03x28 - Child's View of Divorce Violence and m*rder Trial Attire

[bunniefuu]

-She came at me in an aggressive way.
-That's not true.

[Judge Judy] You can't do that.

I got intimidated.

You had no right to put your hands on him.

This is an ongoing thing
in front of our son.

You do know that that's traumatic
for a three-year-old?

[announcer] This is Judge Judy Justice.

Alejandro Maravilla
is suing his ex-wife, Ana Maravilla,

for vandalism and as*ault.

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

Have a seat, please.

Hello, Judge.
Case 3061, Maravilla versus Maravilla.

-Mr. Maravilla.
-Yes, Your Honor.

You and the defendant are now divorced,
you have one child.

That's correct, Your Honor.

How old is the child?

He's three. He's gonna be four.

-Who has primary custody of that child?
-She does.

Is that pursuant
to the judgement of divorce?

We have a custody agreement.

-Uh, where...
-Okay.

This is what you allege in your petition.

You allege that it took a while
to enforce your visitation with your son.

And during the first exchange,

where you were supposed
to have him for a weekend...

-Correct.
-...that the defendant keyed your car.

That is correct, Your Honor.

You went to her home to pick up the child?

Yes, that's correct.

And your petition says
that either you or your former wife

-put him in his car seat.
-Correct.

-Who put him in his car seat?
-I put him in the car.

No, I put him in the car.

-You put him in the car?
-Yes.

Okay. And then, for some reason,
you took him out of the car seat.

Yes.

Tell me why
you took him out of the car seat.

It was my first weekend
I was not gonna sleep with him,

spend the night, so I was kinda sad.

So I came five minutes early,

So, I told his dad, is that okay,
can I give you a hug?

And he started like, "No, no."

He's screaming to me, and say like,
"No, he's all ready to go."

He's like, "Okay, you wanna give a hug?
Take it to the car."

That's why I take him out of the car.

You took him out of the car.

You do know that your hysteria
was traumatic for a three-year-old?

-Uh...
-Yes.

Put him in his father's car,

and if he hadn't been away from you,
that's traumatic for a child.

So now he's in the car
and he's in his car seat.

Nobody says he's crying.

Nobody says he's hysterical.

You say, "I wanted
to give him one more hug."

And take him out of the car seat
just to give him one more hug.

No, okay. He was crying. He was crying.

I was talking to him,
saying you're gonna go with Daddy.

You need to understand
it's your daddy's weekend.

Daddy love you
and Daddy need to spend time with you.

And Mommy love you
and you need to spend time with Mommy.

So I was talking to him...

Yeah, okay. How long had it been
since his father had him for the weekend?

He will see him every week
and call him every day,

but nothing like going to his house
to spend the night.

Why?

Because when we separated
we got an agreement

that he can see him every day.

-He has issues...
-[Judge Judy] Just a second.

He can see him every day,
that's what you said,

but he wanted to take him.

Did he have to go to court
for an order of visitation?

-Yes. Because... Yes.
-Yes. Okay.

So the answer is yes. So, okay.

So, now you take him out of the car,

and you say that it was at that point
that she keyed the car.

-That's correct, Your Honor.
-Tell me what you saw.

I get there early. I picked him up.

She wanted to take him out of the car
for five minutes.

I said take him out.

As soon as she takes him out,
I hear something loud, like a scrape,

and I looked back
and there was a scrape on my car.

-Do you have a photograph of it?
-I also have a video of it.

[Judge Judy] I wanna see that.

-But you called the police.
-Correct.

The police arrived, Ms. Maravilla,

and you told the police
that you would pay for the damage.

I didn't. I was intimidated because...

You already told me,
I'm just letting you know.

You swore in your answer

that you told the police
that you would pay for the damage.

-Yeah, I was...
-That's what you swore.

You said, "I was intimidated..."

-Because he said I wanna press charges.
-Yes.

Then they convinced him

that if she says
she'll pay for the damage,

will you drop the charges?
He said yes.

