>> Judge Judy: What is
your last name?
>> Lindekugel.
>> Judge Judy: This is
your sister.
>> It is.
>> Judge Judy: And this
gentleman is the father
of your sister's children.
How many children do you have?
>> Three, sir -- ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Are the two
of you married?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: This is your son?
>> He is.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And I assume
he's here because he contributed
money to this airfare.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So I read your brief
complaint and answer.
And I'm trying
to put the story together.
Let me see, based upon
some years in the family court,
what I gather happened.
You lived in the state of Texas.
>> Correct. I do.
>> Judge Judy: And you live
in the state of...
>> North Dakota.
>> Judge Judy: And your three
children were living with you in
Texas.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: You started
to have some difficulty,
probably with
a substance abuse problem.
>> I was diagnosed
with epilepsy.
>> Judge Judy: That's not what
I asked you.
State doesn't usually become
involved in a situation
unless there is some sort of
potential neglect of children.
Was the family court involved
with your children?
>> Due to...
>> Judge Judy: Yes.
>> ...an unlicensed daycare,
yes.
>> Judge Judy: The state became
involved with your children.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And they were
threatening to remove the
children from your custody...
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: ...in Texas.
Okay.
That's the long and short of it.
>> Yep.
>> Judge Judy: You called
your sister.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And I'm putting
this together
because while the particular,
what you're suing for,
is different,
the story isn't different.
You called your sister.
And you said to your sister,
"Unless you take custody
of the children, the state's
gonna put them in foster care."
>> I called -- Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Is that what
she said to you?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So your sister
paid for the children
to come down to live with her.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: You put the
children -- How old are they?
>> 11, 9, and 7.
>> Judge Judy: Put the three
children on a plane.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: She had gotten
the tickets.
And you took custody
of the children.
When was that?
>> August 27th.
>> Judge Judy: And when the
children came to you,
your sister had
given you certain documentation
so that you could enroll them
in school...
>> She did.
>> Judge Judy: ...take care
of their medical care.
She was giving you
the authority to do that.
Do you have
that document with you?
>> I do.
>> Judge Judy: I'd like to see
it, please.
This is a temporary guardianship
agreement that you prepared
and signed and notarized.
>> I did.
>> Judge Judy: At some point,
the children's father
contacted you.
When was that?
>> It was exactly one week
after I had gotten
the children to my house.
>> Judge Judy: And how, sir,
did you find out
in North Dakota...
>> Yes?
>> Judge Judy: You're starting
to laugh.
Don't start to smile.
>> I'm sorry.
>> Judge Judy: Don't test my --
It's not funny.
>> It's not. I'm sorry.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
How did you find out
that the children
were now living in Minnesota
with their aunt?
>> She called me
when I was in church and told me
that her sister had the kids
and that the sister had refused
to have her talk to the kids.
So...
>> Judge Judy: Just a minute.
So she called you.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And what did
she want you to do?
>> She called me with a problem.
And she wanted me to solve it.
That's typical of what she does.
>> Judge Judy: So what
did you do?
>> I was talking to my pastor.
And he said, "Oh, simple.
Just call the sheriff
when you get there."
So I called the sheriff.
>> Judge Judy: We're missing
a step.
It's like we went from chapter
one to chapter three.
She called you with a problem.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You started to
tell me her problem
was that her sister
wasn't letting her speak
to the children.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So what
do you need a sheriff for?
>> Because the sister would not
give up the kids to me.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
What does her problem
with speaking to the children
have to do
with you getting the children?
>> 'Cause when I called
the sister to ask her
if she had the kids,
she put the kids on the phone.
And they kids said
they didn't want to see me.
So my pastor was -- was my...
>> Judge Judy: Just a second,
sir.
You called the children
because she -- Listen to me.
>> I called her.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
>> I didn't call the kids.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
She called you.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Was that the
first time
that you knew that the children
were in Minnesota?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You didn't know
that she had sent the children
to Minnesota?
>> No.
I -- I knew
the kids were in Texas.
>> Judge Judy: So that
would suggest to me,
if a week went by,
you weren't in regular contact
with the children.
>> No. She wouldn't let me --
>> Judge Judy: No.
Don't tell me, "Wouldn't let."
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: What I'm asking
you is it suggests to me that
if you have three children
and a week went by,
you hadn't spoken to them
in at least a week,
because you had no idea that
they were removed from Texas
and they were now in Minnesota.
Right?
>> No, I did not.