The Prodigal Judge is a novel written by American novelist Vaughan Kester and published in 1911.

[7][8][9] Kester died in July 1911, but not before enjoying the knowledge his book had reached the top of the bestseller lists.

[10] To promote the book, publisher Bobbs-Merrill Company held a "book review contest", with prizes of $250, $150, and $100 for the first through third best reviews published in the first month of the book's release, judged by a panel consisting of Yale University professor William Lyon Phelps, magazine editor John Sanborn Phillips, and writer William Allen White.

[11] It debuted at the Bronx Opera House in December 1913 with George Fawcett playing the judge.

[12] It was also made into a silent film of the same title directed by Edward José, starring Jean Paige and Macklyn Arbuckle (as the judge), released in 1922.