03x18 - Money, Mischief, and a One-Eyed Cat and The Harley and the Frenchie

[bunniefuu]

[cat purring]

What did you do to her cat?

Well, I didn't do anything.

Wow.

Yes, you did.

All right, I definitely fell on her cat.

I wouldn't beat a cat,
I wouldn't hit the cat.

You tell me.

-I don't know.
-I don't know either.

[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Dejuan Swarn is suing
his ex-girlfriend, Malinna Mack,

for stolen money after using his Cash App.

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

Have a seat, everyone.

Hello, Judge.
Case 3023, Swarn versus Mack.

-Thank you.
-[Kevin] You're welcome.


is your former girlfriend

and you claim that she stole money
from your Cash App.

-Yes.
-She denies that she took the money

and she counterclaiming
because she says that you injured her cat.

She wants you to pay the vet bills.

That's correct.

[Judy]
Were you and Ms. Mack living together?

Yes, we was living together
for about three years,

-uh, maybe a little over.
-[Judy] Okay.

-At her apartment?
-[Dejuan] Yes.

Who else was living with you?

Her two children. Her two daughters.

So tell me about the withdrawal
from your Cash App.

When did that happen?

All right, so around March 9th
this happened.

-March 9th of 2023?
-[Dejuan] Yes.

So, around March 6th, I text her,

and asked her information
about my Cash App.

The reason why I did that...

Well, I didn't text her,
I messaged her on Facebook.

The reason why I did that,
I didn't have a phone at the time.

She had the phone
that I was using at the time

that had that Cash App on there

and any other information
about anything with me.

Why did she have your phone?

Uh, about a week prior,
we broke up completely this time.

Uh, it was on and off before that.

At this week, we was...
Pretty much she was just done with me.

Why did she have your phone?

[Dejuan]
Technically, it's not my phone.

It's her phone that she's allowed me
to use because I wasn't able...

[Judy]
Okay, so it's her phone.

[Dejuan] Yes.

And on her phone you had the information
with regard to your Cash App.

-Yes.
-[Judy] Okay. Now you've broken up

and you texted her
or you put something on Facebook.

-Yeah, I messaged her on Facebook.
-[Judy] Messaged her and said,

-"What happened to my money?"
-[Dejuan] No, no.

I messaged her because I needed to know...
I didn't have any information

about what was on my Cash App.

That's mainly where I have my money.

So I needed to know what was on
my Cash App so I could put gas in the car,

get to work for that week and so forth.

So I did ask her, I said,
"Hey, what's on the Cash App?"

She definitely texted me back.

She said "I can't look on your Cash App
without the confirmation."

I thought at this point she already had
the confirmation code

because she has used it before,

but I could be wrong
or she could have forgot,

so I did give her the confirmation.

So you gave her the ability
to take money out of your Cash App

by giving her the confirmation.

Uh, technically, yes, I did...

Tech... Not technically,
yes, you gave her the ability

-to take money out of your Cash App.
-[Dejuan] Yes.

[Judy] And this was after
you had broken up already?

-[Dejuan] Yes.
-And on what date

did you give her that confirmation number?

March 6th.

And when was the money removed
from your Cash App?

[Dejuan] March 9th.

-[Judy] How much money was removed?
-Three thousand dollars.

-Even?
-[Dejuan] Yes.

An even 3,000.

-May I see it, please?
-[Dejuan] Yes.

Also, I have this first page...

[Judy]
Just sh... Just show me the money first.

-Okay.
-We're gonna do this in my order.

Because I'm a very orderly person.

Would you look this up for me, please?

Sure, I can't see it from here...

What's your name, by the way?

Nevaeh.

I have the, you know, the Bizapedia,
the company name.

It says Janae Hornes as a company contact.

How long have you known Ms. Hornes?

Um, I've known her for, like,
four, maybe five years.

When you were dating the plaintiff,
did you ever introduce her to him?

-Yes.
-[Judy] How often?

Um, they didn't really get along
the first time they met,

so, um, I didn't really have her come over
too much after that,

unless I was, like, buying her artwork
or candles from her.

-[Judy] Okay, so they didn't have...
-Um, or if she stopped in town.

