02x54 - Minors and Majors Slander (Part 1)

[bunniefuu]

After you stopped working for him
at the theater,

you contacted the authorities.

Yes, ma'am. He admitted to giving one of
our 19-year-old employees alcohol.

That's not accurate.

Don't look at each other.

I'm actually the nastiest one here.

[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Noah Joyner and
Harland Hendrickson are suing

their former employer, Christopher Rix,
for unpaid wages and vandalism.

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

Have a seat, please.

Case #2094 Joyner, Hendrickson
versus Rix.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

I think I'm going to start out
with Mr. Joyner. Who is that?

That would be you.
Because we start with you.

He came in later to this scenario,
is that right?

Correct.

So, let me try to understand, Mr. Joyner,
what it is that you're suing

the Defendant for, considering
what you wrote to me in your complaint.

You were looking for a job.

Whatever business you had went south
and you didn't have any money.

That's not true.

Well, let's see.

It wasn't said that like,
but we did not lose it...

"After losing my jewelry business."

Yes, ma'am. That's not right.

Well, that's what you signed
in your complaint.

Yes, ma'am. Yes.

So, I can only go by what you signed
in your deposition,

that you lost your jewelry business,
that's what it says,

and that you were looking for a job.
The Defendant has a theater.

- Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] Among other businesses.

[Judy] And you sought out the Defendant,
Mr. Joyner?

Yes, ma'am. I was...

Tell me how you sought him out.

I was vending in a coffee shop,
I was vending my jewelry,

It's not a lost business...

Would you just get on to how you met him?

Definitely. So, I was vending there and
I saw at the theater, Pride Weekend.

So, I had called Chris Rix, said hey,

is it okay if I come up there
and vend my jewelry?

Just a second.
So, you called him.

Was his name on the poster?
How did you find him?

I just called the theater's number,
and he answered.

Okay. So, you weren't calling him,
you were just calling the number.

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] So, you asked him,

can I come and sell my jewelry
at your theater? When was that?

That was Wednesday, June 16th, 2022.

Okay. And you were having
some sort of an event?

Yes, ma'am.

Did Mr. Joyner come and
set up his jewelry booth?

[Chris]
They did, in fact.

[Judy]
Were they charged for that?

No-no-no. No, I did not.
I just simply offered the space.

They kinda told me their back-story and
that they were having financial troubles

and I was trying to do a good deed
for the community.

[Judy] So, you were not charged
for the space.

Right. Yes, ma'am.

And you went up there on what date
to sell your jewelry?

We started Thursday night,
June 17th, 2022.

[Judy]
When you say "we," is that you...

All three of us, yes.

[Judy] Okay.
Did you sell any jewelry?

- A little bit.
- So, not much.

Not enough for the three of you
spending a day on the 17th.

And then, how did it come about that
you sought out a job from Mr. Rix?

Because you did seek a job.

On what date did you ask him
if there was any work?

Thursday night. Thursday the 16th.

And what were you supposed to do?

- Supposed to bartend, open, close...
- That's not accurate.

- [Judy] I'll get to you.
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
And what were you supposed to do?

And run the concession stand. Bartend,
close, open and run the concession stand.

During what hours?

Four PM that day 'til twelve AM,
one AM that night.

Could not really remember.

[Judy]
Okay. And did you do that?

Yes.

And you weren't selling your jewelry
at that time.

I was going off and on.
So, anytime he had called me

for a different job, I would take that.
Sorry.

So, the answer is you were doing both.

Yes, ma'am.

So, you were doing your own business

and doing whatever task
Mr. Rix asked you to do.

-That was on the 16th.
- Yes, ma'am.

And did he pay you for that work?

Yes, he ended up paying us.

Just a second.
How much did he give you?

He gave us $264 for that weekend.

[Judy]
Not "we."

I. Gave me $264 that weekend.

Did he work that weekend?

Yes. We, all three, worked that weekend.

[Judy]
Doing what?

Everything. [chuckles]

Well, Mr. Hendrickson is not suing
for any wages from him,

other than for the painting
that he did later.

I'm asking you. What did you do for him
and when and how much did you get paid?

I did opening, closing duties for him.
I ran a bar.

[Judy]
For how many days?

Four days, Your Honor.

[Judy]
Four days.

In the beginning, but I did pick up more
stuff whenever he called me

for more opportunities. So, he would be
like, hey, we have Jam Band tonight,

so I would say okay, I could work.

