02x26 - Three's a Crowd

[bunniefuu]

We had a falling out.

And he invites this attractive young lady
to move in to the apartment.

She punching me in my face,
keyed my car.

[Judy] You put them in a situation
where they would dislike each other

-all to satisfy your ego.
-Wow.

That's exactly what you did.

[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Nasheria Garrette is suing
her former friend, Michael Kodia,

and his girlfriend, Bryanna Serranno,
for a personal loan,

car damages and an as*ault.

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

Have a seat, please.

-Hello, Judge.
-How are you?

Case #2056, Garrette versus
Kodia/Serranno.

[Judy]
Thank you.

Miss Garrette, this gentleman,
Michael Kodia... Is that?

-Correct, ma'am. Yes.
-[Judy] Kodia?

You and Mr. Kodia had been
life-long friends,

according to what I read in the complaint.

Life-long, you're both very young.
How do you know him?

[Nasheria]
Well, we used to ride bikes together.

His mom used to also braid my hair
when I was a child, every Sunday.

But you and Mr. Kodia were never
involved in any relationship,

-other than just friendship?
-No.

[Judy] And Mr. Kodia, Miss Serranno
is currently your girlfriend?

Correct. Yes, Your Honor.

She had been your girlfriend and
been living with you for a while,

and you have a child together.

Yes, correct.
Well, she's currently pregnant.

-We're expecting.
-We're expecting, yeah.

-Great.
-[all laugh]

-You had a fight.
-[Bryanna] Yes.

With Miss Serranno.
And that was around June of this year?

Yes, Your Honor.

[Judy] And it was a substantial enough
fight that Miss Serranno left the home.

And she left the home with your child.
How old is your child?

As I was saying, we are expecting.

So, you don't have a child together.

No, she's six months pregnant, currently.

-Okay. So, and she left.
-Correct.

At about the same time, Miss Garrette,
your friend, needed a place to stay.

I wouldn't say "needed"
a place to stay, but...

What would you say?

[Michael]
It was more like, um...

I kinda had a clue that she had a place to
stay, but it was just one of those...

No, no, look over here, look over here.

-Sorry.
-[Judy] Now, Mr. Kodia,

I want you to listen. There are very few
stories that are new under the sun.

I want you to really understand that.
I have children,

I have grown grandchildren
boys and girls.

I've seen all the movies that
I want to see about romance and guys.

So, your girlfriend leaves you.

Yes.

Yes. And would it be fair to say
that you invite Miss Garrette

to come and stay with you?

Yes, it would be fair.

Had you ever invited her to come
and stay with you before?

No, I have not.
Not in the current apartment

that I'm staying in right now, no.

-[Judy] Had you in another apartment?
-No.

So, the answer is you had never
invited your friend

to come and stay with you before.

-No.
-Interesting.

So, on June 27th, she left.

On what date did you invite Miss Garrette
to come and stay in your apartment?

June 16th.

-June 16th?
-[Michael] Yes.

[Judy]
So, 11 days before Miss Serranno left?

Miss Serranno left about
a week prior to her coming.

[Judy] What date did you leave,
Miss Serranno, do you recall?

I don't recall. I recall it was
the end of, or mid-June

of this year, I would say.
I had personal things going on, so,

I really wasn't, you know... [laughs]

Now, Miss Serranno,
I'm going to ask you why you left.

Um, we had a falling out.

-Me and Michael had a falling out...
-[Judy] Yes!

[Judy] What did you and Michael
have a falling out about?

Well, at the time, my mother
was in the hospital, so that...

It was a disagreement surrounding
having to move back home

and take care of her and the household.

-[Judy] And?
-And that was pretty much it.

Well, what did he say?
He said he didn't want you to?

Yeah, he pretty much, long story, short,

didn't want me to move
back to my mother's house,

so that caused, you know...

-[Judy] Okay, so he wanted you to stay.
-Yes.

Yes, he wanted me to stay but...

He wanted you to stay.
Now, did you know that the two of you

-were expecting at that time in June?
-Yes.

So, he knew that you were
expecting a baby,

that you wanted to go back
to your mother's house

because she was ill and
you wanted to help take care of her.

-Is that correct?
-Correct. Yes.

