>> I said, "I can pay you $10
an hour and give you two
outfits a month for free."
That was our agreement.
>> Announcer: Broken promises
to a broke employee.
>> Judge Judy: Did Ms. Lerma
pay you at all?
>> No, Your Honor.
Crystal has not paid me $1.
>> Announcer: Then,
did she take what she could get?
>> Judge Judy: You took
merchandise because you were
annoyed that she hadn't paid
you.
>> Your Honor, that is not true.
>> Judge Judy: Want to see it
again?
>> Announcer: "Judge Judy."
>> Judge Judy: Ms. Lerma,
the defendant was
an employee of yours.
You hired her on an hourly basis
to work in your boutique,
where you sell clothes.
According to you, she left,
and after she left,
she made an unauthorized visit
to your boutique,
and she stole property.
That's what
you're suing her for.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: You reported
that theft to the police.
Ms. Creer was arrested.
>> No. No, ma'am.
No, Your Honor.
I was not arrested.
>> Judge Judy: Did you hire a
lawyer?
>> I sure did.
Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Well,
why did you hire a lawyer
if you weren't arrested?
>> Your Honor, I hired a lawyer
because during the time
that she had called the police
and made this false
police report,
my vehicle was then apprehended
and taken by the police
as a part of the investigation.
>> Judge Judy: So your car was
taken?
>> Yes, my truck was taken.
Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And inventoried
by the police.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Have you seen
the video that the plaintiff
is going to show me?
>> No, Your Honor.
I have not seen any video.
>> Judge Judy: So you have a
counterclaim,
and your counterclaim says
that you were not paid.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
That is very correct.
>> Judge Judy: Which is why you
were leaving
because you weren't paid,
and your counterclaim is for the
attorneys fees because you say
that you were forced to hire
an attorney to get,
now, to get your car back,
which you ultimately did,
and no charges were
ultimately filed against you.
Is that right?
>> That is correct, Your Honor.
No charges were filed.
>> Judge Judy: When did you
start working for Ms. Lerma?
>> I started working for
Ms. Lerma off the clock in July.
>> Judge Judy: I'm not talking
about the free work.
I'm talking about when
did you start working for her
by the hour?
>> August of 2018, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And when did you
stop working for her?
>> October of 2018, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Between August
of 2018 and October of 2018,
did Ms. Lerma pay you at all?
>> No, Your Honor.
Crystal has not paid me $1.
>> Judge Judy: How much were you
supposed to be paid an hour?
>> $16 an hour
is what we had agreed upon.
>> That's not true.
>> Judge Judy: How much were you
supposed to pay her an hour?
>> $10 an hour.
>> Judge Judy: $10 per hour,
but according to your complaint,
it was $10 per hour
and two outfits each month.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Your Honor,
that was never the agreement.
>> Judge Judy: Shh, shh, shh.
That's what she says
the agreement, two outfits.
How many days a week in August,
Ms. Creer, did you work?
>> I worked a total
of seven days in August.
>> Judge Judy: How many days
did she work in August?
>> Um...
>> Judge Judy: Not "um."
"Um" looks up at the sky.
Looking down at a piece
of paper, then you know
how many hours she worked.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: How many hours
did she work or days
did she work in August?
>> In August,
she worked no days in August.
>> Judge Judy: I'd like to see
your documentation of how
many days you worked in August.
May I see them?
>> Sorry, that says, I'm sorry,
Your Honor, September, October.
>> Judge Judy: So it was two
months?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: How many days
did she work in September?
>> I believe she worked --
>> Judge Judy: If you believe,
then she's got it written down.
>> Yes, that is correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
According to your figure,
you owed her about $400.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: How much did you
pay her?
>> None, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Why not?
>> With the month of September
when we discussed, she told me
that she did not want me to pay
because I am a small business,
and I just started.
She said, "Ms. Lerma,
I don't want you
to pay out of your pocket.
Let's go to Neon
because there's a line of credit
that Neon can help you
to pay for your employees
because I know
you don't have any money."
>> Your Honor, that's incorrect.
>> Judge Judy: Just a sec.
I don't believe you.
She worked for two months.
>> I have texts.
>> Judge Judy: She worked for
38.3 hours, so you owed her,
according to you, $400.
According to her, you owe --
>> Yes, and I offered to pay
her.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Nobody turns down 400 bucks
in cash, nobody.
>> She did.
>> Judge Judy: I don't believe
it.
>> Your Honor, I did not.
>> Judge Judy: I don't believe
it.
>> She did, Your Honor.
>> I have two kids.
>> I have texts.
>> I have two children,
and I have mouths to feed.
>> Judge Judy: Shh, shh, shh.
I'd like to see the texts
that you tell me you have...
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: ...where she
turned down...
>> $400.
>> Judge Judy: No, no, no.
>> No, I don't have a text of
her turning down $400,
but prior to in August
when she started doing
the free work for me,
we did an Open Street Broadway,
and this is my landlord,
where they put on a big function
for the entrepreneurs
over North Minneapolis.
I offered Kiara to pay her
that day, and she said,
"No, Ms. Crystal --"
>> Yeah, only, like, $25.
>> Judge Judy: I don't want you
to interrupt her.
Do you understand?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Perfect.
You're going to tell me a story
about not paying her
in September and October
that I'm not going to believe.