those present to remain "dignified." He was subsequently "inundated with at least 200 phone inquiries from TV recruiters," and now it looks like a deal with CBS Television Distribution is going through. It's pretty clear there's a lesson in all this, but it's not the kind they taught us back in elementary school.