01x27 - Car Title Takeover/Vegas Drinking Binge

[bunniefuu]

-Were you living together?
-Yes.

I had left the situation

because I had found out
that she was cheating on me.

So then, I'm screaming at him,

and then he goes outside
and calls the cops

because he said that he was
"threatened for his life."

Grow up. Grow up.

[Narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[dramatic music]

Austin Nelson is suing his ex-girlfriend,

Rebecca Westrum for the cost of a car.

[Kevin] Court, come to order.
All rise.

Be seated, please.

[Kevin] Hello, Judge.

Case 10-29,
Nelson versus Westrum.

-Thank you, Kevin.
-You're welcome.

Mr. Nelson, how long
were you and Miss Westrum

involved in a dating relationship?

Let's say,
about three years on and off.

Did you ever live together?

Uh, yes, at one point.
We did at two occasions.

The last time that you were
involved with each other,

were you living together?

-[Austin] Yes.
-[Judy] And where was that?

That was at her mom's house.

So, you were living
at her mother's house?

Correct.

And from when to when were
you living at her mother's house?

I would say roughly
about October-ish to...

it'd be, uh, let's say, April.

October of 2020?

-[Austin] Yes.
-[Judy] To April of 2021?

-Correct.
-Were you working?

Uh, off and on.

Were you paying her mother any rent?

I was, between me and Rebecca.

How much were you paying?

[Austin] I'd pay 200.

-[Judy] A month?
-Yes.

And was Rebecca paying rent?

-Yes.
-[Judy] Did you pay rent every month?

I tried to, yes.

[Judy] "Tried to" is not an answer.

I, uh, did as best as I could.

And if I couldn't make it,
I talked to Rebecca

and seeing that if she's...

So, the answer is,
you didn't pay her every month?

-Correct.
-[Judy] That's easy.

Rebecca had an old car
that you drove around in.

Her mom got her another car.

And according to the complaint
that you filed,

when the two of you broke up,
you left her mother's house.

You didn't expect her to leave
her mother's house, so you left.

And on what date in April
did that happen?

That'd be the 8th.

-[Judy] Eighth?
-Yes.

And that's, I sort of,
from reading between the lines

in this complaint,
I gathered that there was

some heated discussion
about you taking the car with you.

Correct.

I want you to tell me about that.

I have, uh, a signed title stating...

No, no, no,
you're leaving the house.

And it's not a harmonious breakup.

It's an, sort of an acrimonious breakup.

She has a car that's in her name.

She told you to go,
or you said, "I'm going."

You wanted to take the car.

She didn't want you to take the car.

So far, does that sound right to you?

No, Your Honor.

Then you tell me
what happened with the car

when you were leaving?

I had left the situation

because I had found out
that she was cheating on me.

And?

And I had asked her to sign the title
because she had told me

that she was going to
give it to me anyway.

-I just didn't...
-Okay.

So when she told you
she was going to give it to you...

-was that before you separated in April?
-Yes.

Did she ever give it to you?

I was driving it, uh, through the title.

No, no. Well, you were driving it.

You were driving her car.
So, when you were together,

she said, "I'll give you the car."

Yes, Your Honor.

Did you ever take any action on that?

Like transferring it to your name,

getting the title, getting insurance,
anything else?

I could not, due to COVID.

I just had, in our town, we just
had an outside window open.

So, therefore, after the breakup,

I could not get the title into my name.

[Judy] Just a second.
Did you get insurance on the car?

I, uh, to be honest, I thought there
was insurance still on the vehicle.

Well, then it wasn't your insurance.

So, what did you do?
You just drove it?

I asked you, I'm going back.
You're leaving the house.

You wanted to take the car.
If she gave you the car,

there wouldn't have been an issue,

but it is my understanding
that the police were called.

Yes, Your Honor.

Well, so if the police were called,
someone wasn't happy.

Who called the police?

I did, Your Honor.

And when you called the police,
what was your complaint?

That I needed help,
assistance for removing...

-[Judy] For what?
-My stuff out of the house.

