KNOWN HER?
>> ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE.
>> Judge Judy: SHE ASKED YOU TO
CASH A CHECK FOR HER.
>> YES.
>> Judge Judy: WHEN WAS THAT?
>> ON THE 6th OF APRIL, 2012.
>> Judge Judy: WHAT KIND OF
CHECK WAS IT?
>> IT WAS A MONEY ORDER.
>> Judge Judy: FROM WHOM?
>> FROM MY CHILDREN'S FATHER.
>> Judge Judy: FOR HOW MUCH?
>> $946.
>> Judge Judy: ALL RIGHT, THE
STORY'S NOT DIFFICULT.
YOU CASHED THE MONEY ORDER AT
YOUR BANK BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T
HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Judge Judy: WHY DON'T YOU
HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT?
>> 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE ONE.
>> Judge Judy: THAT'S NOT AN
ANSWER.
YOU'RE AN ADULT.
MOST ADULTS HAVE BANK ACCOUNTS.
>> I DIDN'T HAVE NO DESIRE TO
GET A BANKING ACCOUNT.
>> Judge Judy: DO YOU WORK?
>> NO, I DON'T.
>> Judge Judy: HOW DO YOU
SUPPORT YOURSELF?
>> I GET SOCIAL SECURITY.
>> Judge Judy: HOW MUCH?
>> $659 A MONTH FOR ME AND $145
FOR MY CHILDREN.
>> Judge Judy: AND THAT'S YOUR
ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME?
>> THAT IS.
>> Judge Judy: SO, YOUR
CHILDREN'S FATHER DOESN'T PAY
CHILD SUPPORT.
>> HE DOES PAY CHILD SUPPORT,
YOUR HONOR.
>> Judge Judy: WELL, THEN YOU
HAVE OTHER MONEY COMING INTO
YOUR HOUSE.
HOW MUCH DOES HE SEND YOU IN
CHILD SUPPORT?
>> I GET $400 A MONTH.
>> Judge Judy: AND HOW COME YOUR
CHILDREN GET MONEY FROM
SOCIAL SECURITY?
>> IT'S A DEPENDENCY FROM MY
CHECK.
>> Judge Judy: WHY DO YOU GET
SOCIAL SECURITY?
>> BECAUSE I HAVE ISSUES.
I'M DISABLED.
I CAN'T WORK.
>> Judge Judy: SO, YOU GET
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Judge Judy: OKAY.
SO, YOU CASH THIS CHECK FOR $946
FOR HER.
YOU, ULTIMATELY, GAVE HERE THE
MONEY.
>> YES.
>> Judge Judy: THAT, SHE DOESN'T
DENY, CORRECT?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Judge Judy: TURNED OUT THAT
THE CHECKS WERE BAD.
THE BANK NOW SAYS, "GIVE ME MY
MONEY."
>> Judge Judy: WHAT DID YOU DO
WITH THE MONEY?
>> I SPENT IT ON MY CHILDREN.
>> Judge Judy: SO, YOU SPENT IT.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Judge Judy: THE MONEY ORDER
WAS BAD.
>> I DIDN'T HAVE NO CLUE OVER
THAT.
>> Judge Judy: WELL, SO WHAT?
SHE CASHED THE CHECK.
YOU USED THE MONEY ON YOURSELF,
AND SOMEBODY'S OUT THE MONEY.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE HER.
>> I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THAT,
YOUR HONOR.
>> Judge Judy: YOU SPENT THE
MONEY!
>> OKAY, BUT SHE SHOULD HAVE
TOOK THAT UP WITH THE BANK, NOT
ME.
>> Judge Judy: YOU TAKE IT UP
WITH THE BANK.
YOU TAKE IT UP WITH THE HUSBAND.
YOU REPORT HIM TO THE POLICE, TO
THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES FOR
VIOLATION OF THE BANKING LAW FOR
SENDING YOU BAD MONEY ORDERS.
YOU DO IT, NOT HER, 'CAUSE YOU
SPENT THE MONEY.
YOU SPENT THE MONEY FEEDING YOUR
FACE AND YOUR KIDS' FACES AND
BUYING CLOTHES, AND I DON'T KNOW
WHAT ELSE YOU BUY.
BUT YOU SPENT THE MONEY.
SHE DIDN'T SPEND THE MONEY.
YOU GOT THE BENEFIT FROM THE BAD
CHECK.
>> BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS
COUNTERFEIT.
I HAD NO CONTROL OVER IT.
>> Judge Judy: I WANT YOU TO PAY
ATTENTION.
PUT ON YOUR LISTENING EARS.
