Judy Justice (2021) s01e04 Episode Script

1
You had a physical fight.
I called the police.
'Cause my head was leaking blood.
You had hit him
over the head with a speaker!
In self-defense.
We were arguing.
Had you both been drinking?
The two of you were clearly
blotto drunk.
[narrator] This is Judy Justice.
[theme music plays]
Christina Parra is suing
her ex-boyfriend Lorenzo Jordan
for a dental bill and travel costs.
[Kevin]
Court come to order. All rise.
Be seated please.
Hello, Judge. We have case number 1023,
Parra vs. Jordan.
-Thank you.
-Mm-hm.
Miss Parra, Mr. Jordan is your former
boyfriend, and you claim,
over the course of the relationship,
a series of loans.
Mr. Jordan has a cross complaint.
And his cross complaint is
for a serious assault
that he claims he was
the victim of at your hand.
According to what I've read,
you met the defendant
in 2019 online. Is that right?
-That's not correct.
-[Judy] What year?
We met in January of 2019
in a restaurant
when he was working for
a micro-wrestling team.
Okay, were you
a customer at that restaurant?
-I was an employee.
-[Judy] And he?
[Christina]
He was an assigned vendor, I guess?
That they came in and set up
and did micro-wrestling.
In what month did you
begin living together?
-April.
-[Judy] And he came to live with you?
-You have three children.
-That is correct.
According to your complaint,
the first loan that you made to him
-was for dental work.
-That is correct.
The second loan that you made to him
was for travel expenses
to go to another jurisdiction
so he could reconnect
with a child that he had
from another relationship.
That is correct.
And you had never met that child
or the child's mother.
That is correct.
And you were curious.
No, I was just trying to help.
Well, let's get to the first loan.
Because living as long as I have,
it give you certain advantages.
Those advantages are that there
are certain things that
regularly happen
when a woman is crazy about a guy
and wants to do everything
to make it solid.
The first loan that you made to him
was in what year to have his teeth fixed?
December of 2019.
I want you to tell me your version
of this loan for dental work.
Okay, so we had started dating.
He had told me that he had
went to prison in the past
and that's why his teeth
were all rotted out.
-And that was a lie, most of his teeth.
-Look at me. Just a second.
Just a second.
You have to understand that I understand
casual conversation, pillow talk.
I know the difference
between those things.
So I want you to tell me exactly
when he asked you for a loan
to have his teeth fixed.
I don't know the exact date
of when he asked me.
I mean, it had just been conversations
that had been coming up.
Um, every time I'd make dinner,
it would be really hard for him to chew,
he only had one tooth.
So, I mean, I'd have to coordinate
my dinners on what he could eat.
So it would come up frequently
in a lot of conversations.
"What are we gonna do about your teeth?"
And he was like,
"Well, I need to get my teeth done."
No, just a second-- Ah!
"What are we going to do
about your teeth?"
Keep going.
Right, and I said,
"Well, we can research some things.
But you're gonna have to
pay for this on your own.
That didn't happen.
That last phrase didn't happen.
"We'll research it and see."
That happened.
-Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] And who researched it?
He did.
Did you research where to go
to have your teeth fixed?
-No, actually, she re-- No, I didn't.
-[Judy] Just-- Just--
[Judy] Who found the place
to have your teeth fixed?
Uh, the plaintiff did.
[Judy] Who made the appointment?
[Lorenzo] The plaintiff did.
[Judy] Did she discuss with you?
I mean, she had to take you with her
so I want you to tell me
what the discussion was.
She said, "I'll make the appointment."
And she made the appointment?
Yeah, it was more of like
a surprise to me. Um
That's not true.
-[Lorenzo] Just because--
-Don't speak.
-Just because, I didn't-- you know,
-[Judy] I don't care what you thought.
Did she say to you, "I made an appointment
for you to have your teeth done?"
-[Lorenzo] Yes.
-Okay. Where were you working at the time?
-Part time at Cheesecake Factory.
-Doing what?
[Lorenzo] Uh, dishwashing.
[Judy] And what kind of work
does the plaintiff do?
Usually restaurant work.
Uh, server.
[Judy] Other than working
at a restaurant, Miss Parra,
tell me what other source of income you
have. You have three children.
