01x18 - Co-Parenting Nightmare

[bunniefuu]

He was your boyfriend?

Yes.

You had a fight?

She had taken out a knife.

It was just hell.

And you were in fact arrested.

Um...

[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[dramatic music]

Twenty-year old
Jasmine Muhammad-Bishop

and her mother
Treisa Muhammad

are suing Jasmine's
ex-boyfriend,

Angel Casteneda,

for Jasmine's belongings
and attorney fees.

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

Have a seat, please.

Hello, Judge. Case 1047,

Muhammad-Bishop Muhammad
versus Casteneda.

-Thank you.
-You're welcome.

He was your boyfriend?

Yes, ma'am.

-[Judy] This is your mother?
-Yes.

[Judy] Two of you
have a child together?

[Jasmine] Yes.

[Judy] How old is that child?

He's currently 21 months.

[Judy] You lived together
for a while?

Yes.

[Judy] In his apartment?

Yes.

How long did you live
together in his apartment?

For about 19 days.

[Judy] Prior to that,
where did you live?

Um, in my mother's home.

[Judy] With him?

-[Jasmine] Yes.
-[Judy] And the baby?

[Jasmine] Yes.

[Judy] This is what
the case is about.

Then I'll get into the facts
that support your allegations.

You had a fight?

-Yes.
-[Judy] You left the house,

you say, to cool off.

That fight ended in you
ultimately separating,

and you going back
to your mother's house?

-Yes.
-[Judy] According to you,

when you left,
the baby remained with him?

-[Jasmine] Yes.
-[Judy] How old was the baby

at that time?

He was seven months.

[Judy] And in what month
was that, and year?

Uh, June of 2020.

Well, we're now a year later,

and it looks to me as if you're
about to have another baby.

[smiles] Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] And who's the father
of that baby?

Um, Anthony.

[Judy] Do you live with him?

Uh, no.

Who do you live with?

I still reside
at my mother's home.

[Judy] Do you see Anthony?

Yes.

How often?

Often, like maybe on
a weekly basis, not every day.

[Judy] Does he have
other children?

-No.
-[Judy] Do you work?

[Jasmine] Yes, ma'am.

-For whom?
-Children's Choice,

I'm a dental assistant.

How do you divide custody

between you and the defendant,
of your son?

We have a custody order by...

order by the court,
um, joint custody

and his main residency
is with me.

[Judy] Is that what
the order says?

Correct.

The order says that physical
custody is with his mom,

even though it was with me
in the beginning.

How often do you see him?

I get him Wednesday
ten to five,

and then Saturday
through Monday.

He leaves
Monday eight a.m.

I get him early Saturday at ten.

So, I get him about
three or four times a week.

Try to balance it out
as much as I can.

Do you exercise that time?

Yes.

[Judy] Is that correct?

No, he does not get him
as he's supposed to.

When was this order made?

It was made in August of 2020.

[Judy]
And when does he take him?

Whenever his schedule
approves or... it's up to him.

You mean,
because his work schedule.

Um, he says
sometimes it's his schedule

or he's got other things
that he has to do.

What I'm asking you is,

does he see him
from Saturday to Monday?

-Yes.
-[Judy] All right.

So, he sees him from
Saturday through Monday.

Monday, he brings him home to you.

Mm-mm. We meet at a,
um, a location.

We have an agreeable location
at Starbucks, public.

[Judy] When you were living
together with the defendant,

were you working?

Yes, ma'am.

And there were things that
were purchased for the baby.

Was he working?

[Jasmine] Yes.

[Judy] Are you working
at the same place, sir?

Currently not at the moment. Uh,

I got terminated
after COVID, so...

When you were living
together, were you working?

[Angel] Yes.
The termination

didn't happen
till about August 2020.

You're asking for
the return of value of property,

and the property
that you talk about,

in this order,
are a stroller, a crib,

a laptop, clothing,
and electronics.

So, let's take that,
one piece at a time.

Stroller.

Let's hear about it.

Okay. Um...

well, regarding the property
and the stroller,

the stroller was never returned.

Returned to whom?

Me, me and my mother.
It was never returned to us.

-It was...
-It's not you and your mother.

He has the child
since you were never married.

Mm-mm.

Property belongs to
the person who purchased it.

Yes. Mm-mm.

[Judy] Who purchased
the stroller?

My mother.

[Judy] Is that correct?

That's true.

Okay. And when you
purchased the stroller,

you made a gift of it to whom?

Jasmine.

[Judy]
She wants the stroller back.

All right.

Great. I'm glad
you agree with me.

That's always important.

[laughing]

[Judy] A crib.
Who purchased the crib?

My father.

[Judy] He's not here.

A laptop.
Do you have her laptop?

I do not.

[Judy] Tell me about the laptop.

