01x22 - COVID and College Coeds/Car Vandalism and Jealousy

[bunniefuu]

[Haley] She took part in doing
cocaine in the apartment,

and I did not feel safe
being around ill*gal drug use.

[Michael] It's just an excuse,
Your Honor.

There were other people
in the apartment also using.

That doesn't make it better.

You should have a discussion
with your daughter.

[announcer]
This is Judy Justice.

[announcer] Michael Martinez is suing
his daughter's former roommate,

20-year-old Sophia Violich,

for unpaid rent
after breaking a lease agreement.

[Kevin]
Court come to order. All rise.

Be seated, please.

[Kevin] Hello, Judge. Case number


- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

[Judge Judy]
Mr. Martinez, you're a cosigner?

- Yes, ma'am.
- That's always a problem.

- Yes, ma'am.
- This is your daughter?

- Yes.
- What college does she go to?

Chapman University.

- Where is that?
- City of Orange, California.

And where do you live?

I live in Santa Cruz, California.

- How far away?
- About 350 miles north of here.

- What year is she in?
- She is entering her junior year.

So was it last year that she leased
the apartment with some friends?

Yes.

What month was that?

It was October.

- September.
- Oh, September, sorry.

- September of 2020?
- Yes.

Why don't you come up
and stand with your dad.

Tell me your first name.

Haley.

Were you in school
virtually most of last year?

Yeah, pretty much
all of last year was online.

What month did you leave?

- Leave?
- School.

- You were in school in September?
- Right.

Well, we went...we got sent home
in March of 2020.

And then I moved back down to Orange
hoping that we'd be in person,

but it remained online.

So your lease went
from September of 2020

until August 31st of 2021?

June 26th of 2021.

How many roommates
did you have, Haley?

I had three other roommates,

me and one other roommate
stayed through the lease

and then two of the roommates left.

So you stayed through the lease
but went to school virtually?

- Right.
- And two went home?

Yeah, like in around January
they went home.

Tell me your first name.

- Sophia.
- Sophia?

You were one of the roommates?

- Yes.
- When did you leave?

I left around December 20th.

And what was your share of the rent?

It was about 640.

- Your share?
- Yes.

Must've been a nice place?

- Yeah, it was a nice place.
- Okay.

And how old were you
when you moved in?

Twenty...or nineteen, sorry.

- And you also signed the lease?
- Yes.

After December,
did you pay the lease?

Yes, up until January.

January, what?

I paid January's rent.

You did pay January's rent?

Okay. You didn't pay February,
is that correct?

- Yes.
- March?

[Sophia] Yes.

- April?
- Yes.

- May?
- Yes.

And the lease was up in June?

- The end of June, yes.
- Or June?

July 1st. Yes.

But you didn't pay for those five months?

- Yes.
- Okay.

Now, you understood
that you signed a lease?

- Yes.
- And that the plaintiff,

Mr. Martinez, paid all the rent.

Did the other roommates,
there were two other roommates,

did they pay their share of the rent?

One of the other roommates
who stayed with Haley

for the rest of the remainder of the lease

paid it on time every month,

and the other roommate

left with her at the same time.

- Did she pay?
- [Michael] No.

She stopped paying at the same...
she paid through January

and stopped paying in February.

Is there any reason
why you didn't sue her?

We have a case against her. Yes.

- You do?
- Yes.

- Pending?
- On Monday we have...our court date.

- Yes.
- Great. Okay.

Sophia, ball is in your court.

You're a grown-up.
You're an adult, you signed the lease.

He cosigned the lease.
He paid the lease in full.

- I assume you are employed, sir.
- Yes.

- What kind of work do you do?
- I am a union electrician.

He gets paid salary,

didn't want his salary garnished
or his credit ruined,

so he paid the lease.

You have to give me a convincing reason

why you're not responsible
for the remainder of the lease.

So, I have...

Don't look over there.
Look over here.

So I have an immune disorder,
type-one diabetes,

and in October, the other roommate

that shared a room with Haley
got COVID...

Okay, just one second.
Did you get COVID?

