Judy Justice (2021) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Tell me about this incident that was nasty
involving your daughter.
I'm driving.
We start arguing because of his drug use.
He reaches over, grabs the steering wheel,
and pushes us onto oncoming traffic.
While your daughter is in the car.
-Yes.
-No!
Listen to me, I don't want you to speak
to me again unless I'm looking at you.
[narrator] This is Judy Justice.
[theme music plays]
Lauren Liebel is suing
her former boyfriend Marco Lara
for the cost of a car.
[Kevin] Court come to order.
All rise.
Be seated please.
Hello, Judge. You have case number 1037,
Liebel vs. Lara.
Thanks, Kevin.
Miss Liebel, this was your boyfriend
for a period of time
-and you have a child together.
-Correct.
When did you and the defendant
start to live together?
-What month?
-July?
Actually it wasn't 2017,
it was 2018.
Early 2018 when
I moved to Visalia from Fresno.
It was after my birthday.
-She got back in contact with me.
-[Judy] Just a second.
-Just a second. I don't need a tome.
-[Marco] I'm not--
-I need a date.
-[Marco] Okay.
-And I need it slowly because I--
-[Marco] It was early July
I need it slowly 'cause I'm old.
It was May-- It was 2017,
right after May,
but when we actually
started living together
was closer to 2018.
So it had to have been maybe December,
so when I moved to Visalia
for her from Fresno.
You have a son or a daughter?
-A daughter.
-How old is she?
She's gonna be three in August.
-And Mr. Lara's the father of that child.
-Correct.
-And that's your only child?
-Yes.
This has to do with an old car.
You and Mr. Lara were living together,
and then there came a time when there
started to be some friction.
When did that start?
It started August 2020.
-It started sooner than that, Your Honor.
-Listen to me,
I don't want you to speak to me again
unless I'm looking at you.
Yes, ma'am.
About what?
He had been partying heavily.
There had been some drug use.
And I had been trying to help him get
visitation of his eldest daughter.
Was he-- just a second--
was he working?
-Yes.
-What kind of work was he doing?
Temp agency. Uh, he was working
for Mid Valley Disposal,
-like, dumpster
-Temp work.
-Yeah.
-Is that right, sir?
-No.
-In August of 2020?
-It was through a temp agency--
-Were you-- Shh!
In August of 2020,
who were you working for?
August 2020, I was working for
American Carrier Equipment
as a welder fabricator,
as I'm currently doing right now,
over a year.
I've been welding for five years.
Okay. And during that time,
there was some difficulty
-but you purchased a new car.
-Yes.
When did you purchase a new car?
January 2020.
And you kept your old car,
which was what kind of a car?
Chevy Impala 2007.
-And that car is titled in your name.
-Correct.
You got a new car because
I assume you wanted a more reliable car.
The Impala was reliable.
Uh, I started going to school
so I needed my own car to
take my daughter to her appointments,
for me to go to school,
-he needed it--
-And as a family,
-And as a family,
because you were living as a family,
-right?
-Correct, yeah.
So I didn't always have the car
when I needed it.
Just a second. So
you needed a second car.
And the family car had been the Impala.
So far, correct?
Mm-hmm.
-"Uh-huh" is not an answer.
-[Marco] Yes, ma'am.
That would be "yes."
And you can leave out the "ma'am."
That could be-- yes is fine.
When you got the new car,
and he was driving primarily
the 2007 Chevy Impala,
was there any financial arrangement
that the two of you made
while you were still living
and sleeping together?
-Hm. Mm-mm.
-No.
-[Judy] He just drove it?
-He drove it, yeah.
[Judy] Okay. He just drove it.
And then there came a time that
you had a bad argument, kerfuffle,
-while you were driving someplace.
-Very correct.
Tell me when that happened.
That happened August 24th, 2020,
two days before my daughter's birthday.
-Tell me about it.
-[Lauren] So
we had already broken up
for a couple weeks. I was--
When you say you had broken up
for a couple of weeks,
he was still living in the house?
-Yes, we were still living together.
-[Judy] So that means
So that means somebody
was sleeping on a sofa.
Yes. Essentially.
What do you mean "essentially"?
What does that mean?
So I would leave and spend the weekends
in Visalia.
And he would work in the week,
I was working from home at the time
due to COVID.