Okay. So, you worked, say until June 20th.
You said for four days,

and then you would work
after that period of time?

Yes, ma'am.

When did you stop going to the theater

for the purposes of doing anything
for Mr. Rix?

Month and day.

Oof.

One of the things you're supposed to have,
Mr. Joyner, when you come to court,

and if you're suing for wages, is
you're supposed to have it right here.

Right in the front of your brain.
What date you started,

what date you stopped,
what hours you worked, what you did.

That's what you're supposed to have.
Do you understand?

[indistinct]

Okay. Mr. Rix, on what date
was the last date

you saw Mr. Joyner at your theater
doing anything?

Saturday, June 25th.

So, it would be a fair statement
that certain days

you saw him between
the 16th of June and the 25th of June.

Yes, ma'am.

Now, you told me about the 16th,
that you started working part-time.

'Cause you were back and forth
between your own business

and doing something for him, for which,
actually, he gave you free space

to sell your jewelry. Now,
you know, when you go someplace,

you usually pay for space
to sell your jewelry. Right?

Right.

Well, I mean, I know that because I've had
hundreds of cases involving people

who rent space in a theater or
under a tent or in a yard,

so that they can sell their jewelry.
He gave it to you for nothing.

Yes.

And you're back and forth
doing little errands for him on the 16th.

Like what? Sixteenth.

While you were selling your jewelry,
tell me what you did.

We worked the Jam Band for him
that night.

[Judy] Not a "we."
I don't want to hear a "we."

I worked the Jam Band that night.

He has a jazz band
that comes in and performs.

And what do you mean, "you worked"?

I worked the concession.
I opened, closed, bartended for him.

Anything that he was
calling me over to do, I was...

That's a little too loosey-goosey for me.

That's a little too loosey-goosey for me.
Okay, let's go.

What did he do, if you remember,
on the 16th?

On the 16th, 17th and 18th,
that's when they had their jewelry set up.

He did not work my concession stand
at all.

He did not work for me that time at all.

That's not true, Your Honor.

Don't speak. Do not speak.

Do you see I asked you questions, he was
quiet?

Now it's his turn to speak.
Now you have to be quiet.

Do you understand?

He worked Sunday, June 19th,
from nine to two,

which was five hours, that was brunch.
He worked June the 22nd.

Um, they were late,
they arrived at three-twelve.

[Judy]
They, you said they arrived.

They were both of them came that day.

On the twenty...?

- On June the 22nd.
- [Judy] Twenty-second.

- Mm-hmm.
- [Judy] Was that the first time

that both Mr. Joyner and Mr. Hendrickson
came together?

To work for me at the...
In a theater capacity, yes.

[Judy] Okay.
And that was June 19th?

That... No, that was June the 22nd.

Actually, I misspoke, I apologize.
They both worked June 19th for brunch.

They both worked June the 22nd.
On June the 24th,

he had a text meltdown,
and then he came to work

and worked five to nine.
I have their hours exactly.

Five to nine, and that's just Mr. Joyner
or both of them?

[Chris] They both came on June the 25th,
Your Honor.

[Judy]
And worked from when to when?

On the 25th, which was Saturday,
he worked from 5:20 to 10:30.

He passed on the concession opportunity
where he could've made more money.

No-no-no, but he worked doing what?

Oh, um, he followed, he trailed me.
I was trying to teach him managerial type,

uh, cash in, cash out, etcetera,
and the business situation

of the theater. 'Cause that's what he
proposed to me that he was educated to do.

You mean, managing a theater?

Yeah, just kinda help me
with open, close duties.

Um, overseeing that tasks are done
by the other employees, etcetera.

[Judy] Okay, so, it sounds as if
he and Mr. Hendrickson

worked for a limited number of days.

[Chris]
Correct.

How many days in total?

In the total project,
which was painting...

No-no, not painting,
just in the theater.

Joyner worked four days at the theater

and Harland worked three days
at the theater.

Uh, four, I beg your pardon.

- [Judy] Four?
- Yes, ma'am.

Your last day of work there
was the 25th of June?

[Noah]
Yes, ma'am. At the theater.

[Judy]
I'm talking about only the theater.

I think he worked 18 hours,
just at a quick glance here.

[Judy] Eighteen hours
during the four days?

- Yes, ma'am.
- And Mr. Hendrickson,

how many hours did he work?
And you don't have anything

in front of you, Mr. Hendrickson,
so I assume you have nothing.

No physical evidence, is that right?