Um, the laptop is
something that my mother owned,

but I often used a lot

because I was also currently
enrolled at college for a bit,

so I used it
for college courses.

[Judy] He says
he doesn't have it.

I don't know.
He might have thrown it away.

Did you have
possession of her laptop?

I did not. Honestly,
we're not saying that...

I'm not too sure
what she's talking about.

More than half her things
were already gone.

The cops looked into my place,
searched everything.

They didn't find anything
of her there, of hers there.

Sorry about that.
And, uh, they just took her...

Are you telling me
that the police took her laptop?

No. They did
a thorough search of my place

to make sure
if any of her belongings...

[Judy]
No, no, you can't tell me

that the police did
a thorough search of a place.

She says that she left
a laptop in your house.

You both had a fight,
which we'll get into in a minute.

[sighs]

-[Judy] So...
-I don't believe

I seen a laptop.
I can't recall she left it with me.

Okay. What electronics
are you talking about?

The laptop and the, uh,

I had an Xfinity router
in my name.

An Xfinity router.

[Jasmine] For internet.

Did you buy that?

I was paying the internet

and for the router
to be installed there

because we had got
the apartment together.

[Judy] And?

[Jasmine]
And it was never returned.

So, I had to pay a fee
for the router.

[Judy] And how much was that?

About 232 dollars.

[Judy] Not about 200.
Let me see the bill.

Where's the router?

Do you have it
in your apartment?

I do not.

Well, you should have.

[dramatic music]

Defendant says
you were very upset that day...

...and agitated, and you actually
had a knife in your hand.

Whatever happened with
that knife, I don't know.

Clearly, you've calmed down enough

to find another guy
and to be having another baby.

So, whatever was bothering you,
is not bothering you anymore.

[narrator] Twenty-year old
Jasmine Muhammad-Bishop

and her mother Teresa Muhammad

claim Jasmine's
ex-boyfriend, Angel Casteneda,

threw away Jasmine's property.

They also claim Angel filed
false charges against Jasmine.

Okay. When you go home,
you check for the router.

-Okay?
-Sounds good.

[Judy] Now, did there come a
time when any of your relatives,

your mother, anybody else,

come to the house
and take any of your property

that was in the house
that the defendant gave them?

Any personal property?
Any cosmetics? Anything?

He wouldn't let anyone in.

[Judy] Okay. I want you
to describe the evening

when the defendant
left the house.

Sounds good.

So, that evening,
I came back that morning

from my witness' house.

And I was just talking to him,
you know,

about the whole week,
it was just hell.

The whole week
she was just telling me

she didn't want my son,
she didn't want me,

want anything to do with my son,

didn't love me,
didn't love my son.

So, as soon as
I came back to my place,

she already had a knife
in her hands.

And I put my son on the ground.

I'm telling her,
"What are you doing?"

And out of nowhere,
she's trying to come at me.

Could you...
could you look at me?

[Angel] Yes. She's trying to

lunge at me
forward a little bit.

[Judy] No, then now you're
looking down at the desk.

I want you to look at me.
See, how I'm looking at you.

So, as I come in, she has
a knife in her hands already.

I don't know what she was trying
to do to herself, doing to me.

I just told her like,
"Look, you need to leave.

My son is here.
I worry about him.

I'm trying to look after him,
just leave."

Cool down,
like we said earlier.

Just need her to cool down.

[sighs]
About four or five hours later...

See,
now you're looking up again.

[Angel] Sorry about that.
About four hours later,

she comes back with her mom
with the cops.

Cops come in my door,
come in my house.

They asked me what's going on.
I tell them the situation.

I didn't call 'em at first.
They called first on me.

They said I was abducting
my own child.

So, I had to show 'em
the birth certificate

to prove that I was the father.

Once I proved
that I was the father,

the cops took full control
of the situation,

asked her what else happened.

And then from there,
they just took her.

So, you told them
that she had taken out a knife?

Correct.

And you were
in fact arrested?

Yes, I was.

[Judy] Yeah.
When you were arrested,

were you interviewed
by the police?

[Jasmine] The female officer
that was present

had taken my statement
regarding...

-'cause my mother had called.
-[Judy] No, no, don't.

Just a second.

I would like to see the report
of the female officer

because that's part
of this lawsuit.

Do you have a police report
with the narratives?

Yes.

[Judy] May I see it, please?

It's both of these.

[Judy] You were granted
a temporary restraining order.

Is that right, sir?

Yes, Your Honor.

Was that temporary
restraining order

made final, ever?

[Angel] Yeah.

The next court date
was on July 22nd,

30 days after the
restraining order was in place.

And they extended it
only because

she didn't show up,
her lawyer showed up.

-They extended it?
-Uh-huh.

-"Uh-huh" is not an answer.
-[Angel] For another 30 days,

so it was a two-month...

until she showed up to court
to try to get joint for my son.

