it is your claim
that the defendant's dog
bit you and your dog.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: I gather from
the defendant's answer
that Rush doesn't
deny that her dog bit
your dog or you, necessarily.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: It's her defense
that it was your dog's fault.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: That be fair?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
This incident happened
on what date, Ms. Stokes?
>> April 6, 2017, about
5:00 p.m. in the evening.
>> Judge Judy: And you have
a small Yorkie?
>> Yorkie terrier.
>> Judge Judy: They yap.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy:
Where were you standing?
>> I was kind of, like,
on the side of my house.
My husband
had pulled in from work,
and I had came off
the porch to talk to my husband.
>> Judge Judy: Were you on your
property or public property?
>> Yes.
I was on my property.
>> Judge Judy: And where were
you coming from?
>> Up the street.
>> Judge Judy: And you were
walking your dog?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
Which is a large dog?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: What kind?
>> German shepherd mix.
>> Judge Judy: How long
have you had the dog?
>> Six or seven years.
>> Judge Judy:
Dog get the shots regularly?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy:
So the dog was uninoculated?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
That's irresponsible.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy:
The Yorkie started yapping.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
I can almost write the scenario.
You say that your dog
was on its leash...
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: ...but somehow
got out of its leash.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
That's impossible,
but let's say I believe you,
that you were walking
your dog on a leash,
and somehow because
the Yorkie started to yap,
your dog
got out of your control,
and how far were you
from the plaintiff's house
when your dog
got out of your control?
>> On the sidewalk.
>> Judge Judy: How far away?
>> Not very far
from her house at all.
>> Judge Judy:
Point to someplace here.
>> Okay.
So...
>> Judge Judy: Your dog was out
of your control, not on leash.
Was it from where you are
to where Officer Byrd is?
>> A little bit farther,
where the steps are.
>> Judge Judy: All right.
So it took your dog a second
to get onto her property.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And I assume,
if I'm supposed to believe you,
that
your dog got out of its collar.
It was pulling you that hard
because it was anxious
to get to this yapping dog --
because
that's where it went, right?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And it wasn't going over
to get to the yapping dog
to play with it.
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: It was going
to get to the yapping dog
to attack it.
She picks up the dog.
What happened next, Ms. Stokes?
>> Your Honor, it really didn't
kind of go like that.
My dog did walk towards them,
but he wasn't yapping.
He seen them
coming across the yard.
He walked his little self
over there.
I walked over there to my dog,
picked him up.
>> Judge Judy: Are you still
on your property?
>> I'm still on my property.
I walk towards him while
they were coming on across.
They were by my mailbox.
They had already crossed
my yard, and I picked up
my little dog and I...
>> Judge Judy: Did they walk
on your yard?
>> Yes.
They did.
They walked right straight
across because
there's no sidewalks over there,
and I picked my dog up,
and I spoke to her...
>> Judge Judy:
Was her dog on a leash?
>> No.
Her dog was not on a leash.
>> Judge Judy: Go ahead.
>> And I picked my dog up
and spoke to the young lady.
It was two young men and her.
Turned my back, and I was going
back towards my house.
>> Judge Judy:
What did you say to her?
>> I told her, "Hi,"
and "Thank you,"
because she stood there.
You know, she had her dog.
I picked it up.
I said, "Hi, thank you."
I turned around and started
walking back
towards my house, my porch,
and all of a sudden something
hit me from the right side,
and when I looked
because I was holding my dog,
it was her dog jumping up
trying to snap me
on my face from the right side,
so I turned around,
and when I turned around,
I'm still holding my dog.
When I turned around,
the dog hit me again
and I fell backwards
on the concrete,
and when I fell backwards
on the concrete, you know,
hit my head and everything,
my dog popped out of my arms,
and the dog, he was steady
trying to get up on me,
so I'm kicking and hollering,
and her and the two young men
was just standing there,