- No.
- No? Who got COVID?

- The other roommate.
- Okay. And...

And I really did not feel safe
being in that apartment, and then also...

Just a second.
So, you left in October?

End of October. Yes.

- That's not true...
- Shh.

Don't.

You left the end of October,
but then you came back?

- Yes.
- When did you come back?

I left October, around October 15th.

And then I came back for a week

and then I left again in November 4th.

And then I didn't come back
until Christmastime for a week.

What was all the back and forth?

I didn't feel safe in the apartment
also from...

So then, why did you
come back at all?

All my things were there.

- That takes an hour.
- Yeah.

Where did you go when you left?

Back home to Santa Cruz.

- Who did you stay with?
- My parents.

- All the time?
- Yes.

So each time you went back,
you stayed with your parents?

- Yes.
- Christmastime.

- Was there school?
- Yes.

- Virtually?
- Yes.

What date did you move out?

I put everything in my car and moved
all my things out December 20th

besides the beds that we were
gonna to give to someone

if they end up moving in.

Okay. So you moved out,

I still haven't heard a reason
other than the general,

"I didn't feel safe."

The other reasons are Haley

took part in doing cocaine
in the apartment,

and I did not feel safe
being around ill*gal drug use

- as I don't partake...
- Okay.

- ...in that things.
- Okay.

And when do you allege, at least,

Haley used an ill*gal substance
in the house?

- What...
- Like every weekend.

Every weekend, since when?

Since we moved in,
at September 4th.

Okay. Well, you stayed there September,

October, November, and December.

And if you say that this ill*gal drug use

was going on for four months,

why didn't you notify her father and say,

"I'm moving out because
there's drug use in the house"?

- Instead you stayed.
- I know that...

I mean, I'm not saying that it's true.
I'm not even going into it.

I'm just saying,
why didn't you just leave?

And you did come back Christmastime
and stayed for several weeks?

To pack up my things, yes.

It doesn't take several weeks
to pack up your things.

It takes you and your parents
an hour to pack up your things

if you're complaining
that there's an unsafe condition?

It's just an excuse,
Your Honor, for her to...

[Judge Judy] Just...I'm waiting.

Yeah, an excuse.

So, yeah, I-I did take that long
to get my things.

I did bring it upon Heidi Martinez,
Michael Martinez's his wife,

and she told me I was...

No, don't told me what she told you.

When did you speak to Mrs. Martinez?

It was back and forth in, um,

I'm not sure on the dates, but...

You spoke to her on the phone?

...October...the phone,
and over text message.

I'd like to see the text messages.

[Kevin] Oh, I got it. Stay there.

Thank you.

These messages are from January.

I'm sorry, then maybe.

Well the messages from January in...

were after you moved out,

and you spoke to her mother and,

"Hey, Heidi, it would be
much appreciated,

and a big weight off everyone's shoulder

if you will give this nice lady
and her boyfriend

that I've been talking to
about me and room.

They seem reliable
and both have full-time jobs.

It's definitely hard times for everyone
right now with COVID,

so finding a roommate is extra tricky,
but this match makes sense.

It's irrational to be picky
finding a roommate

when we have one
who can move in now.

The bottom line is, I cannot live
in that apartment due to COVID risks.

The drug use in our apartment

that I do not feel comfortable
being around.

The Family Housing Act
does protect me from these issues.

I wish Haley and you the best,
so please let me know.

You find a solution
to the housemate this month.

Thank you for the text,

but let's be clear
about a few things first,

after talking with the girls,

they don't feel comfortable
living with a male,

especially one that's five years older."

Well, that's nothing. A male
that's five years older than you are

is probably 10 years your junior.

"Secondly, if you want
to sling insults about the girls,

I'm sure your parents would love to hear

all about the Tinder boys
and sugar daddies

that you brought back to the apartment

or that you and...

are responsible for the alcohol
in the apartment.

Mental health is serious and Haley
has called me almost every day

super stressed about the roommate
situation since September.

One of the roommates
getting COVID sucked.

