TV Channel 4 Mon Sep 16 11:31:16 2002
>>Nn aouncerex:
>> I flew to haiaw
>> whi ich paid fo
>> which i paid him back f.Or
>> announcer: A luxu cryar.
>>He s h aaspeexpensive car.
>> My car payment being expensive iselrrelevant.
>> Annncouer: She to hokor for all e shcould...
>> There was no agreement that i would pay him back.
>> Judge judy: I don't buy that story.
>> Announcer: ...So he took her to court.
>> Judge judy: That is your defense, that it was a gift to you?
>> Yes.
>> Announcer: "Judge judy."
>> Judge judy: I think you should get down on your knees and thank god that you gotut o when you did.
>> Announcer: You are about to enter the courtroom of judge judith sheindlin. The people are real. The cases are real. The rulings are final. This is her courtroom. 26-year-old graduate student walt whitley is suing his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old student sarah clow, for a balance transfer to his credit card. Sarah is countersuing for the return of a playstation 2.
>> Byrd: Order! All rise. Your honor, this is case number 57 on the calendar in the matter of whitley vs. Clow. Parties have been sworn in. You may be seated. Sir, have a seat.
>> Judge judy: Mr. Whitley, according to what I've read, you and the defendant were boyfriend and girlfriend, and there came a time when you suggested to her that she consolidate all of her credit cards into one loan.
>> Correct.
>> Judge judy: You did a consolidation loan for her.
>> Correct. It was from her wells fargo loan to my credit card.
>> Judge judy: And it was your understanding that she was going to repay that loan.
>> That's correct.
>> Judge judy: Why did you make that consolidation loan?
>> Well, the reason why we did that -- we often talked about getting engaged and then soon to become married. And so, she has an expensive car, and then she also had a high-interest loan with wells fargo.
>> Judge judy: What was the interest in her account with wells fargo?
>> It was about 24%. And I was offered a balance transfer at 4.9%, so we talked about the best way for her to reduce her debt. 'Cause i'm a student right now. I have plenty of my own debt, so we were trying to take care of hers. And so we verbally agreed that i was gonna help her out, and she'd make me payments for $250 a month until it was paid off.
>> Judge judy: What was the amount that you transferred onto your credit card?
>> Uh, there were two loans. One was for $274, and the other one was for $1,773. There were two separate wells fargo accounts.
>> Judge judy: Did you have two separate wells fargo accounts?
>> That is correct.
>> Judge judy: Okay.
>> In addition to that, she really didn't have enough -- she had money, but she didn't have extra money, and so what i did is i put her as a signer on the account for emergency expenses.
>> Judge judy: Mm-hmm.
>> And the emergency expenses that i have shown here is for coffee --
>> judge judy: Well, that was stupid of you, sir. Don't get me involved with that. Now, did she make any payments?
>> Yes, she did, your honor. I have 2 copies of 2 checks --
>> judge judy: Let me see them, please.
>> And i also have the deposit -- my statements from my accounts.
>> Judge judy: So she made two payments -- $275.
>> Correct.
>> I made three payments, your honor, and they were not for the credit card. They were to help him out.
>> Your honor --
>> judge judy: Shh! Just a second. You made three payments?
>> That is correct.
>> Judge judy: Okay. One for $275. One for $250.
>> And check number 1106 in the amount of $330, which posted my account on september 3rd of 2001.
>> Judge judy: $330. And you gave that money to him for what reason, miss clow?
>> I flew to hawaii for his birthday. Those payments were a reimbursement for me going. Since it was his birthday, i was going to pay for my plane ticket out there and for the hotel. We also stayed in kauai.
>> Which i paid for.
>> Which i paid him back for.
>> Judge judy: Shh! Just a minute. No. No. I don't buy that story, but I'll listen to the rest of your tale. Go ahead. I'll listen to the rest.
>> Okay. First of all, there was no verbal agreement made. He did this of his own free will. I was not in financial need. I was never late or behind on those payments. My car payment being expensive is irrelevant. Living at home, I did not have many expenses, as he is saying. I had the one expense of wells fargo and my car payment, and living at home, I had no rent.
