02x46 - Stop Scrolling!

[bunniefuu]

You're going through his phone,
you find he's making a date...

There is an argument...

'Cause I did not think that
we were ever going to break up...

[Judy]
The police were called...

and you told the police
that he didn't live there.

I think that you were really angry.

You have to stop being angry.

It's over.

[announcer]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Raheem Henry
is suing his ex-girlfriend,

Erica Christian,

for personal property and filing
a false restraining order.

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

Have a seat, everyone.

Case 2052,
Henry vs. Christian.

-[Judy] Thank you.
-[bailiff] You're welcome.

Mr. Henry, what you're doing
is suing the defendant

with whom you had a relationship
for a period of time

for the return of property that you had in
an apartment that you once shared

and for filing a false restraining order,
a false police report.

Yes, Your Honor.

[Judy] The defendant says that you
never lived with her,

that you damaged her front door,

and you filed a restraining order
against her that was false.

So, Miss Christian,
I think I'm going to start with you.

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
According to papers that were filed,

you and Mr. Henry did in fact
live together for a period of time.

-Up until...
-October 19th...

-[Judy] Shh!
-Sorry.

Up until October 9th of 1921...

-[Erica] Yes, Your Honor.
-...Of 2021. 1921. Ugh.

Oddly, almost the year of my birth.

[Erica laughing]

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] 2021. When he left.

-[Erica] Yeah. Without no...-
-[Judy] Just a second...

October of 2021.

Then the information that I have contained
in these papers

indicate that he sort of came begging back
and that was in February.

-[Erica] Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] Of 2022.

And you took him back.

-Yes, ma'am.
-And he was living with you.

You were living in the same apartment
from February of 2022

until what you say in your answer

is June of 2022

when for some reason you were looking
through his phone.

Now, you were looking through his phone
because he was acting weird or whatever.

-[Erica] Yes.
-That's June of 2022.

You understand where I am going,
Miss Christian, don't you?

Of course you do.

So from February of 2022.
February, March, April, May...

For four and a half months,

Mr. Henry and you
occupied the same residence.

-No, ma'am.
-[Judy] Your residence?

-No, ma'am.
- Well, that's what you say.

-[Erica] No, ma'am.
-Oh.

He lived in his own apartment
in Merritt Island.

-[Judy] Okay.
-When we got back together...

[Judy]
Here we go.

"On February 15th, 2022

he contacted me and we got back together.

He had his own place
and never lived with me again.

He would stay over occasionally and bring
a few things to make himself comfortable.

On June 21st,

I went through his phone
because he was acting weird."

Where was he when you went
through his phone?

[Erica]
He was asleep.

[Judy]
He was asleep... where?

In my bed.

Okay. In the apartment.

-Yes, where I...-
-[Judy] Okay, just...

-In the apartment?
-Yes, ma'am.

Of course "yes, ma'am."

"And I saw that he was setting up a date
with the mother of his child."

-[Erica] Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] "I got upset,

dropped off my son,

and then came back home
while he was packing.

He told me he was taking my couch,

TV, dresser, dining table,
and everything in my apartment."

So my next question to you is,
who paid for the couch?

-Me.
-[Judy] I'd like to see a receipt.

I don't have it.

-[Judy] Who paid for the couch?
-It was a couple of years ago...-

-[Judy] Shh...
-Sorry.

Um, my brother, Adonius Glover.

He's the one
that gave me the furniture.

[Judy]
Just a sec...

He gave me the couch,
the loveseat, the lamp,

you know, a few other things
listed on that document.

When did he give them to you?

He gave it to me before me and Miss
Christian moved into the first apartment.

[Judy]
So, let's go back.

Where was the first place
that you lived with the defendant?

Cocoa, Florida.

[Judy]
Okay. From when to when?

From 2020 October to February,
March 2021.

'Cause that is when her lease was up.

[Judy] Were you both on the lease
in that apartment?

No. I wasn't on that lease.

-Just you?
-Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] And that's the first place
that you lived together?

Yes.

And why did you leave
that place, Mr. Henry?

[Raheem]
She was relocating to Titusville.