Does their father send child support?
At the time, they were,
and yes, I always had two jobs.
-I had sales jobs and the restaurant.
-[Judy] Sales. Restaurant
[Christina]
The restaurant was more like a side--
And you get child support.
And how much child support
do you get for the children?
[Christina] It was around $1,200.
-[Judy] A month.
-Yes.
When you were living with Mr. Jordan,
living with him--
-Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] In December of 2020,
what kind of work was he doing?
-He was unemployed at first. And then
-[Judy] Unemployed.
Now, just-- In December,
he was unemployed.
-December
-[Judy] 2020.
I'm not sure--
I can't keep track of all his jobs.
-He had so many.
-[Judy] Okay.
Okay. So either he was unemployed
or had a series of
He was changing jobs left and right.
So he was doing the micro-wrestling,
then he went to Cheesecake,
then he went to another job.
But his employment history,
let us say, was sketchy.
I wouldn't say "sketchy," just
Well, what, you go from job to job,
and sometimes you're employed.
-[Christina] Yeah, okay.
-I would describe that as "sketchy."
[Christina] Sketchy, I guess, yeah.
-Yeah, trying to figure things out.
-[Judy] And you were working two jobs.
-Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] To support you and your kids.
And was getting $1,200 child support.
When he was living with you,
was he paying any portion of the rent?
-He was supposed to be.
-Not-- That's not my question.
You met in January,
you moved in a few months later
in December 2020,
which is almost a year later.
-Mm-hmm.
-Between that period of time,
did he pay you any rent?
Not a set amount, no.
He just gave me
a little bit towards utilities.
The answer is,
"No, he paid no rent."
No, he paid no rent.
[Judy] Now, did he go
with you to the dentist?
-Yes. And he did pick one.
-Shh!
And were you told how much
the dental work would be?
-[Christina] Yes.
-[Judy] How much?
Around $13,000. $13,376.
Well, certainly,
Mr. Jordan didn't have that.
No, so we're doing-- we were going to
do some sort of financing, so
[laughs]
You were living with him for a year.
You know all the rules.
You know the rules,
you know he had sketchy--
-I didn't know his credit score.
-What?
I didn't know his credit score.
[Judy] You were living with him.
You sound like an intelligent woman.
You know that when you have
a sketchy work history,
and are unemployed,
and you knew that that was accurate,
you don't have much of a credit history.
So you signed on to allow him
to get the dental work
with your credit card.
-That's either a yes or no.
-Yes.
Now, in what month and year
did you separate?
In October of 2020.
[Judy]
Between December and October,
when you separated,
how many payments
did Mr. Jordan make on the credit card
for his dental work?
-Zero.
-How many payments did you make?
I have made every payment since.
Right.
[dramatic music]
Either the children,
the older ones, testified,
or the counsel for the children
reported to the court
that they have interviewed the children
and the children
wish to remain with their father
'cause their mother
is a nut!
Yes.
Do I look like I need any help from you?
Sorry.
[chuckling]
[theme music plays]
[narrator] Christina Parra claims
former boyfriend Lorenzo Jordan
owes for a dental bill.
Lorenzo is countersuing for injuries
resulting from an assault.
Now, after you went to the dentist,
after you knew he had no credit,
after you put it on your card,
and after he made
no payments on that card,
in what month did you
arrange for this trip
to visit his ex-girlfriend and his child?
A couple months, maybe, after.
[Judy]
A couple of months after he got teeth.
-Possibly, yeah.
-I know the story.
I've been here forever.
So after he got new teeth
-Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] looked a lot better
-And could eat properly. Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] According to you--
According to you, you felt badly
that he had not connected
with his child.
You felt badly.
Clearly, he didn't feel badly.
Now, am I reading these papers right?
You reached out to the ex-girlfriend?
-Yes I did.
-Okay.
-Not him.
-[Christina] He asked me to, yes.
-[Judy] Oh, did he?
-[Christina] Yes, he did.
-He wanted to see his child.
-[Judy] No, no, no.
I want you to tell me
exactly how that happened.
That he asked you to
reach out to his ex-girlfriend.
-Yeah.
-[Judy] I want to tell you
there's a certain common sense.
to life.