>> Judge judy: What did you give him your account numbers for?
>> Because he wanted them.
>> Judge judy: What do you mean, because he wanted them?
>> Well, first of all, we were dating --
>> judge judy: My mouth is still moving. I don't understand "because he wanted them." You say a lot of things in a relationship. You say, "you look great. Your hair never looked better. Where do you want to go for dinner?" But not "give me your credit-card account number, babe."
>> Can i explain?
>> Judge judy: Yeah, explain it to me so that I understand it.
>> Okay. The reason that i gave him the credit card is because he suggested to me that he would pay that balance. There was no agreement that i would pay him back.
>> Judge judy: Oh. So now -- just a minute. You're changing the story. So you're saying -- now your defense is -- so that i understand it, miss clow -- is that he paid off your credit cards as a gift to you.
>> That's how I perceived it, your honor.
>> Judge judy: Just a second. That's what your defense is now. It wasn't before, but now that is your defense -- that it was a gift to you.
>> Yes. And I --
>> judge judy: Good! No. Wrong.
[ Laughter ] wrong. I don't buy that for a minute.
>> Announcer: "Judge judy" continues in a moment.
>> Judge judy: Mr. Whitley, i think you should get down on your knees and look up and thank god that you got out when you did. Do you understand?
>> Yes, I do. Thank you, your honor.
>> Announcer: Real cases. Real people. "Judge judy." Walt whitley says ex-girlfriend sarah clow transferred a balance to his credit card and now refuses to pay.
>> Judge judy: Now, you have a counterclaim -- let's get to it -- for a return of your playstation and games.
>> That is correct.
>> Judge judy: Why don't you tell me what the counterclaim is about?
>> I purchased the playstation on december 5th of 2001 for myself and him to share. He refused to return it after we broke up. Since I never lived at his residence and that's where the thing was, i could not go in and get it.
>> Judge judy: Now i'll here you -- playstation and games.
>> Well, i was in hawaii for my rotations, and i was going back to reno for christmas. Sarah met me in reno, and so she spent christmas with me. She gave me the playstation for christmas as a christmas gift. I have a card here dated 12/4/01 saying, "i hope you will get something in reno that you really like." So you can ask her what she got me for christmas then.
>> Judge judy: Well, she got you something and put it in your house. She got something -- the playstation -- and the playstation was put in your house in december. Is that right?
>> In reno. And I took it back up to portland, where I live.
>> Judge judy: And when did you finally break up?
>> The third week in january, your honor.
>> Judge judy: Okay. And between december 5th, when you bought this playstation -- that's when you said you bought it, right?
>> I have the receipt to prove it right here.
>> Judge judy: I don't doubt that you bought it. Between december 5th and mid-january, the playstation remained with the plaintiff. Is that right?
>> But i was staying the night at his house, so it was in my possession, but I did not live there.
>> Judge judy: Mr. Whitley, i want to tell you something. I think you should get down on your knees and look up and thank god that you got out when you did. Do you understand?
[ Laughter ]
>> yes, I do. Thank you, your honor.
>> Judge judy: Your counterclaim is dismissed, miss clow. I find that the playstation was a gift. And judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of $1,633. That's all.
>> Byrd: Parties are excused. You may step out.
>> Walter whitley appears to be kind and generous in the things that he says and does, but if things don't go his way, as in my relationship with him, he'll turn around and stab you in the back.
>> Don't ever share credit cards or help someone out unless you sign on the dotted line and you get married.
>> Announcer: And now the next case.
>> Byrd: All parties in the matter of jones vs. Jones, step forward, please.
>> Announcer: 21-year-old homemaker jennifer jones is suing her mother, business owner helen jones, for the return of personal property, harassment, and for the cost of new car tires. Helen is countersuing for the cost of a refrigerator and damages to her mobile home.
>> Judge judy: I've read your complaints very carefully. Miss jones, the defendant is your mother.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: And according to what i gather from your complaint, your parents are in the process of getting a divorce.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: How many years have you been married?
>> 24.