I helped her move into it,
and I moved in as well.

-Does that sound familiar to you?
-[Erica] I...

Don't!
Be very careful what you say to me.

Because I...

When I say I read the papers and I have
my own preconceived ideas

of what this case is about, based upon


be very careful for what you say to me.

Yes, ma'am.

Great. Does that sound familiar to you?

No, ma'am. He is lying.

[Judy]
He is lying about what?

[Erica] Adonius did not give him that
furniture. The furniture was given to me.

-Never was given...-
-[Judy] Just a second!

So we're not talking
about the furniture now.

We're talking about when
you lived together.

Okay.

[Judy] You first lived someplace together
and then moved into another place.

-[Erica] Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] So that sounds familiar?

[Erica] Yeah.

Am I correct that this
is all about furniture?

-No.
-[Judy] Mr. Henry, value of property.

She's not paying for you for property,

for furniture that was given to you
that was secondhand.

You have to understand that.

If I find that it's your furniture,
you're going to go get it.

-Yes. That's what I was hoping.
-[Judy] Just a second.

-You're going to go get it.
-Yes.

If you can establish to me that
it's your furniture, you can keep it.

You're not a married couple.

I have a couple of issues with some things
that I think that you did,

because I actually think
that you were together

and he was packing his things,
but then the police were called.

And you told the police that he
didn't live there.

Isn't that right?

Yes.

-Because...
-[Judy] Just a second!

And that wasn't true.

[Erica]
It is true.

[Judy]
Tell me where he was living.

He was living in Merritt Island.

Whenever we broke up, in October.
From October to February, we broke up.

He reached out to me the day
after Valentine's Day. We started talking.

He was buying me gifts to try
to get back in my good graces.

He was doing all this extra stuff
to try to get back in my good graces.

We got back together.
He never did move back in with me.

He always did live in his apartment
in Merritt Island.

I work at 6:00 in the morning
till 12:00 pm.

Sometimes, whenever I didn't
have a babysitter...

he doesn't have a job...
he would watch my son.

That's why he had a key. That's why he had
a spend-the-night bag, and all of that.

He would bring over his cloths,
shoes, PlayStation...

Anything to make himself comfortable
to stay the night.

And whenever the police were called, they
made him collect all those belongings

and leave.

They escorted him off the property,
told him that he was not allowed back.

They told me, that I...-

Well, that's because if that's what
happened, that's because they believe you,

-which I don't.
-[Erica] Okay.

-They definitely...-
-[Judy] That's because

they believe you and I don't because if
he was trying to back in your graces...

and he was living in his own space

and you weren't back together again,

why in the world were you going
through his phone

if you were just a casual gal?

And a casual gal doesn't let
him stay with her son

because, "Well, he was available and he
wasn't working so he watched my son

and he stayed over."

That all sounds like a whole lot of
"Who shot John?"

And it was convenient for you to be able
to say he doesn't live here.

So all I want to know, Miss Christian,
is this case mostly about furniture.

Used furniture.

[Raheem]
I also have a TV there...

Do you have the receipt for it?

-Yes, I have a title.
-[Judy] I'd like to see it.

You have a TV in the house
that belongs to him?

So, the TV was...

Just a second!
That's either "yes" or "no."

No, the TV does not belong to him.

[Judy]
Who does it belong to?

The TV was a gift from him to me
that I ended up paying off

because he told me that when he bought it,
that it was bought "cash."

Whenever... months later,
I paid the TV off.

No, you didn't.

[Judy] Just a... Shh!

First you're gonna show me
that you paid it off.

I assume you have proof that
you paid it off?

I gave him cash for it because I did not
think we were ever going to break up.

Well, you never thought you were
going to break up?

I thought he didn't live with you.

Like...

[Judy]
Just, I thought he didn't live with you

You don't buy a TV for somebody
that you don't live with

that you're not gonna watch all the time.

I eventually thought we were going
to move into a house together, Your Honor.

[Raheem] Your Honor?

[Judy]
Oh, don't tell me what you thought...

The TV that was bought
was before I even...

Okay. That's a PlayStation, Nintendo...