And you're gonna have to be
really convincing to me,
which I'm gonna tell you
you're not gonna be able to do,
that he really wanted to see his child,
which is what you're gonna tell me.
And instead of him calling his
ex-girlfriend and saying,
"Listen, I know I've been
less than a parent
and I've been less than interested.
I'm getting older. I
sort of turned myself around.
I would like to see our daughter."
Right?
He asked you, his current girlfriend,
with who's he living,
to call his ex-girlfriend
[chuckles]
and say,
"We would like to come out to visit."
It's absolutely ridiculous
that if he really wanted to see the child,
he would have his current girlfriend
make the call, which would just
exasperate this woman
no end that
now he's living with somebody
-Who are you?
-I'm the child's mother.
Yeah.
-[Judy] Who called you?
-Um, she did. For him.
Good, sit. Sit!
And when you called her?
He tried to reach out to her first,
and then she wouldn't
When you called her,
what did you say?
I said that
"Lorenzo's been trying to reach you.
And that I know that you two have--
are on bad terms.
He has done some horrible things.
He hasn't paid his child support,
still isn't current
on his child support.
He's trying to make things better.
So you know, I'd like to
try to step in between and help
reunite a family."
-I know
-[chuckles] Okay.
[Christina]
I was just trying to be helpful.
So you were helpful, and that's
the second loan you are alleging
for all the money that was spent
going to visit his child
in Kansas, for which
he really didn't need you,
'cause he could've gone alone.
Okay.
Give me the story that you claim you had,
a discussion with him about paying
expenses for this trip.
So for this trip, he said that, you know,
as long as we use my car,
he would help pay the gas,
pay the food,
and the hotel,
and he would pay me back. Monthly.
He would just give me money
and pay me back
and that never happened.
Along with the dental bill,
-which I have text messages saying--
-That's a lie, Your Honor.
[Christina] I have text messages saying
he would pay me back
everything that he owed me.
Okay, now I'd like to see
the text messages.
[Christina] Absolutely.
Okay, would you show this to Mr. Jordan?
Okay
I never said anything
about a dental bill in this.
[Judy] Yeah, yeah.
There is discussion
of a dental bill in there,
not about anything else, but there is
discussion of the dental bill.
Not the trip to Kansas.
Yeah, and the reason why, um,
I said that is because
she said in this that, you know,
she still would want to be with me
if I held up my end of the bargain
on paying her back,
and I was so concerned about
getting back with her
that I just said anything
to get back with her.
[Judy] Who cares?
-I do.
-[Judy] I don't.
You know, it seems to me, Mr. Jordan,
first of all, you said it.
And it's in writing.
Right now, do you still have the teeth
that she's paying for?
-Yes, I do.
-[Judy] Very nice.
And are you living with her?
-No, I'm not.
-Okay.
So you have the pleasure of the teeth.
And she has the pleasure
of paying the bill for your teeth.
-A gift that she gave me--
-[Judy] Just--just--
Not according to you.
I would've said it was a gift, actually.
I actu-- would've said,
"Listen, lady, you want to be
among those stupid women
who loans a guy money and he doesn't
pay her back. And he doesn't--"
I'm speaking. Don't interrupt me.
"And then, a month or two later,
lends him some more money
that he doesn't pay her back.
And he doesn't pay her back
again for months.
And still lives there and then have
a fight about something else?
And have a bad breakup?"
Well, you take that on the chin.
You have to learn your lesson.
Otherwise, you deplete
your own bank account
and your kids are gonna suffer
because you have to pay this dental bill
for teeth that you can't enjoy.
So I would've dismissed her claim,
actually,
for the dental bill because
you live together,
well after the dental work was completed.
And you didn't pay for it
and you didn't pay one month,
you didn't pay two months,
you didn't pay three months,
and then she took you on a vacation.
Do you understand?
You say
in that text
and I don't care what reason
you're gonna give me,
that "I'm gonna pay for the dental work."
That's what you say.
I never said that I'm gonna
pay for the dental work.
You didn't say
"I'm going to pay for the dental work."
-[Lorenzo] Never said that.
-You said, "I'm going to get a check,
I'm gonna pay you what I owe you.
-She never--
-[Judy] And she's referring
in the preceding paragraph
to dental work.
No, that's an inference.
She's not referring to that.