Haley had to come home too,
but that was in October.

If you were so worried,
you should have let someone know.

This is the first I'm hearing of this.

I do agree on one thing
we need to have this resolved ASAP."

So this is my question.

After reading, I gather that

you are claiming or claim to your mother

that the defendant brought men
back to the apartment.

- Yes.
- Yes.

- How old?
- I was not there when it happened.

My...when my other roommate...

So then, you can't tell me about it.

- [Haley] Can I...
- Then you can tell me about it,

if you didn't see it
or discuss it with her.

She came home because of COVID.

- She stayed even though...
- [Judge Judy] I...

...the other roommate
was positive in COVID.

And so her excuse of not wanting
to leave because of COVID,

she stayed there
with the other roommate.

- [Judge Judy] Yeah, well...
- [Sophia] Well, I was...

[Judge Judy] Just a second.

Alcohol is not ill*gal.
Cocaine is ill*gal.

- Do you understand?
- Of course.

- There just...shh...
- There were other people

in the apartment also using.

That doesn't make it better,
unless what you're telling me...

that doesn't make it better, Haley.

Unless what you're telling me is that...

and I'm not sure I believe that

with her condition that she was using.

- No, I was not saying she was.
- Okay.

That in and of itself
would be sufficient basis

for her to leave the apartment.

- Provided...
- You understand that Mr. Martinez?

Provided it was true, yes.

Your daughter just told me it was true.

- No, she never...
- Shh, shh.

No, no.

- Your daughter just told me it was true.
- [Michael] I understand what she...

Mr. Martinez, your daughter,
who was there, just told me it was true.

She said other people were using too...

- Yes, I understand...
- ...in the apartment.

- I understand that.
- But not the defendant.

That in and of itself,

without anything else,

would be reason enough for her to move.

Do you understand that?

Because if the police
raided that apartment,

anyone in that apartment
would be arrested,

not if they found Jack Daniel's
or Five Feathers or Three Tails,

or whatever it is, but they would be
arrested for hard drugs.

Your wife said,

"Haley is not comfortable

living with a male five years older."

- How old are you?
- I'm 20.

And what I said to you,
a 25-year-old male

is like a 14-year-old.

[announcer] Later...

How did you come
into possession of his g*n?

I found the g*n.

Where did you find it?

Inside the clippings bag
of his mother's lawnmower.

He was hiding it from me
'cause he knew I want to...

Just a second. What were you doing
looking at it there?

[♪ dramatic music playing]

[announcer] Michael Martinez
and his 20-year-old daughter, Hayley,

claim her former roommate,


broke their lease
and owes for unpaid rent.

[Judge Judy] Okay. The second thing
that I don't understand is,

if she says she's moving,

and she says she's moving for a reason,
that is a legal reason,

which is drug use, which your daughter
just acknowledged, Mr. Martinez.

And she found another roommate

to take over their lease, her lease.

Did you interview those people?

- They never...
- Dup dup!

You're not on the lease.

Did you interview those people?

No, she never gave
the information to anybody.

Well, no, she gave it to your wife.

- Not the contact number...
- Okay. Just a second...

- ...she just said she had people...
- No. Just...no, listen to me.

[Michael] I'm listening.

Your wife said, "Haley is not
comfortable living with a male

five years older than she is."

- How old are you?
- I'm 20.

And what I said to you,
a 25-year-old male is like a 14-year-old.

So I mean, I could understand it
if she brought in a man

who was 65 living with a bunch
of young girls

and said, "This is who I have."

And, you know.

So he's got a little history

and he had to be relocated
from his last site.

I could understand that.

But this was a couple,
a young couple who they found.

It's not that she didn't provide
their information.

Your wife said,
"We're not interested in that

because Haley is uncomfortable."

So for those two reasons, sir,

your case is dismissed against her.

I would be curious to find out

what happens with your case
against the other girl.

I don't know what
the other girl's situation is

with regard to the drug use

if she was involved in that.

Might be different,
but that in and of itself

is sufficient basis for her to leave.

And that's unfortunate.