That's property
that is still at the apartment.

[Judy] Okay. These are things that
you say are yours.

-Yes.
-[Judy] That you bought and paid for.

-Yes.
-Okay. All of these receipts?

All of it. No help...

Okay. So let's go beyond the point of...

Now you're back together again,
because that's what I believe.

He's in bed.
You're going through his phone.

You find he's making a date with
the mother of his child...

You get annoyed.

You take your son to another location,

because you know
that there's going to be an argument.

-You come back. There is an argument.
-[Raheem] Yes.

[Judy] He wants to take stuff...
Whatever.

Police are called.

You tell the police he doesn't live there,
they escort him out.

He wants his property now.

You're not married people.

Whoever paid for the property
or whoever was the recipient

of a gift for the property
owns the property.

That's simple.

You know, that's what the law is.

[theme music playing]

What you want me to believe,
that a police officer saw him

kick down you door,
go into your apartment,

take property, and did nothing.

That's what you want me to believe?

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Raheem Henry claims
his ex-girlfriend, Erica Christian,

owes for personal property.

Erica is countersuing for door damages
and stolen property.

Okay. He has a Nintendo,
a PlayStation Sony...

Your Honor, he collected those whenever...

[Judy] Just a second. A queen mattress
and foundation.

We have May of 2022...

This is a TV.
An LED TV.

-Yes.
-That was my birthday present.

[Judy] Nah.

What?

Okay. So I have titles to these things.

Do you have titles or receipts
for any of these things?

[Erica] I don't have receipts
for any of those things.

He grabbed his PlayStation, his Switch,
and everything whenever he left.

The only thing that is in my apartment is
the TV that he bought me for my birthday.

May is my birthday.
May 7th is my birthday.

That was the birthday present
that he bought for me.

Did you take your Nintendo?

-No. I haven't had, uh...
-Wow.

Recently, that was something different.
My storage unit was just broken into.

This is why I don't have
original documents.

And she stole more of my property...

[Judy] I don't know that.
Did you file a police report?

Yes. Yes, ma'am, I did.

[Judy] Okay.
Did they ever find any of the property?

No. Not right now.

Okay, the couch, whatever other
furniture is there, is how old?

I mean it used to be "used" furniture,
so it was...

Yeah. My brother Adonius got it.

When he paid for it,

it was like a,
kind of like a bundle deal

for the apartment,
like a lot of furnishing,

and I ended up giving him
some money for, you know, looking out.

-That was two, three years ago?
-[Raheem] Yeah.

[Judy]
And it was used furniture at the time?

Yeah, yeah. It was nothing
like brand-new out of the seal.

How much did you pay for the TV?

I got taxed on it. I was like at 15,
almost to $2,000.

'Cause it's a 60" smart TV.

Okay. So what is it that you want?

...is my question.

I want a court order to go get
the rest of my property. I have...

[Judy] What?

I have to know what the rest of your
property is. You have the TV...

The TV, I have asthma medication, I have...

[Judy] She doesn't...
I want to tell you something.

She threw out your asthma medication.

I believe so, too.

[Judy] Just, she threw out
your asthma medication.

-[Raheem] Yeah.
-What else?

[Raheem]
I have crutches, I have, uh...

[Judy]
You have what?

Crutches for... and certain things.
I have a PlayStation.

You don't, you don't need crutches.

And the PlayStation you said
was in the storage unit.

Yeah.

Well, I'm not interested in
the storage unit. So far I have a TV.

What else?

My mattress. My bed, my...

-[Judy] Yeah, you don't want that.
-The stuff that I had from the apartment.

-[Judy] You don't want a mattress.
-[laughs]

-Are you back with this lady now?
-[Raheem] No. No.

-[Judy] Where are you living?
-[Raheem] I've been living on the streets.

I've been living out of my car
ever since this has been happening.

[Judy]
Where are you going to put a mattress?

I have a storage unit.
I was going to just collect...

I'm pretty much just trying
to salvage what I can

because I have things
that are sentimental,

stuff from my grandmother passing away,

things that I really can't
put a price tag on.