And, despite the fact that
he said don't go, you left.

-Yes, ma'am.
-And you went home.

Okay, and it would be fair to say
that he was annoyed.

-I believe so, yes. Yes.
-[Judy laughing] Yes.

Oh, I'm getting this whole picture now.
It's so easy.

Okay. And about a week later,
he invites this attractive young lady

who has been a friend of his
for a long time, a non-romantic friend,

to move into the apartment.

Yes.

You know that that was nasty, right?

Oh, no, I'm, uh, yes, I know.

[Judy]
You know that that was nasty.

That was an agreement between them...

No, no, but you know that that
was sort of a nasty thing to do.

Oh, no, I'm fully aware. Yes, ma'am. Yes.

I just want you to know what you're
sort of dealing with.

Yes, I'm fully aware
of what I'm dealing with.

-Okay.
-[Bryanna] Thank you, though. Thank you.

I appreciate it, thank you.

Okay, good. Okay.

So, Mr. Kodia wanted to,
sort of, get even a little bit.

You invite Miss Garrette
to come and move in,

no rent or anything 'cause you didn't
have an agreement to pay rent.

You weren't gonna pay rent or anything,
and you moved in.

And you moved in on...

I moved in on the first.

-[Judy] On the first of...
-July.

[Judy] July first. Now, Miss Serranno,
I'm gonna come back to you

because this is such a fascinating story.

Oh, Lord.

Such a fascinating story and
he deserves to get dumped on a little bit.

-There's more where that came from.
-[Judy] Hmm?

I said there's more
where that came from, yes.

[laughs]

[Judy] Okay, and between
the time you left and July first,

Yes.

when Miss Garrette was invited
to come to stay at the house,

were you in communication with Mr. Kodia?

Yes. I would say, like, every day
or every other day, we spoke.

You know, arguments. You know how it is.

Yeah, well, you know, first of all,
you're pregnant and you have emotions,

and then you're taking care of
family members and whatever, so, I got it.

Did he tell you that
Miss Garrette was moving in?

-Yes.
-[Judy] When?

I would say I found out around like,
the 27th, 28th?

-[Judy] Of June?
-Yes.

Tell me how you found out
that she was moving in.

I believe at that point,
she was already moved in at that point.

[Judy]
Okay, and what made you think that?

Just based off of how the conversation
went, or how he told me.

[Judy]
Tell me what he told you.

What I was told was that a friend was
moving in to solely cook and clean.

[scoffs]

See what's happening,
this fly is getting vengeance on him.

-Now, it's getting on me too.
-What the hell's going on?

Oh, you got a swapper too, wow.

-I'm waiting for it to come over here.
-[Michael] You're waiting...

[Michael] Yes!

[narrator] Nasheria Garrette claims
her former friend, Michael Kodia,

and his girlfriend, Bryanna Serranno,
owe for a personal loan and an as*ault.

Tell me what he told you.
I'm curious, I want to know.

What I was told was that a friend
was moving in to solely cook and clean.

[scoffs]

[Bryanna]
That's what I was told.

Okay, did he tell you who?

Who it was, I never met her.

[Judy]
But he told you who it was.

Yes, he told me who it was.

And that made you, I would probably guess,
a little annoyed and unhappy.

-I mean, I was annoyed
-[Judy] I would be annoyed.

I mean, I was annoyed because
I had personal things going on

In between that time before
actually realizing

that she was living at my apartment,

I actually had a brief
interaction with her.

I met her at a park. I met her. So...

-Between the time you moved out?
-[Bryanna] Yes.

Okay. Was it you met because
you contacted each other...

No, we met because me and Michael,
just, you know, had a conversation

to have had, at that point in time,
I'm assuming she was there in the area.

So, he just wanted
to k*ll two birds with one stone.

He said, do you want to meet the person,
you know, who's there,

who I'm living with and
that's how it went.

-And was it a cordial meeting?
-[Bryanna] Yes, it was.

-[Judy] You met her, she met you.
-Yes.

And he said I just want you to meet
the lovely looking girl

that I'm now living with 'cause you
went home to take care of your mother.

I guess so, if you wanna put it...

Yes... Well...

[laughs]

This is what your case is about.