So he would watch Daenerys, my daughter,
while I was
you know, in the office,
back office area,
being a receptionist.
Would it be a fair statement that
the two of you had decided to break up
prior to this incident that occurred
in August of 2020?
-Honestly, Your Honor, no.
-[Judy stammers]
-So you don't know.
-It's not a fair statement to say that.
-No.
-[Judy] What?
-It's not a fair statement to say that.
-[Judy] Okay.
So you had been together.
It was a single decision on her behalf.
Okay. Well
She decided to break up with you.
-And the apartment I paid rent for.
-[Judy] Prior
-[Marco] On my lease.
-I don't care.
All I hear,
asking her all these questions.
-[Judy] Mr. Lara--
-[chuckles] Okay. Sorry, Your Honor.
What I'm asking you is,
would it be a fair statement
that you were broken up
as a family?
You maybe had been residing
in the same place,
two weeks prior to this incident
that was nasty
involving your daughter.
-Yes.
-[Judy chuckles] Perfect.
Now, tell me about this incident
that happened right before
your daughter's birthday.
Okay, so it was--
we were going to Picture People,
to take my daughter, uh, two year old,
you know, pictures--
I wanted to hand it out to the family.
And so we are in the picture studio
and my daughter has my phone,
she's using YouTube.
And he decides to grab the phone
from my daughter,
go through my messages and see that
I'm messaging other guys.
And so we're arguing because of that.
And so now we're
That's over with.
We're in the car, we have the pictures.
We're driving, we're almost home.
And you know how arguments
don't necessarily stay with
one thing, it gets into
the more deeper issues.
So it got into
And this is all while
your daughter is the car.
Yes. She's asleep.
She's in the car, he's in the car.
I'm driving.
Because I'm the only licensed driver.
He's in the passenger seat.
We start arguing because of his drug use
the weekend before
when he was staying at his friend's house.
And I was just so upset
because I had filled out
-You were upset.
-Yes.
Tell me what happened after you got upset.
You're driving
I let him know, like, I am gonna tell his
other-- mother of his other child
that he's using drugs
and basically--
Ooh. Now that's, you know,
that's a "gut thing."
Yeah. Yeah.
I'm not driving both cars so I shouldn't
have to pay interest
for both of her cars.
-No, you shouldn't-- Shh!
-I shouldn't have to give her gas money
when she's going to the store.
I shouldn't have to be
raising a kid alone.
But you-- if you answer him,
I'm dismissing your case,
do you understand?
[theme music]
[narrator] Lauren Liebel claims her
daughter's father, Marco Lara
refuses to return a car that she owns.
Okay. Tell me what happened
after you got upset.
You're driving
I let him know, like, I am gonna tell his
other-- mother of his other child
that he's using drugs and basically--
Ooh. Now that's, you know,
that's a "gut thing."
-Yeah. Yeah.
-[Judy] That's a gut thing.
I'm not proud of it, but I did it.
And so I told him that.
He is-- starts getting really emotionally
upset and saying that
I'm trying to take his kids from him,
which is not the case, obviously.
He's in the car because Daenerys.
Okay, so let me, uh
[exhales]
Let me understand this.
You were arguing with Mr. Lara
because a couple weeks before,
in your judgment, he had resumed
use of unauthorized drugs.
-Yes.
-And you had been involved
with him in trying to get visitation
with another child or children?
-Child, Your Honor.
-Child.
-How old is that child?
-She's four. She's about to be five.
And so what you threatened to do was
you threatened to advise
the mother of that child
who was involved in
a visitation dispute with him
-that he was back on drugs.
-Mm-hmm.
Okay. Well, that would be a smart thing
and protective of the four-year-old.
-Yeah.
-[Judy] I mean, one would think that
a court who was handling that
would be wise enough
to order drug tests.
But you weren't saying it for that reason.
You were angry.
-Yeah, I was the one who was
-[Judy] You were angry.
-trying so hard to get
-Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] To get it all together.
-Yeah.
And he was disappointing.
I got the picture.
All right. So, there was an argument.
The police were called.
Yes. So, I'm in the car.
I say that.
He gets emotionally upset,
reaches over, grabs the steering wheel
and pushes us into oncoming traffic.
[chuckles]
We don't-- I get control,
nobody was injured.