And for that, you should have
a discussion with your daughter.

I've already talked to my daughter
about everything.

Okay, good.
We're done here. Thank you.

[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

She's lying about
half the stuff she said.

Haley was using lots of drugs.

I didn't feel comfortable being around.

I am a college student, I admit that,

but to say I was doing it
every single weekend is absurd to me.

Just a bunch of losers basically.

He's a straight A student in a...
in a private college,

and she's a great kid.

Will not be sharing a room
with strangers.

[Sarah] One thing I am hung up
a little on that case

is the defendant who claimed
that she was nervous about COVID

due to an underlying health condition...

why return to a college town

when school is not in session, in person?

The only positive I see of that
is a social life.

And if you're so cautious
and so nervous about catching COVID,

I don't see any reason
why she even returned to her...

an apartment with friends.

Yeah, it's a solid point.

However, what the law says is that

if you are providing a situation

where someone who was innocent
of any wrongdoing,

in this situation, drugs and the...

it's like having ill*gal g*ns
in an apartment.

Everybody is presumed to be
in possession of an ill*gal drug.

So, that in and of itself is a reason,

legally, for her to extricate herself

from a situation
where she could be arrested.

And the second thing is
that being the case,

you're supposed to try
to mitigate damages.

They found another couple
to take over the room

and take over their portion of the rent.

The plaintiff
wouldn't even interview them.

And clearly, Haley was comfortable
in a situation

where she was living
in an apartment with ill*gal drugs

at least to interview a guy who's 25.
You may like him.

Anyway, legally,
she can't be held responsible.

Case number 1012,
Norris versus Lathan, Bowman.

Please step forward.

[announcer] Naomi Norris is suing
her ex-boyfriend, Joseph Bowman,

and his current girlfriend,
Brooke Lathan,

for damages to her car.

- This used to be your boyfriend.
- Yes, ma'am.

For how long
were the two of you involved?

Just under 10 years.

[Judge Judy] And when
did the two of you separate?

Approximately February of this year.

And how long have you been involved
with Mr. Bowman?

Since about February this year.

So about the same time.
You don't waste any time, sir.

Ms. Norris, it is your claim
that the defendant, Ms. Lathan,

damaged your property?

- Yes, ma'am.
- And that property would be your car?

- Yes, ma'am.
- The defendants say

that nothing could be farther
from the truth,

that you filed a false
restraining order against them,

that you've been stalking
and harassing them,

and that it was actually you
who were guilty

of vandalizing their property.

So tell me, Ms. Norris,

on what date
did this incident take place?

April 20th of this year.

And I gather that the breakup
with Mr. Bowman

was an acrimonious one.

To say the least. Yeah.

And I assume
not primarily of your choosing?

- Correct.
- Okay.

Tell me the time of this incident.

The date was the 20th of April.

It was after...
it was a little after midnight.

Okay. Now, what I gather is,

am I correct that he had some sort
of a lawsuit

that you somehow were involved in?

It's' a...it's a criminal case.

- Who's the defendant in that case?
- He is.

And that case has been pending
for a while?

Over a year.

So it was pending at the time
that you and Ms. Norris were together?

- Yes.
- Okay.

You've had the necessity
to talk to him about this case

late at night, and he wasn't,
sort of, responding.

You reached out to him somehow,
by text, by phone?

- Text, emails, phone.
- Text, phone?

- And he wasn't responding?
- Right.

And now it's 11:00 at night,
and you tried to text him.

You knew he was
with this lady, that was clear,

and somehow you saw his car?

- Right.
- So what did you do?

Earlier in the day that he knew

that I was wanting to speak
with him about this...

- But he ignored you?
- Correct.

Ms. Norris, you should've given up
the ghost by April.

Well, I ended up
being subpoenaed for that case.

It was so, kind of...I'm, kind of,
stuck with it for a bit.

Well, meanwhile,
you saw his car parked in the street.

You had tried to get in touch
with him that day,

several times, and he ignored you.

And what did you do?

I turned in, park behind him,
right directly behind his truck.