First, you claimed that you
loaned Mr. Kodia $750 for rent.

Yes.

And you did that because he said
once Miss Serranno moved out,

she wasn't paying her rent, he was
short on rent. That's what I read here.

Mr. Kodia has a whole different story.

He said, while he told you

that he was a little short on rent that he
was gonna have to get a third job.

-That's not true.
-[Judy] Just a second.

You jumped in and
offered to give him $750.

That's what you wrote here.
Is that right?

-Correct.
-[Judy] Now, Mr. Kodia,

did you tell Miss Serranno that
somebody was moving into the apartment

just to cook and clean?
That's what she says.

Yes, that is exactly my words, yeah.

-That's exactly what you told her.
-[Michael] Correct.

You didn't tell Miss Serranno,
the soon-to-be mother of your child

that you had a roommate
who was paying rent.

I did not.

Miss Serranno, what kind
of work were you doing

when you were living together in June.

I had a work from home position, I still
currently do, as a Medicaid specialist.

Were you sharing rent with him?

Yes. Everything was 50/50.

Did you pay him any rent in July?

No, I did not.

-[Judy] Did you pay him rent in June?
-Yes.

So, you paid him the $750.
That was your share of the rent?

-Is that what your share was?
-Yes, that was my share of the rent.

June was already paid for.
July, I did not pay

because I did not believe
I was going to be there.

Okay. Tell me what he said to you
that caused you to give him this $750.

Well, he texted me one morning and
said that Bryanna was no longer

gonna pay her half of the rent as of July,
and that if...

You were living there already?

Yes. And if I give him $750
he would give it back to me.

And we never discussed anything
about me cooking or cleaning.

I actually bought groceries, which he said
that he would pay me back for, too,

while I'm staying there.

Okay. So, you were actually there
for five days, is that right?

About five days.

Five, six days, and at some point,
around the first week in July

July 5th, 6th or 7th,
you came to the apartment.

-Yes.
-[Judy] Tell me what happened.

-We had went inside the apartment...
-[Judy] Who's "we"?

Michael and I, sorry.
Michael and I were...

So, you weren't staying there.
Where had you met him?

We actually met at work.
We've been together for a year and a half.

No, I understand that. But you
came home to the apartment together,

and that was, I think, on the 7th of July.

-Yes.
-On the 7th of July.

Where had you been? You'd been out.
You hadn't been staying in the apartment.

Oh, no. Yeah, I was out actually just
going to groceries and stuff like that.

I actually went to go pick him up
after a family function from work.

After picking him up from work,
we went back to the apartment...

Was that the first time you had
been back to the apartment?

-No.
-[Judy] Since you left?

Since I left, I'd been there on and off,
like, not on and off,

but like, every other couple days.
But I've been there.

Not living there, but I've been there,
spending the night and, you know...

When you were there,
do you see Miss Garrette?

Nope, but I seen her belongings, though.

Okay, but you knew she was there 'cause he
told you that she was there.

So, on the 7th, you picked him up,
you went back to the apartment,

and you'd been there before but you
had never actually, physically seen her

in the apartment, despite the fact
that you knew she was there.

-Correct.
-Because you had been introduced to her.

-Correct.
-Okay. And what happened?

So, we went upstairs,
she seen that I was with him,

and I guess that must've made her mad?

[Judy]
No, just tell me what happened.

So, there was an argument...

[Judy]
Tell me what the argument was.

I don't even... I don't even know
what the argument was.

Honestly, she just seen me and
there was an argument that unfolded,

about what, I still don't know,
still to this day.

Okay. So now, Miss Garrette,
they came home and...

Okay, so, them two never
came in the apartment together,

at all, that night. And previously...

No, just tell me that night.

Oh, that night. So, me and
Michael discussed that, hey, listen,

things are not working out, he has had
multiple people in and out his house

and he was making me very uncomfortable,
as well as Miss Serranno popping up.

When you say, you said multiple people
in and out of the house.

Guys, women every night.
I would sleep in the park.

One night, I slept in the park
because he had Miss Serranno poppin' up

at three o'clock in the morning.
Her throwing my things around,

telling me, get out the house.
So, I had to go in my car,

and go sleep in the park.
And we had conversations that night

when it happened, when she popped up,
"hey, can I go..."

