Judge Greg Mathis talks growing up in Detroit, using second chance to turn his life around
(CBS DETROIT) - Judge Greg Mathis is a household name respected worldwide, but it has been a journey to get to this point. He is a shining example of what it is like to lead a life of second chances.
"I was a street kid, caught with a gun and tried as an adult at age 17 and the judge gave me a second chance," Mathis said.
He grew up surrounded by poverty in one of Detroit's roughest neighborhoods. With a single mother raising 4 boys, life wasn't easy, and that pressure led to him making some bad choices. Instead of becoming a statistic, the TV and legal icon would go on to inspire people around the world. He tells us it was his own life lessons on the other side of the bench that pushed him to success.
He got into some serious trouble, but a judge challenged him to do something positive with his life. His arrest also brought shame to his family, and in that moment, Judge Mathis said he promised his mother he would change.
The journey of his own life would later unlock a passion for others who found themselves in a similar situation. He believes that mission is what set him on a path to achieving what many would have considered impossible.
"It was my commitment to troubled youth, particularly troubled, black inner-city youth here, which is what I was, Judge Mathis said. "That became what I practiced. It really started in my work in the community."
After college, he worked for the Detroit City Council and later worked with the mayor.
"I joined the staff of Mayor (Coleman) Young doing the same thing. Working in the community, we operated a District City Hall. When Mayor Young retired in '92, I began practicing law, and the type of practice I had, was defending young adults."
With a new career aspiration, things seemed to be going in the right direction, until his past became a stumbling block. Initially, his law license was blocked because of his background, so he took the case to the state supreme court and won.
"They attacked me because of my background, but the deal was, the community people knew me because I had served them so long. So that became the route to success; service. It was that service that caused the people to vote for me, beyond what the media was trying to portray me as. When I won, it was a national success story. 'A former street kid goes from jail to judge in 15 years' and of course, Hollywood loves a good story."
His life story is one to be admired, but he says his biggest achievement is the lives he has touched along the way.
"We have used this experience to help others. I think we have changed, at least I'm told frequently when I'm in public mothers, by young adults, that I have changed their lives. That I have inspired them. So that is what has brought us the most fulfillment with my television career. I tell people so frequently, that L.A. didn't make me. Chicago didn't make me. Detroit took a chance on a young street youth who became a lawyer, a political servant, and a political servant. Took a chance on voting for me, and it paid off."
Committed to the community that made him, Judge Mathis owns The Mathis Community Center. In 2009, the city named "Mathis Avenue" in his honor to honor his commitment to Detroiters. The street is home to a new housing development that replaced the ones he grew up in.