-Yes, but... Yeah, but, I mean, I didn't...
-I don't care.

-I know, but it was not my... Yeah.
-It was not mine. Okay.

-Now I'll see the video.
-[Ana] Okay.

-Is this the video of that day?
-[Alejandro] That's correct, your Honor.

So I'm right there, um, she has...

-Just a second, I can see.
-Sorry.

I just wanna see the video.

[Alejandro] This is the second video,
Your Honor.

Oh, no, I don't wanna look...
I wanna go back to the other one.

Now go slowly, frame by frame.

Slowly. Frame by frame.

There's the hand.

Her hand, on the car.

-Absolutely.
-[Ana] I don't...

I don't care what you see,
that's what I see.

[Alejandro] I have the police report,
Your Honor.

-Can I see...
-And, uh, the key.

I don't see... I just closed the door.

-I don't see anything like I did with...
-Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I don't see anything.

I don't see... I was closing the door.

[Judge Judy] This was the police report.

"Ana admitted that she may have
accidentally scratched the door."

-I got intimidated. Honestly, it was...
-I don't care.

It was 20 people, I mean,


and he was trying to put charges on me.

So I said okay, I'll pay him.

[Judge Judy] Good,
and you're gonna pay him.

May I see the bill for the scratched door?

Oh, and there's the scratch on the car.

-Did you have it fixed?
-Not yet, Your Honor.

Why not?

Because she said
she was gonna pay for the damages.

Okay.

The next thing that you're suing her for
is for an as*ault.

-That's correct, Your Honor.
-Tell me what happened.

Um, she was doing a pick-up at my house.

I usually park across from her,
to keep our distance.

She crossed the street to come to me.

She yelled at me 'cause I gave her
a check with her maiden name.

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

You gave her a support check

and the last name
you put on the check was what?

Her mai... Her single name.
So, Sanchez.

-Not her married name?
-Right.

I told her I was gonna go get it,
she didn't want to let me go.

I dropped off my son to her.

She came at me in an aggressive way.
I took out my phone to record.

As soon as she saw I was gonna record,
she tried to grab my phone.

I moved it.

She didn't grab my phone,
but she did scratch me on the back.

-That was also caught on camera.
-[Judge Judy] I'd like to see it.

That's the check.

-Is that's what's in the hand?
-Yes, correct.

Yeah, you can't do that, Ms. Maravilla.

I know, but he was recording me.

-He's not allowed to record me.
-Just a second.

You only have to say, "You can't do that."

If he didn't have this recording
you'd tell me a whole different story.

You can't do that.

-He's not allowed to record me.
-I'm telling you, you can't do that.

You can't put your hands on somebody.

I'm not putting hands...

He was recording me and then I just
dropped with my hand his phone.

You don't seem to understand me.

If you don't say, "I understand you,
that I can't put my hands on somebody..."

-But...
-You may complain, madam,

that he's not allowed to record you.

And you may take that case someplace,

which they're going to dismiss.

But you can't put your hands
on another person ever.

-I didn't.
-Oh, yes, you did.

I mean, I did it... No, I did it,
but it was not like...

because he was recording me.

-Is there something wrong with you?
-No, I understand that.

You can't put your hands on somebody.

[theme music playing]

He insulted me too.
I had, like, texts, that he texted me.

Right now he's mad because child support
is taking the money away from his account.

[Judge Judy] I'm telling you,
it sounds to me

like you're a perpetual victim
in your own mind.

[announcer] And later today...

Your anger is directed
at the wrong person, Ms. Mello.

I don't know the circumstances
surrounding the death of Kenny,

but your son was convicted by 12 people.

And the judge found the circumstances
of that conviction egregious enough

to sentence him to 50 years to life.

That's who your anger
should be directed against, your son.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Alejandro Maravilla claims
his ex-wife, Ana Maravilla,

keyed his Tesla and assaulted him.

Ana is countersuing Alejandro
for filing a false restraining order.

If he put his hands on you
and you were defending yourself,

of course, you have to defend yourself.