I didn't know whether he was
or wasn't in it...

Just a second. You parked directly
behind his truck and...

And either called or text.

I assume you have the text with you?

My battery...I didn't have a charger
with me today, so I don't...

- Yeah, you...
- ...I don't have that available

- at the moment.
- Okay.

So far you're not batting
a thousand with me, Ms. Norris.

Okay. What happened next?

Ms. Lathan came out
of the house a few doors down,

got in her vehicle, and came over
to where I was parked.

It wasn't exactly a hit, but her vehicle
touched the side of my vehicle.

She got out, jumped on my hood,

and dented it and smashed
the windshield.

You remember that evening?

I wasn't even in Chico
when this supposedly happened.

- Where were you?
- I was at my dad's cabin in Lake Eleanor.

- Where was he?
- He was in Chico.

Was he staying at your house?

No, but he came by to grab
some stuff of mine,

because I stay with him
at his mom's house in Chico.

Did the police ever question you
about this incident?

- No.
- Did you report it to the police?

- Yes, ma'am.
- On what date?

- On the 20th.
- I'd like to see the police report.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Did you call the police while she was
jumping on the hood of your car?

No, I did not.

It was directly afterwards.

[Judge Judy]
It was directly afterwards?

- Yes.
- I'm just noting.

In the police report, it says can hear

a female yelling at someone,

but it couldn't have been her

because you didn't have
your phone on...

- Right.
- ...at the time.

So I'm just trying to figure out
who that is.

That's me yelling at Mr. Bowman.

So you're yelling at Mr. Bowman?

Yes, he prevented...

[Judge Judy] Shh.

Did you move his car
at any time after February 2021?

- Yes.
- What did you do that for?

Because it was sitting
in the middle of the parking lot.

It was not in a parking space.

Well, what were you doing
touching his car after you broke up?

[♪ dramatic music playing]

[announcer] Naomi Norris says

defendants Joseph Bowman
and Brooke Lathan

are responsible
for damaging her vehicle.

They are countersuing Naomi
for property damage and harassment.

[Judge Judy] Okay.
Do you have photographs of the car?

- [Naomi] Yes, ma'am.
- I'd like to see 'em.

Um, these are my photos at the...
that night and this is the insurance.

Um, adjusters.

How did she break
the windshield of your car?

With her hands.

Do you have an estimate
for the damage to the car?

You had insurance? You had a...

- Yes, ma'am.
- You had a deductible?

Uh, yes. And that is...

"I have a $2,500 deductible."

I got it. I got it.

Did you see her that evening?

- No.
- [Judge Judy] No.

This is all sort of figment
of her imagination.

The truth of the matter is,

nobody purposefully breaks
their windshield of their car.

'Cause that puts it
out of commission.

You have a counterclaim.

Ms. Norris, were you arrested
for possession

of Mr. Bowman's g*n?

Yes, ma'am.

How did you come
into possession of his g*n?

In referencing the case,
he has a restraining order,

a no-contact order from that case,

which means that he's not allowed
to have the g*n.

I found the g*n...

Where did you find it?

Inside the clippings bag
of his mother's lawnmower.

Just a second, what were you doing
looking at it there?

I was looking for it because he's not...

he has been ordered to return...or to...

You went to his mother's house?

Well, yes, I was there all the time.

- Like, I was still...
- Just a second.

I was still involved
with them being over there.

In what month did you find the g*n?

- What month?
- In April.

Well, you had broken up with him.

- Yes, but I was still...
- So what were you doing in that...

in his mother's house?

She was still allowing me
and my kids to come by, um...

Well, that's ridiculous.

And go...to go through
the lawn clipping bag...

Did you move his car
at any time after February 2021?

- Yes.
- Where did you move it from?

Uh, the middle of the parking lot
at a Walgreens.

It was not in a parking space,
it was in the parking lot.

And where did you move his car to?

Our storage unit.

What did you do that for?

Um, because it was sitting
in the middle of the parking lot.

It was not in a parking space.

- Just a second. Is that his car?
- Yes, ma'am.