The temporary
restraining order,

was there ever a hearing on
the temporary restraining order?

Yeah, it was on this...

uh, the first hearing
was on seven-22nd.

And I-I showed up.

Yes. Was there a trial?
You said she didn't show up.

She didn't show up.
Her lawyer did.

[Judy] Okay, where were you?

Um, I was home.

-My lawyer showed up.
-[Judy] Why didn't you show up?

Why didn't you go
to court with your lawyer?

Because I also wanted to, uh,

file a restraining order
against Angel.

[whispers] That's not what it was.

[Jasmine whispers] I'm sorry.

[laughs] D-don't speak.
No, don't speak.

So, the reason
that you didn't show up

on the return date
and sent your lawyer

is because this incident
occurred on July the 7th,

or just prior thereto.

And the temporary
order of protection

was issued on July 7th.

I assume between July 7th
and July 22nd,

you got an attorney?

Yes.

And I assume
that you were advised

not to appear in court
on the adjourn date

because between July 7th
and July 22nd,

which was when the case
was next on in court

when you didn't appear?
Is that the right date?

Yes, that is
the right date.

Yes, something happened.
Listen to me carefully.

I want you to tell me
what happened between

July 7th and July 22nd, with him.

Um, nothing had.

Nothing happened?
Well, if nothing happened,

then there was no reason
for you not to go to court

to respond to this
order of protection,

because there was
no new information,

except that you got a lawyer
who advised you

that strategically,
it would be a good idea

if you filed for
an order of protection.

Because if you tell me
nothing happened

between the 7th and the 22nd,
you tell me what you alleged,

because you filed
an order of protection

against him
through your lawyer,

and I want to see
what you alleged

in that order of protection
that you filed against him.

I want to see what you alleged.

Um, I don't have
the supporting documentation.

I have a police report.

The police report
gives two different versions

of what happened that day.

The defendant says that
you were very upset that day

and agitated, and you actually
had a knife in your hand.

Whatever happened
with that knife, I don't know.

Clearly,
you've calmed down enough

to find another guy
and to be having another baby,

so that whatever
was bothering you

is not bothering you anymore.

Now, when they finally
reached you,

you said
I never had a knife.

And I never threatened him,
and I never threatened the baby.

So, I have
two different versions,

which is why you have a hearing.

But that's what was alleged
in the police report.

Now, do you have a police report
that you made for any incident

that happened between
July 7th and July 22nd

when you were supposed
to be back in court

to answer
the order of protection?

No.

No? What?

If I may.
I filed a domestic violence

restraining order
against Angel as well,

because there had been
previous history.

Well, you didn't
file it before.

You only filed it
after he filed his,

and there was
no new information,

and you were living together.

Well, because I wasn't
sure of how he'd respond

to the situation
after the custody with...

Listen, I understand exactly
what happened

because part of the lawsuit
is your mother's lawsuit

because she laid out


for a lawyer,
and you're suing him

for filing a false
restraining order.

[dramatic music]

Listen to me carefully.

You know how fair I am.

I'm the fairest person
you know in your life.

[laughs]

Don't look at the wall,
don't look at your friend,

Whitney or Sarah.

Look here.

What did you throw
in the dumpster?

[dramatic music]

[narrator]
Jasmine Muhammad-Bishop

has accused ex-boyfriend,
Angel Casteneda,

of throwing away
her property

and filing false charges
against Jasmine.

[Judy] Now, you're suing him

for filing a false
restraining order.

I don't know
whether he did or not.

Certainly,
the police were called,

and there were
two different versions.

I do know this, however,
that between the 7th of July

when he got his temporary
restraining order,

and according to you,
the 22nd of July

when you were
due back in court,

you didn't file a police report
alleging any problem with him.

Everything was quiet.
You got a lawyer.

Your lawyer told you to stay
home, not come to court

because you were going to file
a restraining order against him

as part of a wider
custody dispute

which ultimately ended
in an order of joint custody.

Those are the bare facts.

So, so far, he owes you


for a router,
which I think he still has.

However, sir,
in one of the police reports,

it suggests that you threw
some of her stuff in a dumpster.

Listen to me carefully.
You know how fair I am.

I'm the fairest person
you know in your life.

[audience laughs]

Don't look at the wall.
Don't look at your friend,

Whitney or Sarah.

Look here. What did you
throw in the dumpster?

I didn't throw anything
in the dumpster.

I don't believe that.

[laughs]

So, I'm gonna ask you again.

What did you throw
in the dumpster?

Did you throw any of her clothes
in the dumpster?

I believe her clothes
were by the dumpster.

But I didn't throw
any of it away.

So, somebody placed
her clothes near the dumpster?

Correct.

What did you place
near the dumpster?

I put all her stuff.
All her shoes, electronics.