I just wanna be able to get a court order
to get the rest of my belongings...

I don't know what the rest of...
I have a TV...

You have no place to put a mattress
that's a couple of years old.

So you really don't need that.

I mean, I can give you an order
to get your mattress,

but what are you gonna do with it?

Just gonna cost you to go get it
and to store it.

So you really don't need it.

I don't need it, but I would like
to still get all of my property back.

Like, stuff that I paid for because
I worked. I worked hard, I...

I'm giving you your TV back.
You're going to get the TV.

I haven't figured out what else it is

that you really want to make
this whole thing worthwhile.

I'm not giving you any money.

Do you want the mattress back?

You paid for it,
you're entitled to it back.

I can give you an order
for the mattress and the TV.

Okay. And I also have electronics,
like, um, from games,

the controllers, just...
so much things that, like...

TV! Mattress!

Box spring!

He's going to come and get it.
With a marshal.

But he's coming to get it
within five days of today.

So what if I pull up my bank statements
to show that I gave him cash

around the same time that whenever it was,
like, pulled up and everything?

Because I did give him cash for the TV,
for the bed, for...

Actually, more than he ever
even put into it...

[Judy] Let me explain something to you.
Unless you have a check made out to him,

I have a problem with somebody
who lies to the police.

-Ma'am, I...
-[Judy] I do.

I have trouble with somebody who got
very angry because her boyfriend,

who is living there, watching her son,

bought a TV, bought a mattress,
bought a box spring,

bought all of those things and then you
got annoyed that he was involved again

with his child's mother.

You dropped off your son someplace else
to come back

to have a fight with him.

You did have an argument with him.

Police were called.

You said to the police,
"He doesn't live here"!

You're Honor, he moved out.

"He doesn't live here."
That's what's here.

[Raheem]
Your Honor, I never moved out.

-[Erica] He moved out in October.
-We had a whole business together...

No, we do not. That business is in my name
and I have the receipts to that too.

[Judy]
I... You have to understand something.

I know what happened.
I don't believe you.

-Ma'am, I'm telling you the truth.
-[Judy] No, you're not.

You're not telling me the truth
that when the police came, you said,

-"He doesn't live here."
-[Erica] Yes.

"He doesn't live here.
Put him outside."

He took all of his belongings.

-[Judy] Did he take his...
-October...

Oh, no.

May I finish? He took all of his belongs
on October 9th.

Whenever he left. Without a call, without
a text message. Without anything.

He broke up with me and left.

He got back in contact with me
in February.

Mind you, we never lived together
after that.

He was just staying over to watch
your son when you got angry in June.

-Whenever, whenever we...
-[Judy] It was June!

It was June,
four and a half months later.

Which he would go back to his apartment.
He would come...

He never stayed more than
a couple nights consecutively.

Okay. He's coming to get his TV.

He's coming to get his mattress
and box spring.

-[Erica] Can we talk about...
-Do you have a counterclaim?

...my counterclaim?

You have a counterclaim for damage
to the front door.

-[Erica] Yes, ma'am.
-Okay?

-Damage to the front door.
-He kicked my front door down.

[Judy]
Okay. When did he do that?

Um, the day after he was police escorted,
they told him not to come back.

And the next day he came back

and kicked my door down,
right in front of the police officers.

So he came back with a police officer?

-And kicked my door down...
-[Judy] Just a second.

He came back with a police officer,
and the policer officer was there

when he broke into your apartment?

-Yes, and they were going to take him...
-[Judy] No, no.

Don't tell me what they were going to do.

And they did nothing?

Well, they trespassed him
from my apartment complex...

[Judy]
I'm asking you...

What you're telling me is, madam,

which is why I have problems with you
right from the get-go,

what you're telling me now is

he came back to get his property.

-The next day...
-He didn't come back...

With a...

With a police officer.

-Yes.
-[Judy] And what you're telling me,

a police officer in what?
You live in Florida?

-Yes.
-What you want me to believe,

that a police officer saw him
kick down your door,

go into your apartment,

take property, and did nothing.

That's what you want me to believe?

He didn't not do anything.