He didn't put his hands on you, at all.

You did come to him in an aggressive way.

You came with a check, he gave...
Let's play it again, Sam.

There's the check.

He's getting your son.

Now the son is out of the car.

Showing you the check
with the wrong name.

What did you do with the wrong name?

You can't do that.

-You have photographs of the scratch?
-I don't, Your Honor.

-I do have the police report.
-I'd like to see it.

They granted me
a temporary restraining order also.

-Did it become final?
-No, it didn't.

There wasn't enough,
according to the judge.

-I have the... When I filed also...
-Just a second.

According to the police report
you had two small scratches on your neck.

That's correct, Your Honor.

But this is an ongoing thing
when our exchanges are for our custody.

And it's always in front of our son.

-And I don't think that's right.
-[Judge Judy] Okay. Now,

you want money for attorney's fees,
lost wages,

for filing a false restraining order.

What was the false restraining order?

Because he put my restraining order
and they denied him.

-I just saw you as*ault him.
-I know.

Yeah, but, I mean,
there's something behind there.

He insulted me too.
I have, like, texts, that he texted me.

That he didn't care.
I was in the middle of traffic that day.

[Judge Judy] Just a second.
It's very simple.

To pick up the child, you were late.

He did, in fact,
take the child from the car

and the child was walking towards you.

He didn't withhold the child from you.

Gave you, as he was supposed to,
returned the child to you.

You had no right to put your hands on him.

-I know.
-Good.

He haven't paid me child support
and babysitter for almost a year.

Right now he's mad because child support
is taking the money away from his account.

I'm telling you, it sounds to me like

you're a perpetual victim
in your own mind.

Listen.

Going through a divorce
is always a difficult situation.

Going through a divorce
when there's a child

-is even more difficult.
-It is.

What you're supposed to do

is love your child more
than you hate each other.

Now, what I have to ask you is
do you work?

Yes.

-And you have a bank account?
-Yes.

-In what name is the bank account?
-Partners.

-What name is the bank account?
-Ana Maravilla.

Now, you've been married three years
and you're divorced.

In the divorce, were you able
to go back to your maiden name

or did you want to go back
to your maiden name?

Because we haven't final the divorce,
I can't.

-Is the divorce final?
-[Ana] No.

-[Alejandro] Your Honor...
-Just a second.

-So the divorce is not final yet?
-No.

-They just need to sign the...
-I don't care whether he has to sign it,

whether somebody has to put
a blood imprint on it,

-the question is, is the divorce final?
-[Ana] No.

No. Okay.

So you, sir, not smart

to put the child support check
in the name Sanchez.

It's irritating.
You shouldn't do it.

You still can't put your hands
on somebody!

-Okay.
-Judgement for the plaintiff

in the amount of $2,500.

Your counterclaim is dismissed.
We're done.

[Bailiff Kevin] This court is adjourned.

I think she made the right choice.
The evidence speaks for themselves.

I mean, maybe he was with, like, before,
but he was blaming me and I didn't.

She's obviously not all there. She's...

I'm trying to keep a good relationship
with her because we have a son together.

Like, working out, like, co-parenting.

Hope that she can see that she's wrong
and that she just moves on from this

and get a better relationship
with me and her.

[Sarah] Mother's best advice always was,

"You can't put your hands
on someone else's body."

And I think that people really discount,

they think they're in a relationship,
they're in a marriage,

their brother, their sister, whatever,

you put your hands on somebody,
you're gonna pay for that.

Well, then it's an as*ault.
I don't know the law.

I really don't know, which is something
you're gonna look up later,

as to whether you're in a public place

and you video someone in a public place,

and you're not doing it
for commercial reasons,

-you're doing it in a protective way...
-Sure.

I don't know that there's
any prohibition against that.

I'll look into it,
but just for my common sense,

I feel when you're in a public place,
at least,

my personal practice is to assume

that anyone in a public place
can record you.

Yeah.

They may not be able to use you
for commercial purposes,

-but this was for protection purposes.
-Sure. Yeah.