>> Judge judy: During the course of the divorce, according to you, you sort of sided with your father.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: You were living in a house, and who owned the house?
>> Her and my father.
>> Judge judy: You were living there with a child?
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: And a boyfriend?
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: According to your complaint, you left the house, and without your permission, your mother came in and took some property that you say belongs to you.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: Mother says you abandoned the house. She went in. She took property that was there, some of which she had given to your child. And she is counterclaiming -- she says that you left the house in deplorable condition. She has to buy a new refrigerator and other damages. You also claim that your mother slashed your tires and has engaged in a course of harassing behavior.
>> Yes.
>> Judge judy: When did you move into her house?
>> It was march of 2001.
>> Judge judy: And who was living there at the time?
>> Me and my son, when we first moved there.
>> Judge judy: And how long did you and your son live there alone?
>> About 2 1/2 months.
>> Judge judy: And then who moved in?
>> My ex-boyfriend.
>> Judge judy: And how long did you, your son, and your ex-boyfriend live there?
>> Until march of 2002.
>> Judge judy: What happened in march of 2002?
>> I left and had moved to carthage with a current boyfriend.
>> Judge judy: Okay. So you left the old boyfriend?
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: Now, when you left the old boyfriend, was he living in the house at the time?
>> No, he moved out before i moved.
>> Judge judy: When did he move out?
>> About two months prior to that.
>> Judge judy: What date in march of 2002 did you leave the house?
>> It was approximately... The second week of march.
>> Judge judy: Now, when do you allege that your mother came in and took property?
>> I noticed the property gone april 8th. I went in. There had been a computer missing.
>> Judge judy: So three weeks after you moved out.
>> Right. I didn't even actually move out. All of my things were still there. I had just been staying with a boyfriend.
>> Judge judy: Why?
>> Because of all the harassment and everything I was getting there at the home.
>> Judge judy: All right. And what items do you claim that your mother came in and took that belongs to you?
>> She had called me the day before easter and told me that she was going to get a swing set out of my backyard, and I okayed that. She then called me the day after easter and told me she had went into the house, which she had no keys to, and took a children's four-wheeler and a wagon out of the building.
>> Judge judy: She took those things. Are those the things you want back?
>> Well, and then when i got there, there were several other things missing, also.
>> Judge judy: Like what?
>> There was a compaq computer. There was a brand-new kenmore dishwasher.
>> Judge judy: Whose computer was it?
>> It was mine.
>> I have proof where it was clinton todd's.
>> Well, i have the statement that he signed and give to me that he give that to me.
>> Judge judy: What else?
>> A kenmore dishwasher. There was a racecar collection, a deep freezer, and all the rest of the items --
>> judge judy: Well, we're talking about months later, miss jones. If you moved out and you're living with a new boyfriend -- is this the new boyfriend?
>> Yes.
>> Judge judy: Well, you can't just leave it there.
>> I left the things there. My father was staying there with me, and I left the things there for him to use until i got another place.
>> Judge judy: So there was somebody else living in the house.
>> Right. He was staying there on the weekends.
>> Judge judy: Somebody else who had access to the house.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: Is that right?
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: Now, you acknowledge, miss jones, that you took the swing set, the bike, and the wagon.
>> Yes. That's all i took.
>> Judge judy: And that was, you say, because?
>> I paid for it. It was to stay there. She met this guy on internet. He is married, and he has four kids. I didn't buy it for his kids. I bought it for my grandson. They were to stay there if she ever moved out, and she wanted to take them, and I said no.
>> That's not true.
>> Judge judy: Well, you didn't give them to her. You gave them to your grandson.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: It's the wrong thing to do -- 'cause I know, you know. I have grandchildren. So i know you didn't say to your grandson when you gave him the red wagon or when you gave him the bike, "you can have these as long as your mother is living here and doesn't move away to live with somebody else." You didn't say that to him.
>> No. The reason why I put that in -- because she has bounced from home to home, from boyfriend to boyfriend.
>> Announcer: "Judge judy" continues in a moment.
>> Judge judy: Oh, she's a slob.