Now just a second, may I see that please?
I want to see if the word "dental" appears
anywhere in there.
[Lorenzo] In my paragraph
It doesn't have to be in your paragraph.
It has to be in here,
that's what the reference is about.
Yeah.
"The only thing you should be doing
is paying your dental bill."
That's before, that she says,
and you answer her,
"I'm going to hold up
my end of the bargain,"
is what you mean,
but you don't speak English here.
[audience chuckles]
And she says, "Well, I can't trust you.
You have the money to pay me right now.
And you're nit." Which
I suppose you mean "not".
"Let me prove this to you.
I don't wanna use you.
I want to pay you what I owe you
and when my check comes in,
I'll get in that sober house."
That's what you're referring to.
I wasn't referring to a dental bill.
-[Judy] Well, what money--? Shh!
-[Lorenzo] Well, just in--
What money were you referring to?
About rent. About rent,
that's what I was talking about.
I wasn't talking about a dental bill.
Well, she was talking about a dental bill
and that's what you responded to.
So I don't have to even go into this trip,
which I would've dismissed because
that's your problem. You were curious.
So, but the dental bill
is well over $13,000.
Now you have a counterclaim.
Yes, I do.
And that's an interesting counterclaim.
You had a physical fight.
You allege in this physical fight
that Miss Parra assaulted you so badly
that you had to be in the hospital.
I want you to tell me about that.
Yes.
[dramatic music]
He was taken to the hospital
by ambulance, I assume,
because his head was bleeding
because you had hit him over the head
with a speaker.
-In self-defense.
-Yeah.
-[Judy] Ah, think it was self-defense?
-Mm-hmm.
But you had hit him over the head
with a speaker
because the two of you were blotto drunk.
[theme music plays]
[narrator] Christina Parra
is accusing former boyfriend
Lorenzo Jordan of refusing to
pay his dental bill and travel costs.
Now, we're now on your counterclaim.
And the reason why she said
she was getting child support,
is because she no longer
has her kids because
the incident happened
in front of her kids.
Just a minute, would you tell me about
So the night we were talking,
we were drinking--
[Judy] Give me, give me,
a month, day, and year.
-June 30th, 2020th.
-[Judy] Okay.
[Lorenzo] We were arguing
and going back and forth
-and I wasn't paying attention.
-[Judy] Just a second.
-Had you both been drinking?
-Yes, we were.
[Judy] And you were arguing
back and forth about what?
We argued so much
that I wouldn't even know
what it was about.
Okay, do you remember what
the argument was about?
Yes, because I have a police report.
-I'd like to see it please.
-[Christina] Absolutely.
-[Lorenzo] And the police report--
-Shh!
I can read.
Okay, this is what I gather
from reading the police report.
On the 20th of June,
the two of you were clearly blotto drunk.
And behaving in
a loud and boisterous manner
and somebody else called the police.
Not the two of you,
not either of the two of you.
I called the police.
'Cause my head was leaking blood.
Nobody else had called the police?
Not a neighbor?
-Probably so because it was so loud.
-[Judy] Probably so. Right.
But the reason why they came
was because of me.
I don't know if that's the reason
that they came because of you.
Clearly, you had had some kind of
confrontation with neighbors before
because this was not a first time
that the two of you were blotto
and making a lot of noise.
That's what I get from the police report.
And it's clear from the police report,
Miss Parra,
that you were uninjured.
You had a slight scratch on your chest
according to the arresting officer.
According to the police officer,
and a scratch on your hand.
Neither of which you wanted filmed.
-You gave me the police report. Right.
-[Christina] Mm-hmm.
-It says--
-And then
the officers
tried to calm things down,
told you to both be quiet.
He was taken to the hospital
by ambulance, I assume,
because his head was bleeding
because you had hit him over the head
with a speaker.
-In self-defense.
-[Judy] Yeah.
-In self-defense?
-Ah, think it was self-defense?
But you had hit him over the head
with a speaker
because the two of you were blotto drunk.
"Self-defense."
Look at me, look at her.
-Micro-wrestler.
-[Judy] I didn't ask you a question.
-[Lorenzo] Okay, sorry about that.
-There's no question before you.
Yes.
Perfect. After he was taken away,
you continued to behave in
a loud and belligerent way
and open up the window from upstairs.
