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some big problems with the juvenilejustice system.“I was shocked when I went to juvenilecourt at the number of children whowere sleeping on floors at the juveniledetention center because they had noparent that would come and get them,”Mills-Francis said. “People talk aboutthe problems and the conditions in adultprisons, but nobody talks about whatgoes on with these juveniles. It’s worsethan adult prisons.”At one point, Mills-Francis became afoster parent just so she could take a troubledchild home with her. She continues tobe very active in children’s issues, but Mills-Francis knew she wanted to do criminal“People talk aboutthe problems andthe conditions in adultprisons, but nobodytalks about whatgoes on withthese juveniles.”work after taking a trial advocacy class atthe UF College of Law.“I took trial advocacy, and in trial advocacy,you have to argue both sides in frontof a jury,” she said. “They give you a mockcase, you try the case as a prosecutor, andthen you turn around and try the case as adefense attorney. I won on both sides, andI got such a thrill out of being in trial that Iknew that it was what I needed to do.”Although TV judges didn’t exist whenMills-Francis was in law school, she drawson her real-life courtroom experience to decidecases on her show.“A friend of mine said to me yesterdaythat I’m real,” Mills-Francis said.“R-E-A-L. The person you see on TVis the same person you’d see when youwalked into a courtroom in Miami. I amno different from that person. I haven’tchanged anything. My clothes, I wore thesame robe as a judge, the jewelry, the hair,things I say, my personality — it’s who Iam; I’m not putting on a show.” ■FALL 2008 41