- Correct, Your Honor.
- [Judy] All right. How many hours?

- Just under twelve, actually.
- [Judy] Say twelve hours.

So, one worked 18 hours,
one worked 12 hours.

Do you have any data to indicate
that those hours are wrong?

- No, ma'am.
- [Judy] Okay, great.

There was no actual documentation, like,
we didn't have a clock-in, clock-out.

but the 18 hours is not correct though.
We have no data.

- You have no data. He does.
- [Noah] Right.

It's not actual fact, it's not factual.

How do I know,
you're supposed to keep track.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Noah Joyner and
Harland Hendrickson

claim their former employer,
Christopher Rix,

owes for unpaid wages and vandalism.

Christopher is countersuing for damage
to his apartment complex and slander.

Okay. How much were you paid, Mr. Joyner,
because part of it is your wages

that you're requesting
for working in the theater.

How much, in total, did Mr. Rix pay you?

Two hundred and sixty-four dollars.

- [Judy] That's for the theater work?
- Yes, ma'am.

And how much, Mr. Hendrickson,
did Mr. Rix pay you?

Two hundred and four dollars.

Sarah, do math for me, would you, please?
Eighteen into two-sixty-four

and twelve into two-oh-four.

Now, on what date, Mr. Joyner, because
this is where it gets sort of fuzzy to me,

so, so far, this is what I'm getting:
That the three of you

were trying to start a business that was
marginally successful in selling jewelry.

So far, do we agree on that?

- Yes, ma'am.
- Yes, ma'am.

And as part of selling your jewelry,
you approached the Defendant,

and it was really a cold call.
You called a regular number,

not Mr. Rix personally,
and told him your story.

And he said, well, if you want to
come down, I'll give you free space

to sell your jewelry. And that was
within his theater area.

Yes, ma'am.

So, you would say that was
very nice of him.

Yes, ma'am.

And you worked for him and he showed you
the place, he showed you the books,

he showed you...
You started to do other things.

Now, at some point, this is where I go
a little fuzzy with you, Mr. Joyner.

And maybe you can help me understand you.
So, you have someone

who's been nothing but nice to you,
so far.

On what date did you file a complaint

with Alcohol and Beverage Control?

That was July 5th, 2022.

So, let me figure this out. So, you worked
for him at the theater until June 25th.

On July 5th, is that what you told me?

Well, after the 25th of June... So, we had
kind of like a weird period where I was...

We were trying to figure out if we still
wanted to finish the apartments for him.

No, no apartments.
We haven't gotten to the apartments yet.

I'm gonna get to the apartments.
'Cause he asked you to paint apartments

you went over there and
that's another part of your lawsuit.

- Just a second. Sarah Rose?
- [Sarah] Yeah.

How much did Mr. Joyner make per hour?

Fourteen sixty.

Minimum wage.

And Mr. Hendrickson would be $17 an hour.

- And he made $17 an hour.
- Correct.

For 12 hours at two hundred...

Those hours are not correct, Your Honor.

There was no documentation.
We did not have a clock-in, clock-out.

But the 18 hours is not correct, though.
We have no data.

- We have no data.
- You have no data.

- [Noah] Right.
- He does.

But there's no...
It's not actual fact. It's not factual.

I don't know whether it's factual. How do
I know? You're supposed to keep track.

Yes, ma'am.

But we're not the business owners.

Just a second. You... [chuckles]
You want the money.

Right now, he's paid you more than
the minimum wage for being around.

I mean, the theater ran for how many years
before they worked for you for six days?

It's been about a year and a half.
I bought it during COVID.

[Judy] And this was your first time
working in a theater?

Yes, ma'am.

Yeah. So, you had no fund of information.
He wasn't paying you for expertise.

He was paying you for those few days
and you were following him around,

opening, closing a stand,
whatever you were doing,

and you were paid more than
the minimum wage.

Which is, I assume, more than you made
selling your jewelry

for the three days you were there.

- Yes, ma'am. Right.
- [Judy] Right.

I'm still gonna wait for this answer,
because at some point after,

after you stopped working for him
at the theater,

and after you had mulled over
some information

that you thought you had acquired
while you were working for him,

I want you to do a step-by-step,

why you contacted the authorities,

because he does have an alcohol license,
right?

I assume, if you have an alcohol,
if you contact...

Don't look at each other.
Just look at me.

I'm actually the nastiest one here.

Agree. [laughs]

Well...

[scattered chuckles]

So, Alcohol Beverage Control...
So, what information, sir,

did you give Alcohol Beverage Control
that caused the investigation?