I believe it's two different police
reports.
[Judy] Just a--
They are two different police reports.
And according to the police reports,
someone
out of one of those windows upstairs
So either it was you or a neighbor,
but someone there threw a firework,
a lit firework,
-out of the window.
-[Christina] He did.
And it landed outside and went off.
And you were continuing to be loud.
So they called Social Services
because they feared
for your three children
who were in the house.
How old are your children?
Fifteen, thirteen, and eight.
And they removed the children?
-They have, because--
-[Judy] Just say, "Removed the children."
-Yes.
-And that was in June of 2020.
-No.
-What day?
-October.
-October what?
October 6th.
So, are you telling me that
they didn't remove
the three children that night,
just for their safety?
-No.
-[Judy] Oh.
Not what I'm reading here.
Let's say that's true.
So they conducted a hearing
-in family court?
-Yes.
And you testified?
Yeah, uh, no, I did not
testify against myself. No.
You didn't testify?
Nope. My lawyer advised me not to.
Was there a criminal proceeding
pending against you?
No, there is not. Nope.
-Was there?
-No.
Well, then your lawyer can't tell you
not to testify against yourself.
Lawyer said, "You don't have a case."
Maybe, but there was no criminal
proceeding pending
so you can't take the fifth amendment.
You didn't commit a crime according to you
and you had never been arrested
for assault, is that right?
-Right.
-[Judy] Assaulting him.
Okay. So the children are now
in the custody of who?
Their father.
And that is as a result of a court order?
-Yes.
-And he did testify?
-[Christina] Who?
-Their father.
No. The-- I don't think you're
understanding what kind of court it was.
There was no criminal charges.
I'm not talking about criminal court,
I'm talking about family court.
Family court. Yeah, so they
You mean, the judge just says,
"I think think that they should"
No, they thought the children--
-What?
-The children. And they took the facts
of what you have in your hand there,
the police report.
[Judy] Just a second, are you telling me
that the judge didn't appoint
-a law guardian for the three children?
-Yes, he did.
Of course!
I was in family court
a quarter of a century.
-Yes, absolutely.
-The three children were represented
by counsel.
Either the children, the older ones,
testified or counsel for the children
reported to the court that they had
interviewed the children
and the children wish
to remain with their father
because their mother
is a nut!
-She is.
-[sighs]
-Do I look like I need any help from you?
-Sorry.
It was based on his toxic behavior.
Her co-dependency.
I don't care.
I'd like to see your hospital report.
-This is just my
-[Judy] Just let me look at it.
Maybe you can gather,
but I'm not loving either one of you.
This is a discharge.
Well, this doesn't help me at all.
It doesn't tell me what
you were there for.
Nothing. It says, "Discharge summary.
General, no acute distress, awake"
Well, sir, you're asking this court
to give you $5,000 on something
that doesn't tell me anything.
You could've been admitted
for a gallbladder attack.
No.
-[laughs]
-The police report does a
No, no, no. Sir, pay attention.
You want $5,000, you go to a little
trouble and ask Northshore System
to get you a copy of your medical records
so I can read them.
-Yes.
-[Judy] Well, you didn't.
[whispering] You didn't.
This is not evidence,
it doesn't tell me anything.
You could've been admitted there
for a splinter in your finger.
Would you return this to him, please?
Thank you very much.
Mr. Jordan,
you're gonna pay for your own teeth
that you smile with and eat with.
Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount
of $10,000.
Your counterclaim's dismissed.
We're finished.
-Thank you.
-[Kevin] Court adjourned.
Well, she hit me over the head and caused
severe injury to my brain.
If somebody's being abusive,
stick with it the order of protection.
Don't drop it.
A toxic and very co-dependent,
uh, relationship.
I just tried to help somebody
and in the long run,
I lost my children for it.
Justice wasn't served.
So I've learned a lot of things
since being here.
Legal issues, legal concerns,
but also social issues
and social norms,
and one of the things I've learned
is never lend a significant other money
without a written loan agreement.
Because we've seen how they
turn badly far too often.
You're right, and I especially wouldn't
lend a boyfriend money
who didn't have a job.
[narrator] Want justice?
Go to JudyJustice.tv.
[closing theme plays]