He was completely confused
on who actually lived...

[Judy] Don't tell me... You're telling me
a police officer was confused.

I'm telling you the truth! They were
very confused on who actually lived there.

-The police officer was my escort.
-Just a second.

He was, they were trying to figure out
if it was my apartment, his apartment...

I had to go get my property manager, bring
my lease that only had my name on it...

[Judy]
You don't understand.

The last place you lived with him
full-time, your name was on the lease too.

Only yours.

-Correct.
-[Judy] And you lived together.

So now you took a lease,
again just in your name,

and said, "He's not on the lease,
he doesn't live here."

-We broke up, though. And he...
-[Judy] Okay. All right.

He's coming to get his TV.
He's coming to get his mattress...

-Miss?
-[Erica] Okay.

I would like to see a police report.
I would like to see...

[Raheem]
I also have an iPad...

-Don't. Just a second.
-Okay.

You're done. You're going to get your TV,
your mattress, and your box spring.

[theme music playing]

Unless you have some sort
of a police report for me,

I don't believe you.

I think that you were really angry

and you were dishonest with the police

and you felt that you were being
taken advantage of.

[theme music playing]

[Announcer] Raheem Henry has accused
his ex-girlfriend, Erica Christian,

of keeping his personal property.

Erica claims he broke through her door

and stole her belongings.

[Judy] Now...

[Erica]
Yes, ma'am.

I have, um, my Chromebook,
my iPad, my office supplies...

Things that were stolen from my company
that whenever

he kicked my door down and took things
out of my apartment that day.

[Judy] Okay.
Now let's get to the company.

What kind of work
were you involved with

when you and the defendant
lived together, Mr. Henry?

I did all the graphic design.
I made the business cards...

Just a second.
Were you involved in graphic design?

Yes, I actually went...

[Judy]
Just a second.

-Together?
-No. It was mainly me.

[Judy] And you did this over a computer?
Over a laptop?

Over a tablet. Over, um, my iPad.

So the business supplies
that she is going to tell me about

-were for the graphic design business?
-Ah, yes.

Some of the supplies,
but I never stole anything.

Ah, I just had an iPad that I worked on
and I did graphic design on that was mine.

I gave her cash for it. She found it on
Amazon for me for a good deal.

I was able to draw on it.
She's never had access to it.

It has always been
my Apple ID on it.

Where is it?

[Raheem]
I don't know.

The day when I got... when I got escorted
out, she came out of the apartment.

I was going in to get the rest of
my belongings and she was saying,

"I can't find my iPad. You have it."

And right then and there, I knew
she found it and she took it and hid it.

So the officer let me go inside
to get my belongings.

I looked in the closet
where I had it wrapped up. Gone.

I walked outside and was like,
"Erica, where is my iPad?

I paid for that. I do work on that.
That's mine."

She said, "I don't know. It's gone.
You must have it."

Had this whole sob story about it.
So still to this day, I have no idea.

Okay. What else?

[Erica] My iPad that he stole the day
that he broke into my apartment,

my Chromebook that he stole
the day that he broke in...

[Judy]
Your what?

-My Chromebook. My laptop.
-[Judy] What else?

I have my printer that he stole.

It's all right here. Six hundred and...
Do you want me to just pass it to you?

-Did you take a printer?
-[Raheem] I was...

Shut up!

I'm so sorry.

I wasn't able to leave with anything
because they made me

have to go through a civil suit
because she started claiming stuff

and saying it was hers
and it wasn't mine.

So the officer didn't even let me
go back inside the apartment.

[Judy] I want to know...
I want to know,

when you went in, in the presence
of a police officer, whether you

pushed down the door,
kicked down the door, or not.

Unless I have a police report, I don't
actually believe that the police...

-He was my escort. I actually met him.
-[Judy] Just a second.

Did you take any electronics
with you when you left?

I didn't leave with anything.

Okay! Don't give me
a whole bunch of papers!

What I would like to see
is a police report.

Or any other documentation
that he took anything the day after

you had him evicted from the apartment
where he was living.

-She didn't even have me evicted...
-[Judy] Shh!