>> Yes.
>> Judge judy: This is pretty disgusting, but we don't know whether your daughter was the pig or your husband is a pig. Could be that your father's a pig. It's either one of the two of you. Either you're the pig or your father's the pig.
>> Announcer: Closed captioning sponsored in part by...
>> Announcer: Real cases. Real people. "Judge judy." Jennifer jones claims her mother, helen jones, burglarized her home and slashed her tires. Helen says she entered the trailer because jennifer abandoned it.
>> Judge judy: The grandson's gotta have the swing set back and his bike and his wagon, because those things belong to him.
>> Well, the reason why that i had took them -- we went to the mobile home, the back door was standing wide open. That's why i took the things -- 'cause i didn't want nobody to take the things.
>> Judge judy: So, at this point, those things are gonna have to go back to your grandson. Your mother says she doesn't have anything mi, mi, ss jones.
Pat patroof do you have that she took tse tsehis?
>>He tre was a statement filed with the police department there, where they had retrieved some of the items that her son had went in and stolen from me, that he had stolen, even, some of her things that she had loaned me out of the house.
>> Judge judy: What proof do you have that your mother took any of those things?
>> Nobody else had access to the house.
>> Judge judy: That's not true. Your father did.
>> The door's standing wide open.
>> Judge judy: Your father had a key to the home. You said your mother didn't have a key.
>> Right.
>> May i add something?
>> Judge judy: Who are you?
>> I'm the boyfriend.
>> Judge judy: Well, step up if you have something important to
D. Make sure it's important. What's your name?
>> My name's mark. The thing with her father -- there's an ex parte between her father and her mother at this time. And so he would stay at the home on the weekends as long as he could until the harassment got so bad. The harassment was so bad and stuff that her dad found another place to stay when he was in at different times. Kind of just staying with who he could to try to make peace through this divorce that they're going through.
>> Judge judy: So far I don't hear much from you, sir, just a lot of chatter.
>> When we were there, there was a phone call placed by her mother. Her and her mother were in a pretty good argument --
>> judge judy: Her mother called and said she wanted to go take the swing set.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: So she called you and asked you if she could take the swing set, and you said, "okay."
>> Only the swing set.
>> Judge judy: So she didn't not ask you if she could take the swing set. She just made the phone call, got your permission. Listen -- get to the facts. I have a very busy calendar.
>> She has some pictures here that shows a lot of the damage to the yard and to the shed. And the damage to the back door was not there the week that we went there. But the only way she would've had to go into the house would be to tear up the back door.
>> Judge judy: She says she found the door off the hinges, isn't that right?
>> It wasn't off of the hinges. It was left wide open.
>> And there's a police report that states the door was pried open and hanging.
>> Judge judy: Maybe your ex-boyfriend came back. Maybe your ex-boyfriend wasn't happy that he left you the computer when he found out that you had taken off a couple of weeks later with somebody else. There are a lot of people who had the opportunity either to go into your house or to break into "thehouse -- it's not your house. And all I'm asking you for is proof that it was your mother. Do you have any?
>> Other than that she just told me she is the one that went in there and took some items.
>> She acknowledged she took three things. Did she ever acknowledge she took the computer?
>> No.
>> Judge judy: She acknowledge she took the dishwasher?
>> No.
>> Judge judy: She ever acknowledge she took the race-car collection?
>> No.
>> Judge judy: How old are you?
>> 21.
>> Judge judy: How old is your son?
>> He's almost 2.
>> Judge judy: Is the person that you were living with in the house that child's father?
>> No.
>> Judge judy: This man certainly isn't the child's father, is that right?
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: Listen -- you have a child. That child is entitled to have a certain amount of stability. It is entitled not to go from one boyfriend to another to another to another until you find yourself, maybe, when you're 40 years old. So you got a lot more to worry about than a dishwasher and a race-car collection. You gotta worry about a 2-year-old that you're supposed to be bringing up properly and setting an example for. It doesn't seem to me as if you're doing that.
[ Sighs ] oh, god. Okay, what proof do you have that your mother slashed your tires?