Well, for shoes, you know,
women really like their shoes.

And all of her electronics.

What electronics did you put

-near the dumpster?
-[Angel] I don't know...

What?

It had to have been the

had to have been
the router was there too,

because I can't... There's no use
of the router for me.

If you don't pay that month,
you know, it's out of service.

From what I can recall,
it was a lot of,

just like shoes, clothes,
just bundles of clothes

where I put 'em in bags.

And I just put 'em right there,

so she can pick 'em up,
you know.

Do you recall
on what date you did that?

Now, your son was living
with you at the time?

Correct.

It had to have been
the day it happened,

it was the-the day
of the incident.

And what date was that?

[Angel] The 27th,


of that month. June.

-[Judy] Six-22.
-Correct.

How much did you pay the lawyer
to represent your daughter?

Fifty-two hundred dollars.

[Judy] You're not
getting that back.

I don't know whether
the allegations are true or not.

As far as the order
of protection is concerned,

I can tell you that the one
that your daughter filed

had no basis because,
according to her,

nothing happened,
certainly between June,

more clearly from July 7th when
he got the protective order

until the 22nd of July
when she was due back in court.

And the lawyer told her
not to appear.

That's not actually
how it occurred. I'm sorry.

Well, that's
what she says.

She says nothing happened.

-No, nothing did happen.
-And there was no police report

of anything that happened
between July the 7th...

That's not why
she didn't appear in court.

Well, that's why she says
she didn't appear in court.

She said she didn't
appear in court,

because she was going to file
her own order of protection.

Would you read that back?
Would you read that back to me?

She said, "because
I also wanted to file

a restraining order
against Angel."

That's why she says
she didn't appear in court.

Correct.
Um, our attorney we retained

at the time of July 22nd
had a trial already.

So, he went and told Jasmine
to stay,

that he appeared
at the trial for...

Just a second.
You can't tell me

any of that
because that's all hearsay.

That's all hearsay.

Okay.

[Judy]
What the attorney told you,

that's all hearsay, nonsense.

The reason your daughter
didn't show up

was because she said
she wanted to file

her own order of protection
against him

for things that happened
in the past.

That's what she said.

-Okay.
-[Judy] That she can tell me.

Okay, so I have to use
a calculator here

because I'm sure
you don't have... What?

I just want to clarify,

that is what the attorney
did say as well.

Did you understand
what I said?

I said that's hearsay.

What you answered me as to why
you didn't appear in court is,

you said [laughs]
"because I wanted to file

an order of protection
against him."

That's what you said.

Okay. Your lawsuit is claiming...

Sarah Rose, check my info
on this, please,

I don't even know how to
turn this thing on.

All right, there, it's on.

Lawsuit is alleging


And you paid the lawyer
how much?

Uh, 5,200.

-Fifty-two hundred.
-Mm-mm.

[Judy] Minus 5,200 dollars.

That means that there were


And, sir, listen to me
carefully.

According to what
you newly remember,

you did in fact
stuff all of her stuff,

including electronics,
in trash bags

and put them out
near the dumpster

on the day of this incident.
You can't do that.

She's not going to get
her council fees,

and she probably
doesn't have the receipts

for all of this stuff,
but it sounds reasonable.

You threw away
all of her shoes,

that's 1,300 dollars.

Thirteen seventy-four,
judgment for the plaintiff.

-We're finished.
-[Kevin] Court is adjourned.

[dramatic music]

It wasn't
that she cheated, right,

she, because she didn't
want him, he don't know.

As soon as she had birth,
she did not want him.

The allegations
are completely false.

I did not grab a knife.

Well, she told me
I couldn't see my son

without her,

and she wasn't trying to do
the co-parent thing, so I mean...

His way
of getting to me

was trying to take me away
from my son.

I hope she could just learn to co-parent

and take that same
positive class

"Parents By Choice" class
that I'm taking.

If she can take that class,
I would be happy.

All I hope for is just
for us to be on neutral terms,

and do what's best for our son.

[Judy] You know,
it's frustrating for me.

You would think that people
learn from historical mistakes.

And it was always my experience
in the family court

that the people who ended up
with the short end of the stick,

with other people's
irresponsible behavior,

are children,
and very often, grandmothers.

I mean, this young woman
is clearly responsible.

She works, she has a job.

She will have, shortly,
two children,

both born out of wedlock,

with two different fathers,
all within a two-year period,

who doesn't live with
either of the fathers.

The defendant in this case,

it looked like he needed
a nap or a drug test.

I'm not sure, maybe both.

And the one that gets
holding the babies

and holding the bag
is her mother.

And paying the bills.

And paying the bills.

Anyway, I feel sorry
for those children.

I hope she's a nice lady,

because they're going to need
some direction.

[narrator]
Have you been cheated?