So they met. He didn't like her.
She didn't like him.

-They didn't...
-[Malinna] Yeah, but...

Just a second. So they had
very little contact, she was your friend?

-Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] Right?

-"Uh-huh" is not an answer.
-[Malinna] Yes.

I would like you to tell me how $3,000
got taken out of his Cash App

to your friend.

Just second... And I want you
to think about this, Ms. Mack.

I've been living on this planet
for four score. That's a long time.

You may not know that,
but it's a long time.

And I've been around this business
a long time.

-[Malinna] Mm-hmm.
-If it walks like a duck

and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

-Do you understand?
-Yes, ma'am.

How did his $3,000 get to your friend?

-Well...
-[Judy] No, don't look up here.

-Don't look here.
-[Malinna] Okay, his...

How did his $3,000 get to your friend

between the 6th and the 9th of March?

Well, between the 6th
and the 9th of March,

Dejuan was trying to contact me
and come back over

and apologize and work things out,
this, this, and that.

And that's what I allowed him to do

because I didn't want to believe that...

[Judy]
Would you please tell me how his $3,000

ended up with your friend
between the 6th and the 9th of March.

-He sent it to her. He sent it to her.
-Don't give me a whole story.

-He sent it to her?
-He sent it to her.

And now, would you tell me how

somebody who doesn't particularly,
according to you, like your friend,

so you kept them apart.

Tell me how and why
he would send her that money.

You tell me.

-I don't know.
-[Judy] I don't know either.

-Three thousand dollars on your side.
-[Dejuan] Exactly.

[Judy]
Yeah. Three... Just a second.

Three thousand dollars on your side.
So far.

Now we're going to get to a counterclaim.

And I have to tell you this,
I don't like liars.

You lie to me once,
I believe very little of what you say,

except when it comes to injuring animals,

which is what your counterclaim is about.

-Mr. Swarn...
-[Dejuan] Yes.

...something happened while you were
living with the plaintiff with her cat,

which caused
an initial kerfuffle with her.

-Yes.
-And that was around February or March.

Uh, it was late February.

She wasn't home.
What did you do to her cat?

Well, I didn't do anything.

Yes, you did.

-Well, it was an accident that happened.
-I don't care whether it was an accident

-or on purpose.
-[Dejuan] Okay.

I was all wet, I was running out into
the room which was next to the bathroom,

and then I pretty much slipped.

My knees went first
and my back went back, just like that.

I did not even know I hit the cat.

[narrator]
And later today.

You paid for this 2001 Harley

with a marijuana derivative.

Along with $1,500 cash, Your Honor, yes.

So I want you to show me
where you get $1,500 in cash from.

I don't have that with me, Your Honor. I...

Well, this is the dance, sir.
There's not an encore to this dance.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Dejuan Swarn
claims his ex-girlfriend, Malinna Mack,

owes for stolen money
from using his Cash App.

Malinna is counter suing Dejuan
for vet bills and emotional distress.

What did you do to her cat?

All right, I definitely fell on her cat.

-[Judy] You fell on it?
-[Dejuan] Yes.

[Judy]
How did you... Just a second.

How did you fall...?
I want you to explain to me...

-Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] ...how you fell on her cat.

[Dejuan]
Okay, no one was home.

-I work two jobs...
-[Judy] Don't...

[Dejuan]
I... I... I know...

Just get to how you fell on her cat.

I was in the shower
and I was waiting on a phone call.

It was a Zoom meeting.

And when I heard my phone, I automatically
jumped out not thinking about anything,

opened the door
because the bathroom is not that huge.

So I jump out the shower, open the door.

The cat was right there.
I did not see the cat

'cause if I'd seen the cat,
I would not have ran out.

I was all wet.

I was running out into the room
which was next to the bathroom,

and then I pretty much slipped.

My knees went first
and my back went back, just like that.

I did not even know I hit the cat.

The cat must have ran initially
when I got up

because when I got up,
I was just holding my back

and went into the room,
I didn't see the cat.

Several moments later, I was on the phone
with the defensive...

Defendant, sorry.