[Judy]
What date was that?

It was... I wanna say
July the 2nd or the 3rd.

-[Judy] Okay. Before the 7th?
-Yeah. Right.

Okay, and that's when you went out
and slept in the park.

-Yes.
-Just a second.

Mr. Kodia, you remember that evening?

Yes, I do.
-Okay, and that evening,

on July 2nd or 3rd,
Miss Serranno was around.

-And they don't get along?
-[Michael] They do not.

[Judy]
Which is exactly what you anticipated

Of course.

[Judy]
when you invited her to stay with you.

-Exactly. Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] Absolutely right.

Gonna have two women fight over the prize.
The grand prize.

Okay. Did you take $750 from her?

No, I did not.

Did you... I didn't ask if it was a loan.
I didn't ask you...

She has proof that she gave it to you.
-[Michael] Yeah, she...

Okay, so let's not play.
Did you take $750 from her?

Yes, I did.

So, it goes back to her, that $750.

Now we're gonna get to what she alleges
is the remainder of her lawsuit

which is damages for as*ault.

Okay, on the 7th of July,
there was some sort of an altercation.

You want to tell me what that was?

Yes.

You did something that annoyed him.
You went back

to take care of your sick mother,
which also attests to his bad character.

And then what he does is,
he invites someone, a woman,

to come into the house because
he knows that it's going to irritate you.

That's exactly what happened.
He acknowledges that.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Nasheria Garrette has accused
her former friend, Michael Kodia,

and his girlfriend, Bryanna Serranno,
of damaging her car and assaulting her.

Now, on the 7th of July,
there was some sort of an altercation.

You want to tell me what that was?

Yes. So, um, that evening,
I went into the house

and he had his witness, Darius there.

-[Judy] This person?
-[Nasheria] Yes.

And me and Michael had conversations
about him before.

And I just thought it
wasn't a good influence.

So, that evening, I walk in the house
and I had... I'm sorry.

Let me back that up. I asked Michael if
he's gonna have men come in the house,

could he please be there
while I'm there with them,

'cause I didn't feel comfortable.
He said yes.

So, when I walked in that evening
and saw Darius there,

I text Michael and said "Michael,
we need to have another talk.

Because every talk we have,
I'm thinking we're having understandings,

but we're not." So, and Darius
set up a whole twin-size bed

up in the living room. [laughs]
In the living room.

So, I went out to my car, I said,
Michael, when you get home,

I'm in my car, so meet me
at my car when you get off.

It was around 8:30 when Michael
had came and I was sitting in my car.

Me and Michael were talking and...

Was he in your car with you?

[Nasheria]
No, he was outside of my driver's side.

So, that's when Miss Bryanna came and
she started hitting him upside his head.

And I tried to get out of the spot
that I was in, and next thing I know,

my window's down, and she comes and she's
attacking me, punching me in my face.

She keyed up my car when she first came up
to my window, she keyed my car.

Yeah, I have... I can show you.

[Judy]
Okay, did you file a police report?

-I didn't.
-[Judy] Why?

I just didn't. I took care of my
bruises and my scar, I just...

I did call 911, but then I hung up.
I just... I just didn't.

[Judy] Okay, do you
have photographs of your injury?

[Nasheria] Yes.

Here you go.

Thank you.

So, what you're telling me is that
this was a scratch across your chest?

[Nasheria]
Yes. Mm-hmm.

[Judy] And that's a scratch that
was caused by Miss Serranno?

-Yes. Yes.
-[Judy] And that was in July?

Miss Serranno, I'd like to hear
your version of what happened

on the 7th of July.

Like I said before, there was just
a argument that took place...

Okay, I want you to start... I want you
to start the argument from the beginning.

-Okay.
-[Judy] She's outside in her car.

-Mm-hmm.
-Michael is talking to her at the car.

[Bryanna]
Oh, yeah.

Did you drive over there or did you walk?
How did you get there?

I parked my car, like,
in front of the house,

because they were on the side street.
So, I walked...

-[Judy] You walked there.
-Exactly, I walked.

Now, let me ask you a couple of questions,
Miss Serranno.