I'm still upset at this point.
because my daughter is right behind me.
I got it. Who called the police?
Uh, somebody across the street.
Somebody who was observing this incident.
I had to yell out because he,
at that point,
had grabbed my cell phone
and my keys
and wouldn't let me out of the car
and I was yelling for help.
-And so somebody, a bystander--
-[Lauren] Yes.
-Called the police.
-And that's evident in my police report.
The police arrived.
May I see the police report please, Kevin?
While we're doing this, Sarah,
just have at your fingertips
a 2007 Chevy
I need the model and approximate mileage.
Any particular model Chevy Impala?
Yeah. I have all the evidence right here.
Okay. Kevin, would you hand that?
-The kind of--
-[Marco] And I have pictures
No, I just wanna know the make
and the model is what I'm asking you.
-[Kevin] Make and model?
-[Lauren] Yeah, Chevy Impala.
-[Judy] Shh! Just hand it--
-Make and model Chevy Impala.
-Just hand it-- Make, model.
-[Marco] Chevy Impala 2008 LT.
Just give me the document.
One, two, three.
-I was trying to give it to him.
-[Judy] One, two, three.
Thank you.
Okay. So according to the police report,
which is clear,
the person who called the police
heard screaming coming from a car.
"Female screaming from a car."
She called the police.
Neither party was to press charges
but the police officer suggested
that one of them voluntarily
leave the home.
"Police officer: I suggested that perhaps
someone leave for the evening
so that each party could cool off
and have time to think things over."
You agreed to leave for the night
to avoid further disturbance.
-Mm-hmm.
-You said
that he had a vehicle,
a Chevy Impala, he could leave in.
I'm trying to think of who's one,
and who's two.
Oh. IP One. Okay.
You agreed to leave for the night?
He agreed to leave for the night.
I told the police officers
that that's my car.
-No, that's not what--
-And I didn't want him to take it.
It said, P2 said, "He had--
"He had a Chevy Impala he could leave in."
You said the car was in her name
and she paid for the vehicle
but could not provide proof
of these things.
"I advised her that the matter
involving any vehicles
would have to be
decided in civil court
since it was a civil issue."
You gathered all of your property,
clothing, personal items, etcetera,
-and left the location.
-Mm-hmm. Yes.
So the police escorted you home
and you took the car.
-Mm-hmm. No argument
-[Judy] That's a yes.
-What?
-Yes.
-[Judy] That's a yes.
-And I gave her the apartment, too.
Who lives in that apartment?
-[Judy] Just a second-- Hey!
-You moved out.
-Hey, hey, hey!
-[Lauren chuckles] Sorry.
I don't live there so I'm like,
what is he talking about?
I gave her the apartment and then
she up and took my daughter to Visalia
without telling me
two days later.
Don't you understand they're
gonna cut off your mic?
I'm not looking at you
and I didn't ask you a question.
Yes, ma'am. Yes, Your Honor.
Okay. So, at the time of this incident,
-you said you would leave.
-Mm-hmm.
You said that you had a car
that you could use.
-She said it was in her name.
-Mm-hmm.
The police said,
"Take that up in civil court."
-Mm-hmm.
-You went home without her present,
went in, gathered up your things,
and left in the Chevy Impala.
You had been driving the new car,
-I assume, to go to the picture taking
-[Lauren] Correct.
for your daughter's second birthday.
-Yeah.
-[Judy] Great. Okay.
Now, she wants her car back,
or the value thereof.
Ball is in your court.
Okay. So
she is trying to go after me
for two thousand dollars,
-which is what I was going to
-[Judy] No, no, no.
-bring. I have evidence of the car.
-No, I-- what you have to tell me, sir,
-is she bought this car. The--
-We bought it together, yes.
Well, actually, she got the loan
from her bank.
And then I was helping paying off the loan
Okay. But is the loan paid off?
-Yes, completely.
-[Judy] Yes.
I paid the loan off with
my tax return money.
The last bit of the loan
she paid off, yes.
Whatever. The car is in her name.
So I want you to tell me you went home,
you took the car,
-the car is in her name.
-With permission.
Have you had previous discussions with her
about the car?
-Yes. And I have messages on my phone.
-[Judy] When? When?