Case 3055, Mello versus Pilgrim.

All parties, please step forward.

[narrator] Joy Mello is suing
her former attorney, Larry Pilgrim,

for the cost of a suit
her son wore during his trial.

Ms. Mello, I am certain
that you are very sad.

Yes.

-You have every right to be sad.
-Yes, ma'am.

According to your complaint

your son was tried and convicted of m*rder

-in 2021.
-That's correct.

-And currently is serving a life sentence?
-That is correct.

You had retained Mr. Pilgrim,
who is an attorney,

-to represent him during that trial.
-Yes.

Were you the person who paid him?

My family did, collectively,

but I worked three jobs to make payments,

until his money was paid in full.

Mr. Pilgrim represented him, I believe,

from 2019 to 2021.
Is that correct, sir?

Correct. September of 2019
until the trial in December of '21.

Who was he convicted of murdering?

The gentleman's name was, uh, Kenny.

-Uh, I'm sorry...
-An acquaintance?

-No.
-I think they knew,

they knew each other, yes,
but they were rivals.

It was a love interest,
love triangle type of case.

[Judge Judy] Got it.

This is what the case is about.
It's not a difficult case.

When the trial began your son
was allowed to wear civilian clothes,

rather than prison attire, to court.

And you went out and bought him clothes
for about $700.

And, according to you,

you asked Mr. Pilgrim,
when the trial was over,

to please get the clothes.

And Mr. Pilgrim, according to you,

assured you
he would get the clothes back to you.

-And you never got the clothes back.
-Never.

And Mr. Pilgrim says, you know,

once a prisoner is convicted

and they go back from the courtroom,

they take these clothes.

He doesn't know what happens to them.

And they went, probably, into a large room

where people who are similarly situated
to your son,

but don't have a mother
to buy them clothes,

can go in and choose something
to wear in court,

other than an orange jumpsuit.

He has no idea where the clothes are.

-Correct?
-That's correct.

[theme music playing]

-How tall is your son?
-Five ten, ten and a half.

-How tall are you?
-Five ten.

How much does he weigh?

-At the... About 190, 190 pounds.
-And you?

Do I have to say?

Uh, more than 190. [laughs]

You don't have his clothes, do you?

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Joy Mello claims
her former attorney, Larry Pilgrim,

refuses to pay for the cost of a suit
her son wore during his trial.

[Judge Judy] All right, Mr. Pilgrim,

this is not a very difficult case.
This is a case about being sad,

and being sad and mad at the wrong person.

So, I want you to tell me
on what you base your case

that he is responsible

for the clothes that your son wore.

I gave the clothes to Mr. Pilgrim.

I purchased them at his request,
gave him the clothes.

When he didn't return them,
I went to the Sheriff's Department.

I asked what the procedure was.

They said the attorney in question
is to pick up the clothes.

That's his responsibility.

-I wrote a letter.
-You know that you can't tell me that.

I'm just telling you that
because that's hearsay.

-Yes, ma'am. But I wrote a letter...
-You went to the Sheriff's Department,

somebody told you
it was the lawyer's responsibility.

-I, actually, have never heard that.
-[Joy] Okay.

And I wrote a letter to the judge,
the trial judge,

-who told me...
-Don't tell me

-what the trial judge told you.
-I have it.

-The letter.
-I would like to see.

-Don't give me a bunch of stuff.
-Oh. [chuckles]

I'll give you the letter that I wrote
to the judge and his response.

Fine.

-Okay. The judge was very nice.
-Very nice.

Very nice to answer you.

It seems that your family
should have bigger fish to fry

than these clothes.

Judge says,
"This matter has been researched

and it was determined
that your son's clothing was returned

to Conflict Criminal Defenders'
coordinator

by the Sheriff's Department.

Please reach out to that office."

-And I did.
-And?

-They told me...
-You can't tell me what they told you.

If you have an official correspondence,
I'll read it.

-No, I do not.
-Okay.