>> I had come down and stayed a couple days with my father at a local hotel. And that day, they had been driving by, flipping me off, cussing me.
>> Judge judy: Who is "they"?
>> Her and her sister, her son. This was right after they --
>> judge judy: How old is her son?
>> He is 17.
>> Judge judy: Is that your brother?
>> Yes.
>> Judge judy: Well, then, your brother. Not her son. It's your brother.
>> They was all together.
>> Judge judy: It's not her son. It's your brother. So your mother and your brother and your aunt -- what were they doing?
>> They would drive by, flip us off. They would scream things. Her and her boyfriend would circle the parking lot. The next morning, I got up, the passenger rear tire of my car had been slashed.
>> Judge judy: So other than the fact that they were there the night before, you have no proof that your mother did that.
>> There would be nobody else that would do that.
>> Judge judy: It's very possible your mother did it. It's very possible your brother did it. It's very possible your aunt did it.
>> She has no friends or family.
>> Judge judy: Do you understand what i'm saying to you? It's possible. But that's not what we deal with in court. We don't deal with possibilities. We deal with what is provable. Now, you wanna tell me about this counterclaim you have for the refrigerator and the damage to the house?
>> I have proof here of everything that's been done to the home -- from clinton todd, that he took the computer and dishwasher.
>> We had boughten some other things together that were paid off, and we set down and made an agreement, and i have it where he had signed it -- what he took, and he said that would be fine, since he took the things that were paid off.
>> Judge judy: Let me see yours. Did you tell him at that time that you had met somebody else?
>> I hadn't met him when -- i didn't even know him when we had separated.
>> Judge judy: That's not true.
>> That's not true.
>> Judge judy: That's not true. Listen to me -- that's not true.
>> Announcer: "Judge judy" continues in a moment.
>> Judge judy: Who has the pontiac grand prix car?
>> I do.
>> Judge judy: You working?
>> No.
>> Judge judy: How are you payingor a car?
>> I...
>> Judge judy: Listen to me -- don't give me an "I..." How are you paying for the car?
>> I was working for my father.
>> Judge judy: But you're not working now, and you didn't work last month. How did you make the last two payments on the car?
>> I made those payments.
>> Judge judy: Bologna. All right, show me the refrigerator. I mean, that's the main thing that we're talking about.
>> Okay, there's the refrigerator. I also have other pictures where there's other things tore up.
>> Judge judy: You don't know who did that either, because the house was open.
>> Right.
>> Judge judy: Right. Oh, she's a slob.
>> Yes.
>> Judge judy: She's a slob.
>> I have the pictures of what they done to the house when they went in.
>> Judge judy: I'm not even looking at the damage to the house, because i can't tell who did the damage to the house because the house, according to your mother, was open, so we don't know who went into the house, right? Could've been your soon-to-be ex-husband, it could've been mr. Todd, who got angry when he went to retrieve his stuff. Just like I said to your daughter, you need proof. I don't need any proof for this. This is pretty disgusting, whoever left the refrigerator in this condition -- really just a pig. But we don't know whether your daughter was the pig, or your husband is a pig. It could be that your father's a pig. It's either one of you. Either you're the pig or your father's the pig, but since we can't prove that you're the pig, I can't award your mother any money on her counterclaim. So your mother is going to see to it that your son gets back his swing set, his bike, and his red wagon. The remainder of the complaints are dismissed. That's all.
>> Byrd: Parties are excused. You may step out.
>> Announcer: "Judge judy" continues in a moment. And on the next "judge judy"...
>> She lied about everything.
>> She's put me and my dad and my son all through heck.
>> I want her out of my life. I will get visitations for my grandson.
>> She's pushed him away and hasn't called or checked on him in months.
>> She's an awful person.
>> Never trust a family member.>>>motorists are struggling to get across town this noon after a roll-over crash causes a back up on higway-395.