And emails saying that as long as
I continue paying my daughter's tuition,
which is $680 a month,
that I pay by myself,
that I was going to be able to use the car
as transportation to go back and forth--
-Yes, that I could go back and forth
-Great, I'd like-- Shh!
-to my side of Fresno.
-[Judy] Just a second.
-Just a second. I'd like to see it.
-[Marco] Okay.
Mm-hmm.
And that was her threatening me before
taking me to claims court.
Just a second.
-There are other previous--
-[Judy] Shh!
This is June 9th of what year?
This year?
This year?
Well, then you answer her.
She says to you,
"I want to get the car back to be fixed
so I can sell it.
You've been using it for the last year.
But I need it back so that I can sell it."
And she says,
"Hopefully this issue could be resolved
without all that mess,
especially considering you drove my car
back and forth to work.
It's the least you can do
in appreciation for driving a car free
you didn't make payments on."
And you respond to her,
"I'II get it fixed enough to sell
but only if you keep giving me
Stink on Fridays--"
-What is that?
-Stink is my nickname for our daughter.
Because she refused to give me
my daughter on weekends.
Just a second. Well.
-[Marco] But that's something--
-Just a second.
Is that what you call her?
I don't call her that. I call her Peanut.
Peanut's also my nickname
that I started for her as well.
-[Judy] Well, I'm just gonna--
-It shouldn't matter what I call my kid.
First, let's try to use the word "child"
or "my daughter"
instead of referring to "kid."
Either the kid you're gonna visit,
or "Stinky,"
but I'm telling you, as she gets older,
she's three now,
she's not gonna like that nickname.
If he wants to act like a fool,
let him act like a fool!
I'm not acting like a fool,
but you're allowing her to talk--
I'm telling you,
you're acting like a fool!
Don't tell me. I'm the person
who's supposed to judge this case
and I'm telling you
you're acting like a fool!
[theme music]
[narrator] Lauren Liebel has accused
former boyfriend Marco Lara
of wrongfully keeping her car.
Okay. She says to you,
"I want to get the car back to be fixed
so I can sell it." And you respond to her,
"I'll get it fixed enough to sell but only
if you keep giving me Stink on Fridays."
-What is that?
-Stink is my nickname for our daughter.
Because she refused to give me
my daughter on weekends.
Just a second. Okay.
So it's clear based upon these
that you agreed with her
to give her the car
-as long as--
-Time, yeah.
As long as you have
visitation on Fridays.
So you were sort of bartering it.
That doesn't make any difference to me.
What is clear is that you understood
that the car still belonged to her
and that she was allowing you to drive it.
That's from your email.
Would you like me
to show you other emails?
[Judy] What?
Would you like me to show you
other emails of her?
So I don't know if, um
the whole thing,
the whole message,
was screenshotted,
but I have pretty much the same thing,
only I'm saying you've been claiming the
money that you've been sending me
-for your daughter is for the Impala.
-I read that.
-I read that. I read that.
-[Lauren] Okay.
No, the car is yours.
But you also see on the Cash Apps
and she wants to say that
I haven't been helping her.
There are receipts for insurance
for the Impala.
-I have multiple receipts right here.
-[Judy] Well, you have-- Just a second.
Thousands of dollars
that I've spent on that car,
-Listen to me.
-not asking her for help.
Listen to me.
You drove it. You drove it.
-You drove it.
-He ran it into the ground.
-[Judy] Just-- Shh!
-I'm the only one who fixed it.
Don't. You drove it.
If you drove it and had to fix it
for the year that you've had it,
that's on you, you could've returned it
if you didn't want to--
this message makes clear that there was
an agreement between the two of you
that it wasn't your car,
that it was her car,
she was letting you drive it.
You were paying for insurance--
well, who's supposed to pay insurance?
Her? You were driving it.
You were driving it.
I'm not driving both cars.
So I shouldn't have to pay insurance
for both of her cars.
[Judy]
No, you shouldn't-- Shh!
I shouldn't have to give her gas money
when she's going to the store.
-[Judy] Just a second.
-Like I have all of these Cash Apps--
I shouldn't have to be
raising a kid alone.
If you answer him,
I'm dismissing your case!
Do you understand?
If he wants to act like a fool,
let him act like a fool!
I'm not acting like a fool,
but you're allowing her to talk.
I'm telling you,
you're acting like a fool!