-Your stuff, or the car?
-The stuff.

-So, did you get the stuff?
-Yes.

And what happened with the car
when the police were there?

Well, I had the signed title, and they...

No, no, no.
When had she signed the title?

That same day.

When the police were there?

Before the police had arrived.

Explain it to me.

I had grabbed it out of the drawer,
asked her to sign it.

[Judy] Just a second.
Just a second.

-When you were arguing...?
-Yes.

You grabbed the title
out of what drawer?

The bottom drawer in her room.

Okay. And why did you
grab the title out?

Because she had sworn
that it was my car.

She had sworn.
Tell me how she's...?

Is this yours?

No.

How are you related to him?

I am just a friend.

So, you grabbed the title
out of the drawer and...?

I asked her to politely sign it.

She signed it.

No. How did you ask her polite...?

You grabbed it
out of the drawer and said...?

Can you please sign this?

I'm leaving. I'm done.

-That is not what you said.
-[Judy] Shhh.

[bangs on table]

So, what you said to her is,
would you please sign it?

This? I'm leaving. I'm done.

-Yes, Your Honor.
-[Judy] And she got a pen and signed it.

I had already had the pen.

So, you had a pen.

-You gave it to her, and she signed it.
-Yes, Your Honor.

Stop right there.

He's leaving.

Tell me how the title
got signed over to him?

So, I was sleeping for work

the day that he wanted to leave.

Him saying that I cheated on him

was not accurate, whatsoever.

He went through my phone,
and I was texting my friends,

and me and my friends,
we always joke around,

texting each other the way we did.

You don't have to
explain yourself to me.

[laughs] And, um,
he got really angry with me

while I was sleeping.

So, he ripped my blanket off of me,

flipped me over
and was yelling at me saying,

"Sign the... title, sign the title."

And then he smacked the pillow

when I told him
I was not going to sign the title.

So, I signed the title

just because I didn't want
anything bad to happen to me.

And then what happened?

So then, I'm screaming at him.
He's screaming at me.

And then he goes outside
and calls the cops

because he said that he was
"threatened for his life"

when it was just me in the house.

Can I see the police report
that looks like a police report?

Uh, I don't have the police report.

Does anybody have a police report?

I have a police report
of her stating when...

[Judy] I'd like to take a look.

-...she showed up to my house.
-No, no, no, chup.

Does anybody have a police
report for April 8th?

-No.
-No. Okay.

Now, now you have the car
on April 8th,

and you have a title,
and you're driving around

in the car that you believe is yours?

Yes, Your Honor.

When did you finally
get stopped at this park

that you got stopped in,
according to you?

-That would be...
-What month?

It would've been last month, July.

That's about three months later.

-Yes.
-[Judy] Did you have insurance?

No, not that I knew.

Oh, I guess no,
because the officer told me

that there was no insurance on the car.

I have the police report
from the day that he got pulled over.

What date was that?

It would have been


-One o' six?
-[Rebecca] Mm-mm.

May I see it, please?

So, they stopped you
for not having the seatbelt on?

No, they stopped me because I was
in park curfew to pass, uh...

Hold on. So, not only
didn't you have insurance,

but you didn't have
a valid driver's license.

-Uh-uh.
-[Judy] Uh...

[clears throat]
So, I'm from Wisconsin.

So, I have a Wisconsin ID.

The officer had told me that the I'd...

Don't tell me what the officer told you.

I read the police report.

It said that you had a suspended
driver's license.

-No.
-Okay. Here we go.

-[Austin] It's-it's, it's a...
-Here we go.

It's not-it's not suspended.
It is, um...

-Revoked?
-No, um...

[laughter]

-What?
-Yes, expired.

"A revoked driving status"
is what it says here.

Yeah, but that's not true.

It's not true. It's a lie.

The DVS results showed Austin

has a suspended driver's license,

and eligible for a license.

But you advised the police
immediately when you stopped

that you didn't have
insurance on the car.

No. I said I wasn't too sure,
and I pulled up the phone...

