>> Judge Judy: Mr. Giaba,
you have a son.
Is that correct?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Who you adopted
when he was how old?
>> He was 12 years old, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Do you have any
other children?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Are you a single
parent?
>> I just got married
three years ago.
>> Judge Judy: And the defendant
is the sister of your son.
>> Yes, ma'am. Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Did you meet her
at the same time
that you adopted your son?
>> Probably about a year,
a year and a half later.
>> Judge Judy: And how much
older are you?
>> I'm a year younger.
>> Judge Judy: How old are you?
>> Twenty-one.
>> Judge Judy: And you had
helped finance
a car for your son.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Ms. Hernandez
needed a car.
She asked you if
you would do the same for her.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: You cosigned for
a car for her.
What kind of car did you buy?
>> A 2005 Acura TL.
>> Judge Judy: When was that?
>> May 1st, 2015,
was when we signed the contract.
>> Judge Judy: So you were 20 at
the time.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: What were you
doing?
>> I was actually working
at the time.
>> Judge Judy: Working for whom?
>> I was working at
Snookies Cookies.
So I was data entry.
>> Judge Judy: How long did you
have that job?
>> For a couple months.
I was barely working there.
>> Judge Judy: What do you do
now?
>> I am actually going back
to work there.
>> Judge Judy: How long haven't
you been working?
>> Four months.
>> Judge Judy: Why?
>> I had to stay home
and take care of my son.
He wasn't going
to school anymore.
So I had to stay home
and watch him.
I didn't have a babysitter
at the time.
>> Judge Judy: How old is he?
>> He's 4.
>> Judge Judy: Who do you live
with?
>> My mom.
>> Judge Judy: Is your mother
also the mother of your son?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Do you know her?
>> Yes, we've actually bonded
for a while,
probably when he turned 18
so he could see his mom again
and things like that.
So we kind of got close
to the family.
>> Judge Judy: Did you take him
from foster care?
>> Yes.
I took him in from foster care
when he was 12.
He was living in a bad situation
in foster care.
So I kind of felt bad.
I had just got back
from the war.
So I needed that love
and attention.
So I found Jose.
He was not doing well.
So I took him in, fostered him,
cared for him,
and now he's 22 years old
with a grandchild of mine.
So it's kind of one
accomplishment that I liked.
>> Judge Judy: Yeah.
Is he working?
>> Yes, he is.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So Ms. Hernandez stopped
making payments on the car?
>> Yes. She --
>> Judge Judy: When did you stop
making payments
on the car, Ms. Hernandez?
>> I stopped making payments
on June of this year.
>> Judge Judy: Why?
>> Because that is when the car
got taken in
because of tickets
that my brother got with my car.
I had lent him the car,
and he ended up
getting parking tickets.
I ended up leaving my car
in the parking lot
of my apartment.
And it ended up getting towed
in for parking violations.
So I couldn't take it out
of the towing.
I had let Matthew know
that I wasn't going to be able
to take it out.
The car wouldn't have gotten
taken away, first of all,
if my brother
would have taken care
of the parking violations.
>> Judge Judy: Is what you're
telling me that you're going to
be able to prove to me that
tickets were accumulated
on your car by someone else,
who was driving the car
with your permission?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: I thought he had
his own car.
But maybe I was mistaken
that he had his own car because
that is what started this.
"Well, you financed one for him.
Why won't you
do the same thing for me?"
So you're going to be able
to prove to me that you loaned
your brother the car.
The car was impounded
because of nonpayment
of tickets...
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: ...because what
Mr. Giaba wants is...
they're coming after him now
for the payoff on the car.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: And you haven't
been working.
And you haven't been working
for 4 months.
So if you haven't been working
for 4 months,
what were you paying
the car payment with in June?
>> I was paying the car --
>> Judge Judy: Now just a
second.
What were you paying it from?
You weren't working.
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: So what money
were you paying it from?
You want to show me proof
that you paid in June?
>> Yes, I do, ma'am.
I actually paid...
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
>> ...for the whole year.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
The car payment is $300
and how much a month?
>> $320.
>> Judge Judy: I see that you
made this payment on June 1st.
>> Yes, that was
the last payment
I made on that car.
>> Judge Judy: For $340.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: Why?
>> Because I had the car
at the time.
>> Judge Judy: Well, but if it
was $320, was there any money
owing?
Was there...
>> No, I was just paying
a little bit more.
That is my payment
that I was making every time.
>> Judge Judy: Okay. Fine.