Judge Judy: I'm Returning Your Dumb Dishes!

Judge Judy is done fighting with her producer's very bitter ex-wife ... she's decided to return the uber-expensive silverware and china to the producer, and he's willing to give it back to his ex -- but there's a HUGE catch.

Her Honor tells TMZ, "This very unpleasant lady doesn't give a hoot about dishes. She cares about pressuring her ex-husband and the way to do that is to attempt to embarrass me."

Judy says the divorce judge called Patric Jones out for being "untruthful," "dishonest" and "misleading" during portions of her testimony ... and then Judy goes on ... "She and her attorney want a circus and I refuse to be a further participant in their drama."

And get this ... Judy, who paid her producer $50k for the dishes and flatware, says, "As Ms. Jones and her attorney assert, the items are community property, they are being packed and returned to Mr. Douthit [her producer] and she can proceed with her claim in divorce court."

So Judy -- who makes a reported $45 mil a year, will eat the $50k. And speaking of eating, her parting shot: "Anyway, my husband and I eat out most of the time."

Now part 2 -- Judy's producer gave us a statement ...

Randy Douthit says, "The dishes and silverware that Ms. Jones describes as community property are being sent to me. I am truly sorry that Judge Judy Sheindlin was brought into this domestic dispute. She relied on my statement to her that the court had authorized the sale."

Randy then sticks it to his ex, who insists the dishes are worth more than half a mil, even though the divorce judge places the value at a measly $125,000 ... "I agree with [my ex] that as community property she is entitled to half their value. She herself has valued them at more than $500,000. I do not want them and she is certainly welcome to have them as that is what she says she wants."

Randy says, "When I get the cashier's check for $250,000, I will deliver them to her."