to get this picture in my mind.
You know, when you do one of
these cases, what you have to do
is you have to sort of create
a picture for yourself.
What kind of property
do you manage, sir?
>> It's a mobile-home park.
>> Judge Judy: How many acres
is this mobile-home park?
>> Approximately 15.
>> Judge Judy:
And how many homes are in it?
>> A hundred and forty-seven.
>> Judge Judy: How long
have you been the manager?
>> Eight years.
>> Judge Judy: In the 8 years
that you have been the manager,
have you ever been arrested?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> About 4 years ago.
>> Judge Judy:
Is that case over?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: What was it for?
Did it have anything to do
with the property?
>> No.
It was off-site.
>> Judge Judy: It was
off the property.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Other than
that one arrest...
Were you incarcerated
at any time for that arrest?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Other than
that arrest 4 years ago,
had you been arrested
the previous 4 years?
>> No.
That was the first
and only time.
>> Judge Judy:
And how old are you?
>> Fifty-three.
>> Judge Judy: Are there any
other managers
in the mobile home?
>> My wife.
>> Judge Judy:
So the two of you manage...
Do you also live there?
>> Yes.
We are the on-site managers.
>> Judge Judy: You, Mr. Rice,
are
in the construction business,
according to your complaint.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And it is
your claim that,
on July 21st of this year,
you had occasion
to be at the site
of the mobile-home park
that the defendant manages.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you
and the defendant
had a confrontation.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And you say that,
as a result
of that confrontation,
he dented the hood of your car.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So let's start.
What were you doing there?
>> I was there for, like,
preliminary
site visit before I...
>> Judge Judy:
What does that mean?
>> I was meeting with
a construction manager
there on site to go
over details of the project.
>> Judge Judy: What project?
>> It was a trenching for
electrical and gas lines
for the whole park.
>> Judge Judy: And what was
the name of the person
that you were meeting there?
>> Can't remember his name.
>> Judge Judy: Well, you are
the manager of the park.
Do you know about this project?
>> Yes.
We're doing an utility upgrade,
currently.
>> Judge Judy: Had you ever seen
the plaintiff before?
>> Not before that day.
>> Judge Judy:
Okay, so why don't you tell me,
Mr. Rice, your version
of what happened on that day?
You were driving your vehicle.
What kind of vehicle was it?
>> It's a 2014 Corolla,
soccer-mom edition.
>> Judge Judy:
Okay, so it's a Corolla.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy:
What time of the day?
>> It was probably
around 1:00.
>> Judge Judy: What time
was your meeting scheduled?
>> Same time.
>> Judge Judy:
Where exactly on the property?
This is 15 acres of property.
>> It was in the back part
when you first drive in.
It's on the right side.
>> Judge Judy: Had you ever been
to the property before?
>> No, that was my first time.
>> Judge Judy:
So you got to the property, and?
>> And I had talked to the guy
on the phone
to figure out where I was going.
He told me to start at the
beginning
and go down, take a right,
and so I was driving to...
>> Judge Judy:
So you were taking instructions
from somebody on the phone,
the person
that you were supposed to meet.
>> Right.
So I was driving down
a two-lane road.
It's two lanes, and I was near
where the entrance and exit is,
and that's when the defendant
pulled in
and swerved to block me.
>> Judge Judy: So he pulled in
in a car.
>> Yeah.
And then, he gets
out of the car.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
So he pulled in
and blocked you with his car.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> And then...
>> Judge Judy:
And what did he say to you?
>> That's when he got out,
and he just came at me,
screaming to...
>> Judge Judy: Shh, shh,
shh, shh.
Tell me what he said to you.
>> To turn around,
going the wrong direction.
>> Judge Judy:
And what did you say to him?
>> The only thing I can remember
is asking who he is,
if he's the police.
>> Judge Judy: And?
>> He told me he was the...
>> Judge Judy: "Who are you?"
>> ...park manager.
>> Judge Judy: "Who are you?"
and he said
he was the park manager.
>> Right.
So...
>> Judge Judy: Right now,
he pulls his car
around, stops you, says,
"You're going the wrong way.
Turn"... Or did he say
you were going the wrong way,
or he just said, "Turn around"?
>> Can't remember.
It was a couple months ago.
>> Judge Judy: Do you remember?
>> Yes.
I identified myself
as the park manager.
I explained that he was
on the entrance side.
>> Judge Judy:
Oh, no, don't tell me
what you explained.
Tell me what you said.
>> I told him he was going
the wrong direction,
and he needed to back up,
turn around
and go out on the other side,
the exit side of the park.
>> Judge Judy: What does
that mean,
"the exit side of the park"?
>> We have a dual entry-exit
from the front edge
off the street.
One side is for entrance.
The other side is for exit.
There's arrows
marking direction of travel.
>> Judge Judy:
And that's marked?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And he was going the wrong way.
>> Correct.