And I look over, the cat was
on the couch just sitting there,

and I see blood in his eye.

I said, "Hey, there's something wrong
with the cat."

I initially told her, "Hey, I don't know
what's going on."

I didn't see anything that happened.

I know I didn't do anything purposely
or anything like that to the cat.

I wouldn't beat a cat,
I wouldn't hit the cat.

None of that stuff.
I would not do anything like that,

knowing how much her daughters
and she like that cat.

Matter of fact,
coming into this relationship,

-that was one of the biggest things.
-[Judy] Okay.

What happened to the cat?

I was at the store on...

[Judy]
No, I know you were at the store

and I know he told you something
went wrong with the cat.

You took the cat to the vet
when you got home,

and you have a report for me
from the vet?

-Yes.
-I'd like to see it.

[Malinna] Um...

[Judy] Cash payment 58, cash payment 60,
cash payment 155.

And you gave her $500?

-Yes, I did.
-[Judy] Show me proof of that.

Here's one. I have another one.

Just give me one second.

Here it is.

-March 8th, he sent you $500.
-[Malinna] Yes.

[Judy]
Yeah, that covers your vet bill.

More than covers this vet bill.

-[Malinna] He sent me that...
-Okay.

He sent me that because
he was staying with me.

He was supposed to be paying me
while he was staying with me.

Yeah.

Judgment for the plaintiff
in the amount of $3,000.

-[Dejuan] Thank you.
-[Malinna] Wow.

-[Judy] Thank you. We're done.
-[Kevin] This court is adjourned.

Wow.

Well, what happened to the cat was
he supposedly fell on him,

which I have other evidence
stating that it wasn't...

It couldn't have been due to a fall.

Uh, it was an accident
that actually happened.

Because I knew that it was an accident
involving me,

I did pay for the damages.

That Cash App situation
has nothing to do with me.

That actually has to do with the person
that... that he sent it to.

I have no idea. Maybe that's her way
of masking her from...

Showing me that she stole the money.
Uh, I don't know.

I think it was very clear from
the plaintiff's first initial story

that he didn't intentionally harm the cat.

He didn't seem the type.

His story matched up,

and honestly, the defendant seemed
like she was just a money-hungry...

She got $3,000 from him.

-She took $3,000 out of his account...
-Mm-hmm.

...and she gave it to her friend...
her friend who gave it back to her.

As if she didn't think
one of us would figure out

that we know that person,
she knows that person,

-it went back to her.
-Right. Well, maybe.

It is an interesting argument.

I want to look up some other
legal cases involving money

from Cash App, Venmo, that sort of thing

because would it be misappropriation

because technically she did have
the login, of funds,

or just larceny,
just stealing of the money.

Well, it is... It is larceny,

and she attempted to cover that
by sending it to a friend,

rather than taking it out personally.

-Anyway...
-The right thing happened in the end.

The right thing happened in the end
except the cat was really injured.

-Injured. An accident's an accident...
-The cat was really injured.

...but he did send the $500
for the bill that was accurate, so...

Right. And more than accurate.

Case number 3031,
Brandenburg, McLaughlin versus Erwin Jr.

All parties please step forward.

[narrator] Christopher Brandenburg
and Victoria McLaughlin

are suing their motorcycle buyer,
Carter Erwin Jr.,

for stealing a 2001
Harley-Davidson Heritage.

Mr. Brandenburg,
you're suing the defendant for $10,000.

I've read your complaint
half a dozen times.

I still couldn't figure it out.

Mr. Erwin, your counterclaiming
for $10,000.

I read your answer 1,000 times.

I can't figure out
what you're suing each other for.

The only thing I could manage
to put together,

this has something to do with motorcycles.

Correct.

And it has something to do
with a French bulldog,

and something called "shatter,"

which I have no idea what it was,

except that you wrote in your answer

that he took your
$7,000 worth of shatter,

which is a marijuana extract.

Okay, so I'm going to give you each
five minutes

to make your best case so that
I understand what your case is about

because it wasn't clear.

Go!

Okay, uh, we, uh...

Myself and Carter made a deal
on a motorcycle.

So we made a deal
and he never followed through on...