No, you said you didn't have insurance.

And you managed to get insurance
on the car at the scene

through Progressive on a telephone call.

You called somebody to come
and pick you up

because you didn't have
a valid driver's license,

and that the officer
wasn't going to let you leave

in the car driving.
That sound right?

Yes, Your Honor.

Why would you come here
and make a fool of yourself?

[dramatic music]

Why would you need to transfer
a title when you can't drive it?

I could have used it for other...

other people could have used it.
They could have insured it.

[laughs] You're an idiot.

[Narrator] Later...

All I want to know is
what you said to her about

"I'm making good on the 50 dollars
by buying drinks and food?"

I'm going to get you a few drinks,

and then I bought lunch for everyone.

Who cares?

[dramatic music]

[Narrator] Austin Nelson
claims his ex-girlfriend,

Rebecca Westrum owes him
for the value of his car.

Rebecca is countersuing,

claiming Austin needs
to pay for the car or return it to her.

Okay. Why would you come here
and make a fool of yourself?

[laughter]

For what reason?

Trying to fight for what's right.

Nah, you can't come here
driving around in a car, sir,

when you don't have
a driver's license,

and you knew
the car was uninsured.

And knowing that,
and knowing that you didn't

transfer a title, whether...

I don't even have to get to the point

whether she'd signed it
because you were angry with her,

and she was afraid not to sign it.

Clearly, there was a disagreement

that might require
the police to be called.

But you can't come to a court
with dirty hands and say,

now I want you to help me
get my car back.

Well, the value of it was a... 500 dollar,
she said you were supposed to give her


and you never did.

-No.
-That's what her counter claim is.

-There was no agreement.
-Where is the car now?

-Where is the car now?
-It is at my house.

Okay, she's gonna come and pick it up.

Well, thing is, okay, so,

for her, for, okay,
so I did try to get the title signed.

She gave me 24 hours when the cops
did come to my house the first time.

Therefore, I did not have 24 hours.

She had went to go get a duplicate title.

[overlapping conversation]

-She has to...
-She's getting the car back.

She's getting the car back.
You did nothing for this car, nothing.

The only thing that you did
was drive around in it

without a driver's license,
and no insurance.

And you hadn't had
the car transferred to your name,

if you in fact thought that you had
a valid transfer, for three months.

And if you had gotten into an accident,

I don't know whether your mother
owns her home or rents it.

She rents it.

-I rent it.
-[Judy] You rent it.

Do you have a car?

I do.

They could have taken her car away.

They could have garnished her salary,

her mother's salary if they're employed,
all of those things,

because you didn't get her car insured.

They were still responsible.
She was still responsible.

You can't do that. Grow up!

How am I supposed
to get a title tran...?

How are you supposed
to drive without a license?

I-I don't have to
drive the car to have...

[Judy] You were driving the car.

-I understand that.
-You were driving the car.

But, therefore, like you asked me
if I got the title transferred.

I couldn't get the title transferred.

[Judy] Just a second.

Why would you need to transfer a title

when you can't drive it?

I could have used it for other...

other people could have used it.
They could have insured it.

[laughs] You're an idiot.

-[laughs]
-[Judy] You have five days...

you have five days to get the car.

Get a marshal and get the car.
We're done.

-[Rebecca] Thank you.
-Thank you very much.

[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

[dramatic music]

I agree with her saying
that he's a moron. [laughs]

I have no-no speech.

Because he's controlling,
and he has nothing better

with his life to do than control people.

That I can proceed to have the car.

-Kick him to the curb.
-No future.

I'm ready to be done with it.
I want to go home. [chuckles]

[Sarah] I think that case
perfectly demonstrated

one of the first things
I learned in law school,

which is the doctrine of clean hands.

And you can't come to court
and expect the court

to help you or rule in your favor

when you're not doing the right thing.

So, I think that just showed
that plaintiff,

surprisingly enough,
that you can't come in

and do the wrong thing,
and expect the court to help you.