I have the receipts
of the stuff that he stole.

He said he didn't take anything.

He said the police officer who was there
wouldn't let him take a printer.

I mean, those are heavy electronics.

And that was the only other time
he was in the apartment.

-He also checked my car...
-[Judy] Shh!

No, he didn't.

Unless you have some sort
of a police report for me,

Miss Christian, I don't believe you.

I think that you were really angry.

I think that you were really angry
because he left in October.

You took him back in February.

You found out that he was not being
straight upfront with you.

And you were dishonest with the police,
which is all part of being angry,

and felt that you were being
taken advantage of.

According to you,
you were together so much so

that he bought you a television set
a month before you threw him out,

for your birthday,
that cost thousands of dollars.

That's what you just told me.

Ma'am, he bought that TV in February
for me for an early birthday present.

He bought it as an early birthday present.

-Oh, my...
-[Judy] He's coming to get...

Listen to me.
He's coming to get his TV.

He's coming to get his box spring.
He's coming to get his mattress.

It's a court order.

It's a court order with a marshal,
in five days from today.

-Do you understand?
-Yes.

-[Erica] I also have my countersuit.
-Five days from today.

Yeah.

The false police report,
the false injunction...

Everything that he did...

[Judy]
I have to tell you something.

The same way that I'm not entertaining,
because it's over,

this fib that you told to the police
which caused him to be...

-[Erica] Excuse me, Your Honor...
-Don't interrupt me.

I'm not entertaining. You filed
restraining orders against each other?

-She filed...
-[Judy] Just a second!

You filed restraining orders
against each other. Is that right?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] Do you have a restraining order
against her?

Yes, but it was dismissed.

I said, do you have one currently?
The answer is "no."

No.

[Judy] Do you have a restraining order
against him?

-No, ma'am.
-[Judy] Ah, good!

It's exactly what I thought.
Because neither one of you...

You have to say "goodbye."
You have to stop being angry.

But you have to give him back
his property.

-I only wanted the restraining order...
-TV, mattress, box spring.

Five days from today.

Your counterclaim is dismissed.

We're finished with this case.
Thank you very much.

[bailiff]
This court is adjourned.

I think that it was unfair.

I'm pretty much just happy
it's all over.

Broke up with me without even
a text message, a phone call, nothing.

She just took it and ran with it

and she decided she was going
to take matters into her own hands

and be spiteful.

Very single.
No more relationships for a while.

It's definitely time to move forward
and move past it.

A good one is out there,
but I have not found him yet.

It's just nice that at least it's over.
It's a weight lifted off my shoulders.

I sort of felt sorry for him.

-He probably deserved some of it.
-[agreeing chuckle]

But you can't lie to the police.

I think she was being vindictive
by saying, "He doesn't live here.

He doesn't live here."

Sorta kinda lives here,
if you're being truthful.

But it's always a good idea to have
your name on the lease if you can

because that's all the officer has
to look at in a squabble

-like what happened between them.
-Yeah. It's like...

It's almost between a rock
and hard place.

-Yeah.
-If your name is not on the lease,

-you're not responsible for the rent.
-Yep.

And I've usually suggested that
when you're living together,

you don't have both people's name
on the lease.

Because,
in the event that you separate,

who's gonna stay in the apartment?

And if you're the one who leaves,
your former partner may say to you,

"Don't worry, you leave.
I'll take over the rent."

-But if they don't...
-You're still responsible.

Your still on the hook
with the landlord.

-So...
-There's pros and cons to both.

-To both. But it's an exit strategy.
-Yeah.

And people have to be smart enough.

You see, he had an exit strategy.
His name wasn't on the lease.

-Yeah.
-But then, he needed it...

-Got caught.
-But I think she was being dishonest.

And I think his brother did in fact
give him some old furniture.

Who care about that?
It's from decades ago.

If you only stay a few nights,
you're not bringing your furniture.

Your couch, your TV, yeah.
Anyway...

They just have to get over it and move on.

-Put a period. Move on,
-Now we put a period.

Now he has his TV,
and he has his mattress...

if he wants it.

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