Okay, so he never followed through
on the deal.

Do you have that deal in writing?

-No, it was all verbal.
-[Judy] No.

And how much was the deal for?

Nine thousand
for the Harley-Davidson Shovelhead.

And then what happened?

So I live in Sunnyside, Washington.
He lives in Salem, Oregon.

So we traveled back to my place
and he's seen the bike

and he decided he liked it
and wanted it.

So he had no transportation
back to his place,

so he borrowed my wife's van
to travel back.

So we had a verbal agreement on that.

Did he... Just a second.
Did he take the bike?

-No, he did not take the bike.
-Did he ever take the bike?

No, I delivered the bike.

[Judy]
Does he still have possession of the bike?

-No.
-Where is it now?

[Christopher]
It is at my place.

-[Judy] So you have it back?
-Yes, I retrieved it.

Okay, next.

When he returned the van
a few days later, November 4th,

and he had no transportation back,

so I let him borrow
my 2001 Harley-Davidson Heritage.

Okay, so you have the first bike back,

-but you don't have the 2001.
-Correct.

-When I went down... I apologize.
-Shh. Shh.

-You took the dog back.
-We took the dog back.

Just a second.
You have the dog now?

I have placed the dog in a different home,
but yes, I had the dog.

Probably better off
without both of you.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Christopher Brandenburg
and Victoria McLaughlin

claim their motorcycle buyer,
Carter Erwin Jr.,

stole their Harley-Davidson Heritage.

Carter is countersuing,
claiming Christopher stole his marijuana

and a French bulldog.

Do you have, or did you have,
possession of his 2001 Harley?

Yes, Your Honor, I did.

Do you still have it?

No... Look, don't look down.
Do you still have it?

-No, I don't.
-[Judy] Where is it?

-Uh...
-Uh!

[Carter]
It's at a guy's house that I know.

It was sold, basically,

because I didn't have the paperwork on it
like I was supposed to receive.

-I paid for these motorcycles.
-[Judy] Just a second.

You paid the $9,000 for the first one?

Shh, shh.

I paid in product, Your Honor,
with shatter.

-Uh-uh.
-[Judy] You paid in product?

Yeah, with the concentrated
marijuana, shatter.

-[Victoria] No.
-Show me.

Show me an agreement
between the two of you.

-It was all verbal, Your Honor.
-[Judy] Sir.

Show me the agreement between... Okay.

-It was all verbal.
-[Judy] Fine.

Unless I have it in writing, I don't care.

Do you have anything in writing
to show me that you paid

for this motorcycle?

Here's some of the evidence of the jars
of shatter that were taken from my house.

-[Judy] No, I don't care about that.
-Okay.

[Judy]
I don't care about pictures of it.

Also, I have pictures of him
dropping the Harley...

the Shovelhead off at my house.

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

Would you put them out, please?

This way, please.

I don't listen to muttering. Goodbye.

Is what you're telling me

that you paid for this 2001 Harley,

which you have,
with a marijuana derivative?

Along with $1,500 cash, Your Honor, yes.

So I want you to show me
where you get $1,500 in cash from.

Well, see, we didn't do receipts,
we didn't do a written contract.

We didn't have any...

[Judy]
I didn't ask you that.

I want you to show me where you got
$1,500 in cash from.

You have a bank account?

You withdrew $1,500 from the bank account.
That's all I want to see.

I don't have that with me,
Your Honor. I...

Well, this is the dance, sir.
There's not an encore to this dance.

-There's only one dance.
-[Victoria] Okay, we have a text message

saying he was gonna pay us $9,000.

-[Judy] May I...
-He was gonna transfer it.

-[Judy] May I see it, please?
-You sure may.

Okay, easy.

-[Victoria] This bottom one right here.
-Easy.

[Judy] Yeah, November 2nd. You told him
that you were going to transfer $9,000.

Yes, and then that's when I went
to Sunnyside and I took shatter with me

because I didn't have the money
at that time to cover it.

Ah, don't be ridiculous! I don't believe
a word you're saying to me.

[Carter] Okay.

All right. Now we're gonna
talk about the dog.

Tell me about the dog.