-I realize that--
-Don't tell me. I'm sitting here.
I'm the person
who's supposed to judge this case
and I'm telling you
you're acting like a fool!
This email from you suggests
that you were using the car,
understanding it was her car.
You never asked her
for a title to the car,
you were having conversations with her.
That didn't happen.
You paid for the insurance on the car
that you were driving.
You paid to have it fixed.
According to you, thousands of--
but you were driving it!
And you said to her,
"I understand as long as you let me have
Stink, I'll give you the car back.
On Fridays."
Yeah, my agreement was her
-not withholding my child from me.
-That's what-- Just a second.
That's what-- That's what this says.
And you can--
If she is withholding visitation--
with-- child from you,
I would suggest
you go to family court.
We are doing that.
That's what you're focusing on,
-is the child part, like--
-Just a second. Just a second.
Well, that's great!
-We're here for the car. [chuckles]
-Just a second.
That's great.
I know we're here for the car.
That you realized,
back in June, was not your car.
-I don't have ever--
-If you want me to show you other emails
of her threatening me and her--
to me telling her,
"I'll give you 600
if you give me the title
so I can put the 2,000 in,
Just a second. Just a second.
So what you offered her
before you put in the money
was $600 for the car.
-And up.
-Just-- that's a yes or a no?
-Yes.
-Did he offer you $600 for the car?
He said, "I'll give you $500
if you sign it over to my mom.
Do you have a license?
-[Marco] No.
-"No." [laughs] Sarah
Just for my own information,
what is the value of a 2007 Impala
in lousy condition?
[chuckles] $200.
For a private party exchange, it would be
between $2,000 and $3,000.
Okay. I'm going to create an order
that gives you back the car.
You could take it to a sheriff
and have them execute on the order.
Otherwise, if within five days
he doesn't return the car,
then you can call the police
and report it stolen.
Because he is driving around
without a license in a car.
I don't know, if he gets in an accident,
your insurance company
is going to disclaim
because he has no license.
-Correct.
-And you're going to be responsible.
So I would suggest that you
get this car back ASAP.
-I never withheld it from her.
-ASAP!
-I was gonna tow it to her.
-Otherwise, report it stolen!
Dude, you guys think
I'm holding it from her?
-[Judy] Otherwise, report--
-I've given her the car.
She can take the car.
-Great!
-[Marco] We've tried giving her the car.
-Great!
-But, like, she won't take it.
When did you get a tow truck
to tow it to me?
Because you're afraid.
I'm not--
[Judy] No, no, no,
you're talking to each other.
-No. I have given her the car
-Kevin. Kevin. Right in between.
Right in between
and tell him to shut up.
-Well, that's fine, I don't--
-Listen, please.
-[Judy] Great!
-I'm just letting you know, ma'am.
Listen. Just listen.
I've spent thousands of dollars fixing
that car since I've had it.
Good, you were driving it.
-That's not--
-You were driving it.
Dude, she can have the car.
I don't care. I'll lose it.
Great! Perfect. Thank you very much.
This case is over.
-Thank you.
-Okay, but do I get my $2,000 for repairs
-No.
-that he ran the car into?
-Nope. You get the car.
-[Kevin] Court adjourned.
I think it was fair. I get my car back.
And that's really what I wanted.
I haven't gotten it back yet.
He's a liar.
No, he ran it into the ground.
He drove it knowing that
the brakes needed to be changed.
Motor mount needed to be fixed.
Um, I hope he just makes good decisions
regarding our daughter
and that he stays out of my life.
And Sarah, I think that
the social takeaway from that case,
the legal part was easy--
the legal part was title's in her name,
it was clear that
he was just using the car,
he was paying the insurance on the car
but there was never a gift of this car
that either existed
or that anybody can prove.
But the social part of this case
is really to me more important.
And something that I learned
and I'm gonna take away from it.
Never fight with your partner
in a moving vehicle.
That's a very, very, bad place
to pick a fight.
Mm-hmm.
Fight some place
where you both are landlocked.
Anyway, I feel sorry for that
little two-year-old.
Nobody sleeps through
that kind of experience.
And that kind of experience can,
you know, can affect you.
Gotta love your child
more than you hate each other.
That's it. That's the answer.
[narrator] Have you been cheated?
Go to JudyJustice.tv.
[closing theme plays]