Yeah. I think, Sarah,
I love, that was also

one of the first things
that I learned in law school,

the doctrine of clean hands.

And it was so blatant

that so many of the litigants that I see

don't think that driving
without a driver's license

or without insurance
is serious business.

And it is serious business.

There's a lot at stake
when you drive without a license.

-Yeah.
-Or a suspended license.

And a lot at stake
if you drive without insurance.

-We went to the same law school.
- [chuckles]

-Good lesson of the day.
-Yeah.

Case 10-42.
Edward versus Valdez.

All parties, please step forward.

[Narrator] Denise Edwards
is suing her former friend,

Veronica Valdez, for travel costs
from a trip to Las Vegas.

Oh, my goodness.

Let's make this as quick
and painless as possible.

You and Miss Valdez
met through someone

who was living
in your sober living facility?

Associated to the facility,
not living there.

[Judy] And became friends.

Decided to take a weekend
in Las Vegas.

The idea was that each of you
was going to pay 400 dollars,

which was the cost of hotel
and transportation.

Part of your complaint
is that Miss Valdez

only gave you 350 dollars
instead of the 400 dollars.

She said she'd give you
the rest later, and she didn't.

So this is a 50-dollar claim.

Miss Valdez says that she bought


-And food.
-[Judy] And food.

Well, so I'm going to kick it
right over to you.

Since we acknowledge
that it was 400 dollars,

that you were 50 dollars shy,
and I want you to tell me

when the conversation took place
when you were in Vegas

that said, "I'm going to pay
for the food and the drinks

instead of giving you
the 50 dollars that I owe you."

It was done during like, I guess,
underneath the casino and...

Tell me about the conversation,

which, I'm going to tell you
right now, I'm skeptical about.

So, I want you to tell me...
[scoffs] ...your version of it,

and be fast because I went to...

Okay, so I cashed after...

[Judy] ...eight years of postgraduate
school to do this case.

Sure. So, uh... um,
I sent her Cash App 150.

-[Judy] No, just a second.
-At the bottom of the...

-[Judy] Just a second.
-...note.

I said I owe her 50 dollars left.

And I do have receipt of...

All I want to know is
when the conversation,

what you said to her
and what she said to you about

making good on the 50 dollars
by buying drinks and food.

-Sure.
-[Judy] I want you to tell me...

...that I'm going to believe it.

Okay, so it was taking place
in the casino,

and we spoke over the drinks.

-Spoke over drinks.
-[Veronica] Yes.

You were sitting
and having drinks with her.

-[Veronica] Right.
-And you said to her...?

I'm gonna gra... I'm going to
get you a few drinks, like two or four.

No, like two, because
they're really expensive.

-And then I bought lunch for everybody.
-And then?

-I bought lunch for everyone.
-Who cares?

[Veronica] Well, I mean,
that-that consolidates the 50.

No, I want to know
when she consented to that

-consolidating the 50?
-[Veronica] During that time.

Well, what did she say to you?

She said, "Sure."

-Did that ever take place?
-No, ma'am.

[Judy] No. Of course not.
You owe her 50 dollars.

Now we're going to get
to the next part of your complaint.

-[smiles] Oh, my God.
-[Judy] All right. It's ridiculous.

The next part of your complaint
is that the defendant

got so drunk at the airport,
going home, that she passed out

and had to be taken out
by paramedics at the airport,

causing you to miss your plane,

causing you
to have to buy another ticket.

-Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] That's right.

How many people were with you,
coming home?

Together was just the three of us.

Well, the three of you. That's you.

Did you stay on with her
at the hospital?

No.

Well, somebody stayed on
with her at the hospital.

-No.
-They wouldn't allow me...

-...to go to the hospital.
-Not you.

Did somebody stay with you?

Yes, a friend, a local friend.

Well, if they wouldn't
allow you to go to the hospital,

why did you miss your flight?

They wouldn't allow me to leave her
until paramedics arrived.

-That's a lie, Your Honor.
-[Judy] Oh, just a second.

I don't know that.
What time was your flight in Vegas?