>>Good afternoon and thanks for joins us, I'm shelby sheehan. Major clean up is underway in the northbound lanes of u-s 395. About 10 o'clock this morning a semi-truck carrying large, heavy pipes rolled over near the glenadale exit... Spreading pipes along the northbound lanes of the highway. The nevada highway patrol says the accident was caused by a shift in the truck's load. 2 northbound lanes were blocked off... Leaving one lane open. No other cars were involved and the driver was not injured. Clean up is expected to last for at least another few hours. Police say you should avoid 395 if at all possible.
>> Two people are dead after a head-on collision on u-s 50. The accident happened in the eastbound lanes of the highway near dayton about 7-45 yesterday morning. 26-year old mark whitney of silver springs was driving a 19-69 buick when the car apparently crossed over the double yellow lines and crashed head on into a pick up truck. Both drivers were killed. Investigators say both drivers were wearing seat belts. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash.
>> There are some new details about the deadly crash at the reno air races. Sport class racer tommy rose was killed friday when his plane crashed into sagebrush. The federal avaition administration is contradicting a statement by the reno air racing association that says the tail on rose's tail had fallen off. The f-a-a race monitor says a video of the accident shows both stabilizers on the rear bent, but did not seperate. The national transportation safety board will continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
>> The 19-97 new year's day flood hasn't faded from the memory of many folks who live in the truckee meadows. And the flood is also on the minds of california and nevada lawmakers today. They're meeting to discuss flood prevention and restoration along the truckee river. Talks are expected to center around developing a long term strategy for the river... And the replacement of a dam that was washed out by the 19-97 flood.
>> If you are driving along 3rd street and commercial row this week you might experience some delays. Granite construction... The company hired to build the train trench through downtown reno will start preliminary tests on the site today. All this week, the company will be verfying the location of utilities along the 2 mile long project. They will be using special high-tech vaccum trucks to drill holes in the street. The tests are being done to find any potential problems before construction begins.
>>They were eight problem dogs in dire need of obedience training. Over the past several weeks.. They've gone through that training and are now ready for adoption. But you'll probably be surprised to hear who helped give these dogs a second chance. News four's bill frankmore joins us now with more on this story.. Bill. Quite a story here.
>>Absolutely shelby... Now remember these dogs were taken to the humane society either because they were abandoned.. Or because the families who had them simply couldn't control them anymore. So who did the humane society turn to not only to control them.. But to train them.. Here's a hint these trainers had nothing but time on their hands.
>> Turning now to america at war... Here is confirmation this noon that a sixth suspect is under arrest in an ongoing probe of an alleged terror cell in western new york state. And overseas, the U.S. Is reported to have custody of a key suspect behind the 9-11 terror attacks. News 4 correspondent michael williams has the latest from washington. ((>> In lackawanna, a onetime steel town outside buffalo, federal authorities have charged five men with providing material support to the al-qaeda network. They are accused of undergoing weapons training at an al-qaeda camp in afghanistan in the spring and summer of 2001 and one federal agent calls them a "sleeper cell." And now word, the new york times reports, that a sixth man was arrested for his possible connection to the new york group. He was picked up in the persian gulf state of bahrain. An fbi official says there is no information the suspects had any ties to the 9-11 attacks or any plans to attack targets in the U.S. :36-:48 fbi has thrown such a huge dragnet and whatever and everything in its path has been caught up- and we still hope these individuals will be proben innocent. Meanwhile U.S. Officials are hoping for fresh intelligence with the capture of this man, alleged al qaeda operative, ramsi bin alshibh. He was taken into custody after a wild shootout in the pakistani city of karachi on september 11th and is believed to have played a key role in the september 11th attacks. 1:04-1:12 "this shows the campaign is producing results..The president said it would be a long conflict." While there's some dispute about his whereabouts, the latest word from pakistan is that alshibh is under american control as he's being questioned and that his extradition is just a matter of time. Binalshibh, the U.S. Says was refused a visa into this country at least four times before 9-11. They believe he wanted to join the 19 hijackers involved in the attacks and hope he will lead to other al-qaeda operatives across the globe. I'm michael williams in washington, now back to you. ))
>> People in vancouver, canada come to the rescl child taken hostage during a store robbery. Over the weekend 3 men alleg <