YOU'RE NOT HEARING WHAT I'M
SAYING.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAD CONTROL
OVER IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU HAD
CONTROL OVER IT OR NOT, AND I
DON'T CARE.
YOU ATE THE MONEY.
YOU CONSUMED THE MONEY.
SHE GOT NO BENEFIT FROM THE
MONEY.
YOU GOT THE BENEFIT FROM THE
MONEY.
IT CAME FROM YOU.
TAKE CARE OF IT AND DEAL WITH
IT.
THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM.
DON'T VISIT YOUR PROBLEM ON
ANYBODY ELSE.
MISS MANN, YOU'VE ALREADY
VISITED YOUR PROBLEMS ON A LOT
OF OTHER PEOPLE, INCLUDING ME AS
A TAXPAYER, BUT DON'T VISIT THIS
PROBLEM ON HER.
SHE'S AN INNOCENT.
>> I'M INNOCENT HERE, 'CAUSE I
HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE MONEY
ORDER, YOUR HONOR.
I'M A VICTIM JUST AS WELL AS SHE
IS.
>> Judge Judy: YOU'RE A VICTIM
WHO ATE THE MONEY.
YOU USED THE MONEY FOR WHAT,
ALLEGEDLY, IT WAS INTENDED,
WHICH WAS FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
THEY'RE NOT HER CHILDREN.
THEY'RE YOUR CHILDREN.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Judge Judy: SO, YOU FEED
THEM.
THAT'S WHAT THEIR MOTHER IS
SUPPOSED TO DO.
I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO FEED YOUR
CHILDREN.
>> I TAKE CARE OF MY CHILDREN.
>> Judge Judy: NO.
EVERYBODY ELSE TAKES CARE OF
YOUR CHILDREN.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES
CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN, AND THEIR
FATHER TAKES CARE OF THEM.
YOU DO NOT TAKE CARE OF THEM.
>> I DO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
THEY'RE IN MY CARE, YOUR HONOR.
>> Judge Judy: HOW DO YOU FEED
THEM?
WITH WHAT?
>> I BUY FOOD TO FEED THEM.
>> Judge Judy: WITH WHAT?
>> MY CHECK.
>> Judge Judy: WHAT CHECK?
>> MY SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK.
>> Judge Judy: WHERE DO YOU GET
THAT FROM?
>> THE GOVERNMENT.
>> Judge Judy: AND WHO IS THE
GOVERNMENT?
>> TAXPAYERS.
>> Judge Judy: BYRD IS THE
GOVERNMENT.
THESE PEOPLE ARE THE GOVERNMENT.
MONEY ORDER THAT CAME TO YOU WAS
USED BY YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY -- NOT HER
RESPONSIBILITY, YOURS.
SO, IF YOU GOT HER EMBROILED IN
THIS LITTLE SCAM, WHICH I
BELIEVE IS PROBABLY PART OF YOUR
LIFE'S WORK, YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT
UP WITH THE BANK, WITH THE
EX-HUSBAND, WITH THE
AUTHORITIES.
DO YOU WORK?
>> YES, I DO.
>> Judge Judy: YOU DON'T WORK.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO ALL DAY
BUT TAKE THIS MATTER UP WITH
YOUR EX-HUSBAND AND THE BANK AND
WHOEVER YOU ELSE YOU THINK IS
RESPONSIBLE.
THAT'S NOT HER JOB.
THAT'S YOUR JOB.
>> BUT THE BANK OF TEXAS SAID IT
WAS A LEGIT MONEY ORDER.
I ASKED NICOLE COONRADT,
ORIGINALLY, TO CASH THE CHECK.
>> Judge Judy: HOW OLD ARE YOU?
>> 41.
>> Judge Judy: HOW OLD ARE YOU?
>> 18.
>> Judge Judy: LISTEN TO ME
CAREFULLY.
HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU HAVE?
>> I HAVE FOUR.
>> Judge Judy: YOU HAVE FOUR
CHILDREN.
SHE'S 18 YEARS OLD.
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE
RESPONSIBLE, NOT AN 18-YEAR-OLD.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
>> I DO, YOUR HONOR.
>> Judge Judy: WELL, YOU HAVE
NOT BEEN TERRIBLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR A GOOD PART OF YOUR LIFE.
IN THIS CASE, YOU'RE GONNA BE
RESPONSIBLE.
THIS 18-YEAR-OLD DOESN'T GET
SADDLED WITH YOUR PROBLEM.
THIS $946 IS YOUR PROBLEM.
>> IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM.
>> Judge Judy: OH, I'M MAKING IT
YOUR PROBLEM.
JUDGMENT FOR THE PLAINTIFF.
THAT