Uh, we were leaving at six a.m.

And what time did you get there?

Approximately four a.m.

And what time were you taken
to the hospital?

Do you know?
Do you have the report?

Um, no, I do not know
the approximate time.

-Okay, say I do not know.
-[Veronica] I do not know.

You do not know when
you were taken to the hospital

for overuse of
prescription drugs and alcohol.

-Correct.
-[Judy] Okay.

What time
was an ambulance called?

I believe it was approximately an hour
before we were boarding.

Okay. And did you have
a non-refundable ticket?

Yes, ma'am.

How much was the ticket
that was non-refundable?

Well, I had a voucher
that was applied to me

for medical purposes after the fact,

and it was 65 dollars,


That was refund, well,
vouchered to me.

Okay. So, you did present
evidence to someone

that this was a medical emergency
and you had to remain.

The airline was, uh, notified me

that they had already documented
that it was medical,

and that hopefully the airline
would assist me, and get back.

And did they?

-[Denise] Yes, ma'am.
-They did.

So, how much money were you out?

Um, the ticket
that I actually had to purchase

because I had to be home the same day,

the airline we were flying on
did not have a flight available

for another three days.

So, in order to get home
the same day,

I actually had to purchase another ticket

in the amount of 289 dollars.

-You have a receipt for that?
-Yes, ma'am.

Here it is.

Thank you.

Okay. Well, that's 339 dollars.

Yes, ma'am.

Miss Valdez, when you
passed out at the airport,

the person who you said was
at the hospital was a local friend,

that local friend was with you.

-Is that right?
-Right.

So, if they had caught their flight,

you would have been left alone

on the floor in the airport, alone.

Do you understand?

If one of my kids
passed out at an airport

because they were drunk,
and I had to miss my flight,

I would stay with them.

But I would be furious.

[dramatic music]

[Narrator] Denise Edwards
says her former friend,

Veronica Valdez,
is responsible for travel costs

from their trip to Las Vegas.

Veronica is countersuing,

claiming Denise
stole money from her purse.

Okay, if they had caught their flight,

you would have been
left alone on the floor

in the airport, alone.

Do you understand?

-I do.
-[Judy] Do you? Okay.

Um, may I also add something?

-Yes.
-Okay.

Your Honor, Dicky had called me.

She was the first one prior to Denise,

and she told me that her and Denise

had an argument
about leaving me, um,

because Denise was,
uh, hell-bent on leaving me

because I'm a grown woman
and I shouldn't have...

-[Veronica clears throat]
-I'm sure, I'm sure.

-[Veronica] ...grieving my mom.
-I'm... just a second.

I'm sure that they were annoyed.

-[Veronica] Right.
-I want to tell you something.

If one of my kids
passed out at an airport

because they were drunk,
and I had to miss my flight,

I would stay with them.
But I would be furious.

Sure. I was also...

-[Judy] And if they...
-...grieving my mother, so, um...

-Listen, listen.
-...I was going through a lot.

I have to... I have to tell you
something about grieving of which,

I'm at an age where
I know a lot about grieving

and young parents who go.

There was a young man,
when I was in the family court,

who was 14, 15 years old.

And the excuse that he gave me
for selling cocaine,

or maybe it was heroin...
his lawyer gave me...

the kid had a long rap sheet,

but I remember his lawyer
saying to me

he sold the cocaine or heroin

because his grandmother died.

And I'm going to say to you
what I said to this lawyer,

I said, you know,
I lost all of my grandparents,

and I was very close to some of them.

I also lost my mother at a young age.

And I went through a grieving process.

One of the things that I...
was farthest from my mind

was selling cocaine or heroin.
[laughs]

[laughter]

That's not a reason to get blotto drunk

so that paramedics
have to waste their time

when they could be dealing
with somebody

who was having a heart attack
or a stroke,

or a g*nsh*t wound,

or something to come
and take you from the airport.

That is not something I'm proud of.

And, uh, kiddo,
and you're a grown woman.