Well, what were you doing touching
his car after you broke up?

I had told him
and informed him earlier that day

that I have been moving...

I moved his vehicle because it was
in the middle of the parking lot.

Yeah, you have to stay away from him.

Well, that is...that makes sense. Yes.

You have to stay away from him.

Did you file a restraining order
against him?

Not against him, no.

- Against whom?
- Uh, Ms. Lathan.

- Was it dismissed?
- Yes, it was.

Did you have a trial?

We did have a court date.
I was late, so...

So the answer is,

you filed for a restraining order
and didn't show up?

So it was dismissed for not...
your non-appearance.

Did you in fact take control
of his password

and lock him out
of his email accounts at any time?

It was the business account
that my name is attached to.

In what month did you lock him out
of the business account?

It was the end of, uh, February.

Did you advise him
that you were locking him out?

- Yes.
- Of his...

And then within a week,
he had all the information

to get back into that account.

- Okay.
- Can I say something real quick, too,

about all the other things
that we've been talking about?

You asked, like, why would
someone break someone's...

their own windshield?

Why would someone
steal someone's truck,

have it towed to a storage unit,

change the lock so he can't get it to it,

write all over the truck,
pee in his truck...

- Just a second. Did that happen?
- No.

- Ms. Norris?
- No.

- It did not?
- Not. No, it did not.

Did you...
did you in fact urinate in his truck?

- No, I did not.
- At the time?

Okay. Do you have any proof of that?

- Yes, we do.
- I'd like to see it.

Here's a receipt for my new seats.

- Okay.
- Um...

So you replaced the seats?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Ms. Norris?
You gotta get over it.

- Oh, I am.
- Do you understand?

- Oh, I am.
- You gotta get over it.

Have you had
any difficulty with her since?

- No, Your Honor.
- Ms. Norris...

I'm dismissing your claim on the car.

- And...
- I actually have physical proof of her...

these are her shoeprints on there.

I don't think so.

Because, um,
you're taking your own words.

You, after the breakup,

after he and Ms. Lathan were involved,

moved his truck without his permission,

and without notifying him at all,

and if you did at all until later...

- I did not...
- ...number one.

Number two,

you did purposefully,
you locked him out

of his own business
without forewarning him.

I'm using your words.

- Yes, I also, it's a partnership.
- Now I'm taking their word

for the fact then when you
in fact moved his truck

from one place to another,

you urinated on the seats of that car.

I'm taking their word for that.

- No, I did not...
- You moved his truck to harass him.

You cut him out of his own email,
business account,

to harass him.

According to you,

you serendipitously
wanted to speak to him.

He tried to ignore you.

You went purposefully to find his car,



Ms. Norris, what I'm saying to you is

I think that you took
the breakup very hard...

understandably, it was 10 years.

But your behavior from your own mouth,
suggests to me

that they wanted to be left alone,
and you couldn't leave them alone.

So I'm awarding them $2,500
on the account, your suit...

your petition is dismissed.

Thank you. We're done.

- Thank you, Your Honor.
- [Kevin] Court adjourned.

I was being accused of things I didn't do,
and I'm glad she saw the truth.

- I did not press criminal charges.
- All the drama stops.

I am not responding or acknowledging
those text messages. It's not my problem.

I'm just hoping that she calms down
now, realizes, like,

stuff's done and she needs to move on.

I have found peace and moved on,
and I will probably pursue

the rest of my legal bounds with this.

[Sarah] Sometimes after a few
of these cases,

I'm just at a loss for words.

Well, hell hath no fury
like a woman scorned.

- That's true.
- And sometimes women...

in my experience,
more often than men,

the ones that I've seen,
take these breakups really hard.

I mean, she had
a 10-year investment in this guy,

and then he meets somebody else.

Clearly, she wasn't ready to let it go

without at least leaving her imprint
on their behinds.

Sad. It's sad.

If it's over, it's over.
Just have to accept it.

Women have to stay smart.

[Sarah] True.

[announcer] Want justice?


[♪ theme music playing]