defendant was a foster child in
your home for many years
on and off.
According to your complaint,
at some point you invited her or
asked her if she would house-sit
for you.
You were going away for a
couple of days.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Immediately prior
to that, she had not been in
your home.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: She came back to
your home to house-sit.
And according to you, she took
some property that didn't belong
to her.
That's what you're suing her
for.
Ms. Parenteau indicates that the
property she took belonged to
her, and she has a counterclaim.
She said that you changed the
locks on the doors, and she was
unable to get some other
property that she has in your
house, which she'll tell me
about.
Just for informational purposes,
how old was Ms. Parenteau when
she came to live with you for
the first time?
>> 16.
>> Judge Judy: And how long did
she stay?
>> She was there for a short
period of time, and then she was
placed somewhere else, and then
has come back several times.
>> Judge Judy: Why is that?
>> She was placed somewhere else
because she was in my home
and wanted to return to her
previous home to take care of
the dog.
And I did that, and they were in
disagreement of that choice.
>> Judge Judy: Explain that.
So she was in your home when she
was 16, but she had a dog in her
previous foster home that she --
>> No, in her biological home.
>> Judge Judy: With whom?
>> My biological mother.
>> Judge Judy: And you went
back to that home?
>> Yes. I only went there for a
few hours to feed the dog
because she was in jail, and
no one else was there to take
care of the animal.
>> Judge Judy: So you didn't go
back there to live.
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Oh, that's what
I'm trying to understand.
So you went back there just to
take care of the dog.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: For a couple of
hours.
And you didn't like that?
>> No, it was not me that did
not like...
The county did not like that.
>> Judge Judy: So what happened?
>> After I discussed what
happened, they questioned me.
They took her from my home, and
she was placed in several other
homes after that.
>> Judge Judy: Why is that?
>> I fought to get her back.
>> The second time I was taken
out of her home, she committed
some Social Security fraud,
which she's still under
investigation for.
>> That's not true.
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
That was the second time.
The first time was because?
>> The first time was because I
was...I went to my house
to feed the dog.
>> Judge Judy: With her
permission.
>> Yes. She took me over there.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so that's
the first time.
The second time, you say,
because of some sort of
investigation that was being
done.
Were you the only foster child
in the house?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: How many foster
children were there?
>> There were about four at the
time that I moved in.
>> Judge Judy: How many foster
children did you have at one
time in the last five years?
>> The last five years,
I've had three.
>> Judge Judy: For long periods
of time?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Do you work
outside the home?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: At what?
>> I do a lot of volunteer work
as well as I've been in
internships with my union.
>> Judge Judy: I asked you if
you worked for money outside
the home other than --
>> Oh, yes. Yes.
>> Judge Judy: For whom?
>> Yes, for a union.
>> Judge Judy: What union?
>> SCIU 2015.
>> Judge Judy: What do you do
for them?
>> I've done a lot of
internships.
They are programs that last
X amount of time.
And I learn new things.
>> Judge Judy: How do you get
that job?
>> [ Laughs ]
>> Judge Judy: No, I'm serious.
How do you get that job?
So, so far, you do a lot of
volunteer work.
You have three foster children.
You do a lot of internships.
Internships really usually mean
you're working to go toward
something.
So how did you get into
this union?
You had a brother or sister, a
cousin, an aunt, an uncle?
How did --
>> No, the county has a program.
>> Judge Judy: Oh, so it's
through the county.
>> And I actually learned that
through one of my foster
children.
>> Judge Judy: And for my own
informational purposes, how
much money did you receive each
month for Ms. Parenteau?
>> At the end of her stay --
>> Judge Judy: Let's start at
the beginning of her stay.
>> At the beginning of her stay,
I was in an agency, and it was
$1,009.
>> Judge Judy: And at the end?
>> I was non-relative placement
for $859.
>> Judge Judy: Prior to
house-sitting for you, when was
the last time the defendant
lived in your home?
>> The beginning of October, I
believe.
>> Judge Judy: For how long?
>> She had been there for a
little over a year and a half.
>> Judge Judy: And what caused
her to leave?
>> She was mad at me.
>> Judge Judy: She got angry
with you?
>> Yes.
And --
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Because?
>> Actually, not real sure.
She left a note for me.
>> Judge Judy: Do you want to
tell me why you were angry?
She's not real sure.
>> I never left any note.
She committed voter fraud,
and I was very upset with that.
So I moved out.
>> Judge Judy: So you left
in November?
>> Yes.
>> That is not true.
>> Judge Judy: Did you get