-Right.
-So, the right thing to do

is because you caused her
to miss her flight

for which even though
she may have been annoyed

that you were kind of
overindulging on this vacation.

By the way, you don't get credited
for your vacation that got spoilt.

That was, next time don't invite her.

But I think it is responsible of you

to take care of her airline ticket.

Judgment for the plaintiff
in the amount of



Now, you have a counterclaim.

Your counterclaim, Miss Valdez,
is that you believe

that the plaintiff stole
your purse that had money in it.

Right.

Do you have any proof
she stole your purse?

Actually, when Nikki first called me,

um, her witness...

-[Judy] Just a second.
-[Veronica] Sh-she told me that...

No, when Nikki... That's you?

[Veronica] No, her witness.

She's the only one
that called me when I was,

um, when I came to,
and made sure I was okay,

and everything like that.

And she told me that right
before I boarded the plane,

I had all my things with me
including my purse,

which had my cash in it,

and that Denise was
going through my things,

looking at my medications,
looking at my-my-my money.

And here's the picture
that Denise herself took of me.

Um, as you can see,
my little satchel,

or what you call...
can call is there with me.

And this is right before
I got admitted to the h*...

to the ambulance.

And I also have a witness
on standby as phone.

She couldn't attend due to COVID,

but she also saw Denise
with my purse.

And, uh, while she was picking up
the rest of my belongings

as I was heading
into the ambulance, so...

Did you take her purse?

Uh, the purse was left behind with me
with all the rest of her belongings.

I did have to open it
to give the ambulance

the medication that she was taking
and her driver's license.

No, Nikki wasn't there at that time.

-I'm sorry about that.
-Just a second.

Did you take her purse,
is my question.

No, ma'am. It was left with her
luggage when I le... handed it off.

Fine. Did you see her take her purse?

No.

She went through it
and gave the paramedics something.

So, Miss Valdez, you don't have
any proof that she took your purse.

I have a witness.

I'm ready to hear the witness.

Via phone.

I'm not ready to hear a witness via phone.

[sighs] Well, she
couldn't make it due to COVID.

-[Judy] Well, that's...
-May I add one thing?

That is-that is not my problem.

Uh, just on the... on the trip
that we took originally,

the only reason that I was
asking for the 400 dollars

for my trip is because
I actually work with addicts,

and to be put into
a situation with an addict

when my purpose
was to get away from addicts,

I kind of felt as though I...

-[Judy] I don't care.
-...was cheated out of...

Your feelings are
not quite relevant to me.

You know, you can go see
Dr. Phil for feelings.

Here, we deal with other things.
Three hundred and thirty-nine dollars.

Judgment for the plaintiff.
We're finished. Thank you.

[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

[dramatic music]

I guess it is what it is.
I'm just glad that this is over.

I'm just glad that it's over.
I feel like justice was served.

She's a bad spirit,
and she's just attention-seeking.

Actually, on our second day there,

we had an issue where we were
almost removed from the hotel.

And so, there was
some evidence of that early on.

I did overindulge.

I did overindulge,
and I'm not making an excuse for it,

but I was going through
a grieving process.

And it was my first grieving thing ever.

Because I've gotten used to it,
I have to separate myself from my feelings

versus the necessity
for somebody to get help.

Because she was the
last person to be seen with it.

Not when it comes from an addict.

She obviously didn't want to go to
regular court or anything

because of whatever reason it is.

For her to get the help that she needs.

[Sarah] If that defendant had
a six a.m. flight from Vegas,

it sounds like it was
one of those marathon nights

where you go from drinking

straight to the airport. [laughs]

That's it.

Which is not advisable for anyone,

let alone someone
taking prescription medication.

You're right. Unfortunate...

and probably
very embarrassing for her.

The whole thing just seems
so unseemly to me.

I think she was entitled
to the airline ticket.

She had a responsibility to stay.

And she did, even though
she probably did it begrudgingly.

Anyway, you're right, it was
probably a marathon evening.

[dramatic music]

[Narrator]
Have you been cheated?



[dramatic music]

[music ends]