you moved into this place
together.
Am I understanding that you
moved into this new place
two months before --
so that would have been in
December -- with the defendant
and your daughter?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: You see how
you --
You don't know where I'm going.
So, you understand that?
>> Yes, I do, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Yes, you do.
So, now you're at a place
with Mr. Linwood,
and Mr. Linwood just told me
that he got a "call" from you.
Now, he lives with you.
Why do you think that I would
believe that since you were
living with him, he would call
you instead of discussing it
with you when he saw you at
home?
Why do you think that,
Mr. Linwood?
>> Well, Your Honor --
>> Judge Judy: Think fast!
Just tell me why you think that
he would call you and you would
have a record of that, correct,
on your phone log that he called
you?
>> I do not, Your Honor.
It was an old phone.
>> Judge Judy: Why do you think
he would call you instead of
discussing it with you in
person?
Because clearly he wanted you
to do something illegal, right?
Right?
If he was looking to avoid
child support, he was looking
to do something illegal, right?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Isn't that
something you would want to
discuss in person with somebody
rather than over the phone?
>> Absolutely, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: So, why would you
think if he was living with you,
he would discuss that with you
over the phone?
And, by the way, where did you
get the call?
>> I got the call -- I was at
my house, and he's not always
at the house.
>> Judge Judy: [ Laughs ]
I love it.
It's gonna get better.
I'm gonna enjoy it better.
All right.
Now, Mr. Richard --
>> Your Honor?
>> Judge Judy: Do you
understand?
This is not going to turn out
well for you or for him because
I read his texts back and forth
to the plaintiffs, and his texts
back and forth suggest to me
he clearly knew that he came
into possession of this lottery
ticket that did not belong
to him, and you knew that if you
were involved that you came into
possession of the lottery ticket
that didn't belong to you
because, immediately, what he
said was, "Please don't go
to the cops.
I will have your money.
Please."
And the first thing he said was
that you gave him the lottery
ticket as a gift.
>> As a gift.
>> Judge Judy: As a gift.
But then he said that you didn't
give it to him as a gift.
He said you asked him to cash
it for you so that you could
avoid child support.
Which one do you think it is?
>> Gift.
>> Judge Judy: It was a gift
to him?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Well, then he had
the money, you see.
Then two weeks later --
>> [ Speaks indistinctly ]
>> Judge Judy: Uh --
[ Raps desk ]
Two weeks later he had
the money.
He said, "I didn't spend most
of it.
I have $900."
Then he said, "I have $1,400.
I have to wait until I get paid,
but I'll get it all back to
you."
And then, all of a sudden, your
tone changed, Mr. Linwood.
>> Yes, it did, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And why did your
tone change?
>> Your Honor, my father-in-law
told me --
>> Judge Judy: Your
father-in-law's a liar.
So he can sit down.
Sit.
>> Hmm.
>> Judge Judy: And so are you.
In a short space of two pages,
you changed your story three
times.
>> Yes, I did.
>> Judge Judy: And you swore --
Just a second.
And you swore to me that he's
a liar.
Do you want to know why?
>> Why?
>> Judge Judy: Because he just
said to me that it was a gift
to you, and your answer says,
"He asked me to cash the lottery
ticket for him" -- and this is
a sworn deposition -- "because
at the time he owed back child
support, and he was afraid that
his winnings would be taken away
from him."
Now, he just swore to me that he
made this lottery-ticket gift
as a gift to you.
>> It was not a gift,
Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Well, so then you
just called him a liar.
So he's a liar?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: That's what I
said.
That's why I told him to sit
down.
You see, and you came together,
and you two are so stupid, you
can't even get your stories
together.
You slept in the same hotel room
last night, you can't get your
stories together.
They ought to give a prize
for stupid.
Judgment for the plaintiff
in the amount of $1,750.
We're done.
>> Byrd: Parties are excused.
You may step out.
>> I bought the ticket from
somebody that was on
the side view of a bar.
>> Why would you buy a winning
lottery ticket off somebody
unless it was acquired
illegally?
>> I have no idea who this guy
was.
>> It's too fishy.
Why would you put yourself
in that?
They just thought they weren't
gonna get caught.
>> Regardless of the gift or
whatever, they didn't sign
the ticket.
>> I really have no hard
feelings to Shawn.
I think he was kind of stuck
in the middle of this thing.
>> So I decided to go ahead
and buy it, and it seemed legit.
>> The father-in-law,
I'm not so sure.
>> And I'll double my money
any time.
>> I don't buy the story at all.
>> She said, "We either think
it's a lottery worker or
a postal worker."
>> We couldn't get much results
from police enforcement.
>> Well, I'm neither of those.
I have no ties to those,
so, therefore, I did not
steal it.
>> Low on the priority board,
so I turned to Judge Judy,
and I got justice.