During this brief presentation, I will detail the results of an ethnographic study of the behavior of a problem-solving court judge in a California court. Observations of courtroom interactions and interviews with authority figures in the court, including the judge, show that while the judge’s performance often aligns with the principles of therapeutic jurisprudence, said judge also presents himself as benevolent or stern depending on whether or not he’s speaking with an “ideal” or a “problem” participant. Literature on therapeutic justice addresses coercion within problem-solving courts as necessary to increase compliance with court requirements. The findings presented in this talk will demonstrate that the judge’s performance on the problem-solving court stage contributes to the coercive nature of the court.