It was an eight-and-a-half-month-old,
according to what I read, French bulldog.

I'm the one that dealt with the dog stuff,
can I step over?

Who owns the dog?

I do, I have, um...

-Fine, then you can... Just a second.
...paperwork from...

[Christopher]
Yeah, let... let her.

-Transfer over there.
-Sorry.

Tell me what happened
on the 28th of October with this dog.

Carter expressed that he would like
a French bulldog or a...

-[Judy] Who's Carter?
-Carter.

And so we discussed
him being a guardian home.

A guardian home is where
they keep the dog.

They feed it, water it, take care of it.

It stays in their home
and then when I'm going to breed it,

I get to breed the dog
and then after one breeding,

then they own the dog free and clear.

So that's what we had agreed on

is that he's supposed
to feed and water the dog.

The food has to be of a certain quality.

It has to have a backyard.
It has to be fenced.

They have to own their own home,
yada, yada.

Anyway, we found out from Carter's sister

that he does not own his home,
that there is not a fenced yard

-and he...
-You took the dog back?

-[Victoria] We took the dog back.
-Just a second.

Is it correct, Mr. Erwin...

Because there's a dispute about...

You have the dog now.

I have placed the dog in a different home,
but yes, I had the dog.

Probably better off
without both of you.

They have the dog back
for all intents and purposes.

Whatever she did with this poor creature
that is clearly just being used for money,

you had possession of for a while
and you had an agreement

that you could keep the dog
after one litter?

Yeah. The, um...

I have a full fenced-in back yard.

-[Judy] Just a second. I don't care.
-Oh, sorry.

-[Judy] Just answer my question.
-Yes.

-[Judy] That was your agreement? Yeah.
-Yup.

And when they came
to get the motorcycle back,

they took the dog back with them?

Uh, yeah.

You have a counterclaim.
You want the dog.

-[Carter] Yeah.
-You can't have it.

The dog has gone now
to some other poor home

because none of you really have this dog's
best interest at heart as a pet.

You're using it to make money.

That's it.

Okay, so this is my ruling
in this very complicated case.

They're going to get
their motorcycle back.

They're going to get that because
you're going to tell me

a neutral location and a time and a date

when and where they should pick it up.

-Tell me now.
-Uh, let's say, the 15th.

-Fifteenth of this month?
-[Carter] Yeah.

Fifteenth. Where should they pick it up?

Anywhere. Anywhere in Salem.

-Um...
-[Victoria] The police station?

-[Judy] Police station. Great.
-[Carter] Yeah, that would work.

[Judy]
What time of day?

Uh, say, by noontime.

Noon. High noon!

High noon on the 15th.
Motorcycle transfer.

The puppy is in another home.
This case is over.

-Goodbye.
-[Kevin] This court is adjourned.

I thought she was firm but fair.

I mean, everything he said was fabricated.

Well, I don't agree with it, but it is
what it is and I'll make it right.

That the girlfriend handed the dog over.

He never owned the dog,

he was supposed to be
being a guardian home for it.

Well, they didn't give me
an opportunity to.

They just came to my house, physically
took the dog out of my old lady's hands.

And he wasn't treating the dog
how we felt was appropriate.

There isn't a friendship.

Oh, it's done and over.

I would suggest
nobody do business with that guy

or even, you know, associate with him.

[Judy]
You know I don't care about motorcycles.

They'll each get their motorcycles back...

-They'll be fine.
-...and I really don't care.

And I certainly don't care about shatter,

although I'm glad I learned
what the term meant

'cause at my age
to learn a new thing every day,

-it keeps you...
-Mm-hm. Learn something new every day.

What I am so sad about is, you know,

every decade or so,
there's a popular dog...

Mm-hmm.

...you know, that everybody's got to have,
it's the dog.

Mm-hmm.

And then people started to breed them

-as hobby sports.
-Mm-hmm.

And they don't know
anything about breeding.

-Yeah.
-You know, as an animal person,

that these little creatures

won't have a chance to have
any sort of a pleasant, normal life

because they're gonna be used for breeding
and then discarded,

it actually outrages me.

[narrator]
Have you been cheated?



[theme music playing]