I find that movies today hardly ever portray judges as corrupt whereas lawyers are considered the lowest of the low.
There was
severe distrust of authority figures
of all kinds back in the 70s and early 80s. The decade began with Richard Nixon and his crew breaking into the Watergate Hotel and planting listening devices; the Vietnam war was sending American kids to die in a country that hadn't (and couldn't) attack the US; and the disastrous ending to the riot in Attica prison showed that the authorities were capable of treating civilian employees like collateral damage.
I don't know why it is that lawyers are routinely depicted as scum in entertainment but judges seldom are.
(In the Al Pacino movie,
And Justice For All
, the judge is a suicidal nutbar; but there aren't many other examples that come to mind.) Perhaps our need for a happy ending simply demands that judges, being in a higher place, will come in at the end of the movie/TV show and set everything straight, because they are old enough and wise enough to play God.

Mann always does extensive research on these things and often uses real life scenarios. so you can be sure: this bribery thing is based on reality.
even Frank's burglary tools were real burglary tools and the film's tehcnical advisors was a real thief.

Do a google search for "operation Greylord" this undercover investigation led to the arrest and conviction of several cook county judges. The crime Taking bribes.

SPOILER ALERT*
This goes on every single day and it just isn't in criminal court, but civil court as well. Now, is it as comically overt as shown in this movie? Probably not. But be assured, judges can be and are bribed all the time.
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I think you are underestimating people a tad bit there, it wasn't exactly subtle. They make a big deal out of their strange gestures, and one guy even shouts "what are they doing, picking their noses?", which is immediately followed by the lawyer informing Frank point blank that the judge wanted $6000 for Oakland's release.

^this..
That flew past me the first time i seen it but the next time i caught on.

Today's audience might not even get the subtle body language in this scene.
But consider this though. It enables the movie to very quickly resolve the issue of getting Okla out of jail so he can die with dignity.

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