Your Honor, he was not the one that called
them, I was.

We both called. So,
what happened during the time

that we were working those four days,
he would serve other people alcohol.

He would get on our asses
about ID-ing people,

how to sign the papers for ABC,
everything.

I made sure to take a picture
of the number.

I didn't take a picture of
the whole document.

What are you talking about?
What document?

The ABC paper. Whenever
we had to sign the paper

saying that if we didn't ID someone and
the ABC came in and found out about it,

we would be fined and we would be
held responsible, not Chris.

We had to sign those papers.

Okay, so? You signed the paper...

After we signed that, we noticed Chris was
still giving out free alcohol to people,

pouring it, wasn't even checking
people's IDs.

So, I called the ABC and I said,

I think there's suspicion
that he's giving minors alcohol.

'Cause there were people there
that were 19 years old

that were coming up to us saying, "Oh,
yeah, we're 19 but we're cool with Chris."

And stuff like that. And ways, like they
had a way with Chris, or whatever.

Friends with Chris. We just started
working there, we don't know the regulars.

We don't know what the life is like.

I'm just trying to think of why
you would do that.

For somebody who was...
Forget whether I believe you or not.

Forget the loosey-goosey
of what you just told me.

Maybe he said...
I'm, I'm cool with Chris...

We have a recording that he admitted to
giving our 19-year-old employees alcohol.

- 'Cause he said...
- [Judy] And? And?

Just tell me. And? I want to know
why you called them on July 5th.

You were no longer there.
Did that have to do with the painting?

Was that before or after
you started painting?

That was after we started painting.

Of course it was
after you started painting. Now,

so, let's go to the second part
of your lawsuit.

The second part of your lawsuit involves
the work that you both did for him.

You have an apartment complex,
Mr. Rix.

- Correct.
- And that apartment complex

contains how many apartments?

Twenty. I bought it as a rehab.
It was completely vacant and...

[Judy] At the time that you asked them
if they wanted to paint it,

- it was vacant? All twenty units?
- Correct.

Tell me, how did you approach Mr. Rix,
or he you,

about this house painting job.

We were trying to get away
from all the stuff that we were seeing

and hearing at the theater,
so we asked if he had other jobs for us.

He said he had apartments
that needed to be painted last week.

And if we could get in there
and finish them, great.

[Judy] Okay. Now, I'm gonna
come back to what you just told me.

You just told me that you saw things
at the theater

that he served somebody that you know,
who was 19, alcohol.

And that was very distressing to you.
So distressing

that you said to him,
do you have any other work for us.

It wasn't just that instance, no, ma'am.

How many hours did you work
on each of those days, Mr. Hendrickson?

I do not remember the hours
for the days,

but I calculated all the hours together
and it was 52.

Well then, you know how many hours
you worked.

Technically, yes.

What do you mean, "technically, yes"?

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Noah Joyner
and Harland Hendrickson

claim their former employer,
Christopher Rix,

owes for unpaid wages and vandalism.

Christopher is countersuing for damage
to his apartment complex and slander.

Okay. Did he take you over
to paint the complex in handcuffs?

Did he take you over there in a van?
Did you ask him for additional work?

He's the only person, really,
in Hot Springs, Arkansas

that we felt like we could relate to
and feel comfortable working for.

[Judy] Hey, hey, hey.
I asked you a very simple question.

Give me a very simple answer.
Did you ask him for more work?

Yes.

And did he say I have an apartment complex
that needs painting?

Yes.

[Judy]
And did you agree on a price?

Yes, ma'am.

And what was the name of the last person
that you did painting for?

House painting.

I did it for my parents when we
built our house, but that's about...

I also painted a room once, in
my dining room when I was 24 years old.

I actually thought
I did a pretty good job.

I would not hire myself out
as a house-painter,

but because I painted my
parents' living room when I was 12.

So, the answer is, you had no...

He was asking us to paint
because he couldn't find someone else

to paint for him
'cause he wasn't paying people.

I didn't ask Noah to paint.

That's correct, Your Honor.

- [laughing] Sir... Sir...
- I was not asked to paint, no.

Mr. Joyner, you know what your problem is?
Your problem is you were dissatisfied

with what you saw at his theater,
and then you went...

So I shouldn't've reported it
to the ABC?

Now I'm speaking. You were dissatisfied
with what you saw at his theater.

While you were there, working
at the theater, you did nothing about it.

