JUDGE JUDY SORRY...SORT OF

Judge Judy is trying to shake-off a callous quote she made about drug
users -- "Give 'em all dirty needles and let 'em die" -- that has been
following her around since last fall.

The fiesty TV judge has lost several sponsors over the statement she
now claims was either a misquotation or taken out of context.

"If they're looking for me to say I'm sorry to the families who lost
children or loved ones [to AIDS or drugs] -- absolutely," Judy
Sheindlin told The Post.

"I feel badly if words that I used hurt them.

"But am I going to apologize to a [drug advocacy] group that has an
agenda -- absolutely not. This group has an agenda, and that's
legalizing drugs," she said.

Sheindlin made the "let 'em die" remark while talking to reporters in
Australia while she was promoting her new children's book.

The conversation, she said, covered many topics, but touched on her
feelings about needle-exchange and similar drug programs -- policies
that she passionately opposes.

"What I said in Australia was that you may give these people free
needles, and you may give them a free place to shoot up, but nobody is
giving them free heroin -- and heroin is expensive," Sheindlin said.

"These people are the ones who are going out to rob and maim and
murder to get the money they need to buy drugs."

She now says she cannot recall her exact, original quote but she is
sure it has since been twisted and changed.

Several drug reform groups in the U.S. are asking sponsors of "Judge
Judy" to yank their ads from the show until she apologizes, according
to a report on the Web site apbnews.com.

At least three sponsors, including Papa John's Pizza, have already
pulled spots.

"My frustration is with the children who are the innocents and with
the victims of crime," Sheindlin said

"I still have those visions that I saw for 25 years of hapless, little
[kids] who had no chance of life because of drugs."

Scheinlin was referring to her 10 years as a New York State prosecutor
of juvenile delinquency cases and 15 years on the bench as a judge in
New York City family court.

"Through her callous remarks she has made herself fair-game, and we
intend to use this episode [as a platform] to discuss an important
public health issue," said David Borden, executive director of the
Drug Reform Coordination Network.