I only have, again, the procedure...

Yeah, but there's no procedure.

You were told by the court,
you reached out to them.

-This is an official document.
-...can't tell you that they didn't tell me.

They told me they had no idea
that all the clothes went in one big bag.

I don't care where they went.
He doesn't have your son's clothes.

-How tall is your son?
-Five ten, ten and a half.

So he's five ten and a half.
How tall are you?

-Five ten.
-How much does he weigh?

-Now?
-No, then.

-About 190, 190 pounds.
-And you?

Do I have to say?

Uh, more than 190. [laughs]

-You don't have his clothes, do you?
-No, certainly not.

Mr. Pilgrim, because this is all a matter,
in my view,

looking at Ms. Mello,

and she appears to be a very nice lady.

When something sad happens, like this,

you have various emotions.

And, very often,

you choose the wrong target
for your anger.

In this case, a lot of time was spent
over $700 worth of clothes

for a young man who's serving


-You have other children, Ms. Mello?
-Yes, I do.

-How many other children...
-I have four other children.

My daughter, she's a witness.

And the clothes, actually,
my sons could have worn them.

Possible. It's not his responsibility.

The judge told you where to go.

He didn't tell me where the clothes went.

He doesn't know where the clothes went.

I would, actually,
be willing to wager an awful lot

that he doesn't have your clothes.

That's who I gave them to.

No, you gave them to your son.

He was the conduit
between you and your son.

The last person who you saw
wearing those clothes was your son.

-That's correct.
-Okay.

So, after that,
you don't know what happened to them.

You may have given it to them,

just like if you walked into a courtroom
and handed them to Kevin.

And then you didn't see them again.

Say, "Kevin, I gave you the clothes."

Well, he gave them to whom
they were designed to be given.

That doesn't mean Kevin's responsible
if you don't get your clothes back.

That's the same thing with Mr. Pilgrim.

Your anger is directed
at the wrong person, Ms. Mello.

I don't know the circumstances
surrounding the death of Kenny,

but your son was convicted by 12 people.

And the judge found the circumstances
of that conviction egregious enough

to sentence him to 50 years to life.

That's who your anger
should be directed against, your son.

-Not him.
-But I'm not angry.

-I just want my money for the clothes...
-You're not gonna get it from him.

He's not responsible
for your clothes.

Cross it off your list.

After two, three years,
that $700, cross it off.

'Cause you don't know
where the clothes are.

They're on some other prisoner

who had to appear in court
for robbery and as*ault

and who didn't have a nice enough mother
to buy him clothes.

So he got your clothes.
Or they were donated to a parish.

Or they were donated someplace else.

Mr. Pilgrim is not responsible
for the clothes.

The last person who you saw
in possession of the clothes was your son.

-Correct.
-Goodbye.

Case is dismissed.

[Kevin] This court is adjourned.

I'm disheartened because the amount
that I spent on my son's clothes,

and I did give them to the lawyer...

You know, it's, it was sad for her
and her whole family, the whole incident.

He should've been responsible
to retrieve my property.

I agree with the judge that I think
she just has some misdirected anger.

You know, I think
just the take-away from this case

is that people have an easier time
dealing with the emotion of anger

than sadness.

We see it all the time.

You know, if somebody passes away,

the grief can overwhelm you.

But if you can find a target
for your anger...

Anger is the easier emotion to deal with.

Because the plaintiff in this case seemed
like an intelligent, put-together lady.

Certainly, the family came together.

I'm certain that this lawyer
was not inexpensive.

But the bottom line is that

she doesn't have the companionship
of this son anymore.

Because I can't think of any other reason
that, over two years,

you m-m-maintain this, sort of, vendetta...

-Mm-hmm.
-...for used clothing.

So, the lady has to put her anger
where it belongs,

which is the person
who committed a m*rder.

And who not only ruined his own life,
but probably impacted his whole family.

'Cause that's what happens
when you go to jail.

-You impact the whole family.
-True.

[narrator] Are you a victim of a scam?