Did Mr. Kodia ever give you an indication

that Miss Garrette was no longer
going to be living there?

Not that I could recall, no.

[Judy]
Well, I want you to try to recall.

I was told after that whole day went,
the day after,

that the conversation was going to be
for her to leave the house.

Okay, and what were you coming over for?

What brought you over there
at eight o'clock at night?

For him.

What do you mean "for him"?

Well, he left something in my car.
He left a charger or something.

It was something he left in my car
that I was returning back to him.

Did you tell him you were coming over?

Nope, I just popped up. [laughs]

The answer is no. You were curious.

Yes, I was. Of course, I was.

-[Judy] Yeah, you were.
-I'm sorry.

[Judy] See what's happening?
This fly is getting vengeance on him.

-Now it's getting on me, too!
-What the hell is going on?

Oh, you got a swapper, too! Wow!

-I'm waiting for it to come over here.
-You're waiting.

[all laugh]

[Judy]
Did you seek medical treatment?

I did not.

Mr. Kodia, I'm gonna wrap up this case
'cause I really understand it.

I believe I understand it.
What I don't understand

is why, and this doesn't require an
answer, it's a rhetorical question...

Why you would want to take someone
who had been a life-long friend

and someone with whom
you are having a child,

and put either one, or both of them,
in a situation...

They don't know each other, really.

So, they don't know whether to
like each other or not to like each other.

I mean, I assume that at this point,
at least Miss Serranno

was planning a long-term
relationship with you.

She's having a child and I assume
she thinks you're gonna be there

to be supportive of the child.
Maybe. You have other children?

Yes, I do.

[Judy]
How many children do you have?

[Michael]
I have another son.

-How old?
-[Michael] Five.

[Judy]
And he lives with his mother?

Yes, he does.

So, you see... Ohh!

[Michael]
There you go.

[all laughing]

[Judy]
This one's a pesky one.

I'm usually good at it
but I missed it before.

I don't know why
you would put them in a situation

where they would dislike each other,
all to satisfy your ego.

Wow.

Well, that's exactly what you did.
You put them in a position

where two apparently nice ladies,
both of whom care about you

in different ways... You put them...
Well, do you care about him?

Yes.

Do you think she cares about him?

I've never, the entire time I was with...

They just know each other for a long time.

It was way before me, so I guess,
if you want to play like that.

[woman] They also
went to senior prom together.

[Judy]
Just a second. I didn't ask you...

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

[Judy] I didn't ask you anything.
This is not a shout out.

What I'm telling you is,
it goes to his character.

He knows her for a long time,
they never had a romantic relationship,

With you he's had a romantic relationship.
You did something that annoyed him.

You went back to take care of
your sick mother,

which also attests to his bad character.
And then what he does is,

he invites a woman to come into the house,
lets you know about it,

because he knows that
it's going to irritate you.

That's exactly what happened.
He acknowledges that.

That doesn't make him a good guy.
So, I want you to think about that.

But I absolutely believe that you caused
the scratch on her, which you can't do.

Anyway, Mr. Kodia, you owe her $750.
And Miss Serranno,

you can't put your hands on anybody,
no matter how angry you are at them.

And I'm awarding her $1,000
for you putting your hands on her.

Judgment for the Plaintiff. We're done.
Thank you very much.

[bailiff]
This court is adjourned.

I was very satisfied.

I mean, I knew it would cause havoc,
but, uh...

Different women every night.

I tried to keep it in secret.

And that's why we
stopped being friends before,

but I definitely learned my lesson.

I feel like it's unfortunate. I feel like
she manipulated the whole situation.

The friendship is over.

I'm just gonna be
a father to my child, man.

After working with you now for almost
a year, I'm starting to get so jaded,

[laughs] from these cases,
that I'm starting to think

that just staying single might be my best
option, if these are the alternatives.

It just blows my mind.
He admitted to just pitting an old friend

and your fiancée, who's pregnant
with your child, against each other.

-To satisfy your ego!
-Yes!

Sounds like a terrible idea,
was a terrible idea,

turned out to be a terrible idea, and
it'll land you in court on occasion.

You're right, but rethink
that staying single part.

I'll think about it.

[narrator] Want justice?