Zero. Even if it was true,
you did nothing about it.

We didn't want to lose our jobs
at the time, Your Honor.

You didn't have jobs at the time.
You stopped working for him

on the 25th of June.

You didn't call Alcohol until July 5th,
you said.

So, you were no longer working for him
in the theater.

So, it didn't start to bother you, really,
June 22nd, June 23rd,

June 24th, June 25th, the 26th, the 27th,

- the 28th, 29th, 30th...
- That's incorrect, Your Honor.

All the way up until July 5th. That's...

The ABC report was not just filed by me
and it wasn't just on July 5th.

There was also another instance
where it was filed earlier,

but that was with them and
there's no evidence about that.

- You filed July 5th.
- Yes, ma'am.

Now you're gonna tell me what happened
with the painting,

because you finished the painting
kerfuffle, happened in July. That right?

Correct.

It was after the painting kerfuffle
that you called Alcohol Beverage.

Yes, ma'am. Well, it was during,
it was during.

- [Judy] What?
- It was during, kind of, almost...

[blubbers] You're getting the feeling
that...

It wasn't just me that filed a report
with ABC.

Well, just a second. You mean, one of
these other people who was also jobless.

- Yes.
- Harland filed.

I don't care. Nobody was filed...

So, we shouldn't've reported it?

[Judy] No, I'm trying to get to
your motive, sir.

- If it was so abhorrent...
- [Noah] My motive...

- Don't... Don't try to speak over me.
- I am just owed what... I worked for.

Don't try to speak over me.
That doesn't work.

So far, you're not owed a thing
for the theater.

Now we're getting to the painting.
I'm just trying to see

what motivates somebody,
and I'm not excusing the fact

that if Mr. Rix serves alcohol to minors,
that that's not a good thing to do.

He can get into real difficulty.
They conducted an investigation

- as a result of the calls?
- Absolutely.

All I have to ask you is this:
Do you still have your liquor license?

Absolutely.

- [Judy] Okay. Was it ever revoked?
- No.

I have multiple in the state of Arkansas.

So, you're not owed any money
for the theater,

Now we're going to get to the paint.

When did you start painting
in the complex? Date?

June 27th, 2022.

Six-twenty-seven.
Did you paint there 6/28?

- Yes.
- Did you paint there alone

- or with Mr. Hendrickson?
- Mr. Hendrickson.

- [Judy] Is that correct, sir?
- Yes, Your Honor.

Did you paint on June 29th?

- Yes, Your Honor.
- Yes, Your Honor.

[Judy] Did you paint
after June 29th?

- No, Your Honor.
- So you painted there for three days.

- Is that correct?
- Actually five days that I was there.

- I started on the 23rd.
- I was there for three.

And did you work the 23rd?

I worked the 23rd through the 29th.
Seven days.

[Judy]


- Yes, ma'am. Yes.
- [Judy] So you worked weekends.

Did you work weekends?

I worked the 23rd through the 29th.
Seven days.

[Judy]
Well, seven days... Just a second.

Pay attention to me. Seven days includes
a weekend, Saturday and Sunday.

- Did you work Saturday and Sunday?
- Yes. Yes, I did, Your Honor.

Not Sunday.

I'm gonna go back to you.
Did you work Saturday and Sunday?

I worked the morning of Sunday and
I left three hours after getting there.

Okay. So, forget Sunday. Now,
how many hours did you work

on each of those days, Mr. Hendrickson?

I do not remember the hours for the days,

but I calculated all the hours together
and it was 52.

Let me understand what you
just said to me.

You don't know how many hours in each day,

but you calculated them together
and came up to 52 hours.

Would you repeat what he said to me
because it's mind-boggling to me.

He said, "I do not remember the hours
for the days,

but I calculated all the hours together
and it was 52."

Now, how do you calculate all the...
Bup-bup-bup!

I just needed to be able to speak.

You didn't let me ask my question, sir.
How do you calculate up to 52

when you don't remember how many hours
you worked each day?

Looking at the text messages and
seeing when I got there and when I left.

Because I texted him when
I opened the doors and when I locked up.

[Judy] Well then, you know
how many hours you worked.

- Technically.
- What?

Technically, yes.

What do you mean, "technically, yes"?

'Cause they're not completely correct.
I didn't text him right when I got there

and I didn't text him
right when I was leaving.

I texted him when I got home
or after I had started.

Okay. Let's go back.

[narrator]
To be continued...

Want justice?


[theme music playing]