the guitar from, sir?
>> I bought it from a store in
Saint Cloud in 2005.
>> Judge Judy: Do you recall how
much you paid for it?
I know a little bit about the
cost of guitars.
>> $3,900.
>> Judge Judy: They're
expensive.
Now I want you to tell me,
Ms. Harrison -- There is a court
order of support for $216 a
month...
>> Yes, it's --
>> Judge Judy: ...that he -- I'm
speaking.
>> Sorry.
>> Judge Judy: That he pays to
you.
And there is a court order that
he has 45% custody and you have
55% custody, based upon time.
>> It doesn't say a percentage.
We actually -- By definition, we
have joint physical custody and
joint legal custody.
There's a percentage.
>> Judge Judy: Well, so, you
don't pay him support.
He pays you support.
>> Yes. $200--
>> Judge Judy: Just a...
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Why should he pay
you anything?
>> Because I have our --
>> Judge Judy: Why should he pay
you anything?
I mean, if you share -- You just
told me you share custody and
you share legal custody, as well
as physical custody.
If you were working optimally,
when your son was with you, you
would pay his expenses, and,
when he's with his father, his
father pays his expenses.
Right now he's paying you
court-ordered $216 a month.
I don't know what else you do
other than this $20,000 that you
report to the IRS.
So I want you to tell me now --
convince me that he agreed to
pay beyond what he was already
paying by court order to you.
>> So, we had the conversation
on the phone.
This was in late May.
I believe it was --
>> Judge Judy: You called him.
>> I called him, and, you know,
we needed to talk about money.
The summer was coming.
My son's in school during the
year, and, in the summer, you
need to make arrangements for an
8-year-old, as to what they're
gonna do all day during the
summer while I work, while he
works.
So, the same preschool and
childcare program that he'd been
to since he was two years old,
they have a program for
school-age children.
>> Judge Judy: Got it.
>> So it's expensive.
It's over $500 a month.
I said, "I need you to help with
this somehow.
Can you pay half?"
He says, "Oh, no,"
blah-blah-blah.
"I can't pay half."
"Okay. What can you pay?"
And he said, "Well, I suppose I
could pay you $200."
So the $200 wasn't much, but it
was enough for me to make that
decision.
If I knew he wasn't gonna pay
the $200, I would've made a
different decision for that
summer in terms of what I
would've done for my child, for
care.
He said he was gonna pay the
$200.
For whatever reason, I believed
him, and so I made the decision
to enroll him in that.
>> Judge Judy: Fine.
Now, tell me what you recall of
that conversation.
>> Yes, she did call me, and the
conversation was about the $200,
and the way I recollect the
conversation was that, if I
could line up my childcare with
the same school, that it would
make sense for me to help pay
for it, but I ended up going
somewhere else.
>> Judge Judy: So what you're
telling me is that you pay for
childcare when he's with you?
>> Only during the summer and
only on Monday.
>> Judge Judy: During the
summer, but only Monday?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So you have a
limited responsibility.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Do you recall, Mr. Knutson, the
amount of $200?
>> Yes, we did talk about that
amount.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And did you indicate to her
that, "I suppose I could come up
with $200"?
>> I told her I wanted to think
about it.
>> Judge Judy: No, I don't
believe you, Mr. Knutson.
I don't believe that at all.
Anyway, on your claim, I'm
awarding you $2,145.
>> Your Honor --
>> Judge Judy: I'm speaking.
I'm deducting from that the $200
that I believe you agreed to pay
her for childcare.
$1,945.
Your counterclaim is therefore
dismissed.
Judgment for the plaintiff in
the amount of $1,945.
And I'm telling you,
Ms. Harrison, you got to control
yourself because your primary
responsibility is making your
child feel secure.
Right now you have a father who
is both interested, involved --
>> He's not involved.
[ Spectators groan ]
I'm sorry. He's not --
>> Judge Judy: That's your
problem.
>> I wish he would be involved.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
problem..your...problem.
>> It is a problem.
It is a big problem.
>> Judge Judy: You make it worse
by not being able to control
yourself in front of your child.
You make his life worse.
You picked him.
Your son didn't pick him.
You picked him.
And you picked her.
I mean, if she's a neurotic
broad, you picked her, and you
chose to make a baby with her.
It's really so unfair of you
because you caused this problem.
You caused this problem.
>> Well, if he would've --
>> Judge Judy: Hey, if you
needed an extra $200 and you
don't work optimally -- because
I'm getting --
>> It's my own business, and I'm
growing a business so --
>> Judge Judy: Listen, I'm
getting the feeling you're not
working optimally, and he's
paying you support, and you
share custody.
So, what you did on that day
when you brought your son to his
house is inexcusable as a
parent -- inexcusable.
>> He does a number of things
that are inexcusable.
>> Judge Judy: Inexcusable.
We're done.
>> The guitar's not even worth
that much money.