You can sit down.
[ Laughter ]
>> Judge Judy: You are only here
because you own the car?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You weren't there
during
the course of the incident?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: But this is
what you say in your complaint.
What you say in your complaint
is that this young man
is responsible
for your car being crashed.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Good,
now you can have a seat.
This is your son.
He had your car
that day, correct?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Tell me
your first name.
>> Andre Johnson.
>> Judge Judy: Andre?
>> Johnson.
>> Judge Judy: Your first name?
>> Mario.
>> Judge Judy: How old are you,
Mario?
>> 18.
>> Judge Judy: How old are you?
>> 19.
>> Judge Judy: You both go
to the same school?
>> Yes.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: How long have you
been going to the same school?
>> I believe four years.
>> Judge Judy: Mario, have you
ever been to Andre's house?
>> Only once.
>> Judge Judy: When?
>> I don't remember
the date.
>> Judge Judy: Recently?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: A while ago?
>> Yeah,
you could say that.
>> Judge Judy: Were you there
as an invited guest?
Did you go to a party?
>> Yes, it was an invited guest.
>> Judge Judy: Do you
remember that?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy:
You don't remember?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Did you ever have
a party at your house?
>> No, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Was he ever
at your house?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Were you ever
at his house?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: When was the
last time
you were at Mario's house?
>> It would be
a while ago, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: How long ago?
A month, two months?
>> Like, maybe like
a few months, like five months.
>> Judge Judy: What were you
doing at his house?
>> Just hanging out.
>> Judge Judy: And when you say
hanging out,
you were hanging out
with who else?
>> Just him, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Just Mario?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Did you play
video games, did you --
>> Um,
just watching sports on TV.
>> Judge Judy: How many times
have you been to his house
altogether,
in the last two years,
more than five
or less than five?
>> Around like five.
Just a number five.
>> Judge Judy: And those times
hanging around?
Just hanging around,
watching TV?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Now, how come
Mario never came to your house?
>> He was uninvited.
>> Judge Judy: Why?
>> Because of the car.
>> Judge Judy: You mean because
of this accident?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: I want to know
before that.
I mean, you're telling me
that you were at Mario's house
after the accident?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: Was he at
your house after the accident?
>> I believe he was.
I wasn't there present but
my father told me he was there.
>> Judge Judy: After this
accident,
was the plaintiff there
at your house?
>> Uh, he just,
he just showed up with the mom
to complain about the accident.
>> Judge Judy: Oh, that's
the only time he came?
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: So, I'm gonna
ask you again.
You used to hang out
at Mario's house.
Why was he never a guest
in your house?
>> Because my mom,
she just had,
she didn't trust him.
That's why.
>> Judge Judy: Your mom didn't
like him?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Did your mom know
that you were going
to his house?
>> Yes, 'cause --
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Did you tell your mom that you
were at his house hanging out?
>> Yes, 'cause, you know,
she didn't trust him. I did.
I felt like --
>> Judge Judy: Andre?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: I know you think
you're going to try to get
the story straight in your head.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: But you're not
gonna be able to,
'cause I've been doing
this questioning too long.
Do you understand?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Now, the reason
that Mario didn't come out
and hang out in your house
is because your mother didn't
like him.
But you liked him?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you would
go to his house?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Did you tell
your mother
that you were going to his house
is my question.
If your mother didn't like him
as a friend for you,
if it were my judgment
I would say, well,
I would rather
have him in my house
so I could sort of know
what was going on,
rather than my son
going to his house.
So I'm gonna ask you again,
don't try to figure out
where I'm going.
Did you tell your mother
that you were hanging out
in Mario's house?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You did?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: At the time
you were doing it?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And what did
your mother say?
>> Be careful.
>> Judge Judy: Be careful.
Okay, but you had nothing
to be careful about,
because you kept going.
>> Yeah, 'cause we have
violence on our streets.
>> Judge Judy: You what?
>> We have like violence --
like not a lot,
but around where we live, so --
>> Judge Judy: That's not what
I'm asking you.
You weren't at his house
because of violence.
You were at his house
'cause you liked him.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Did you also
like him in school?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Got it?
I'm looking at you
because the first line
in your complaint is
"Mario went to high school
with my son, Andre.
He has been bullying my son
for the past year, and my son
is completely
intimidated by him."
That's the way we start out,
but that's really not true.
Your son liked him.
He was his friend, and he used
to go and hang out at his house.
And whether he told you or not,
I don't know, but it's not true
because he wouldn't go...
He wouldn't go to his house
to hang out
if he was intimidating him.
Do we understand
each other, Andre?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Now, you were
driving your mother's car
on the day of the accident.
I want you to tell me
what happened. And be careful.
>> Okay, it was
on Thursday at 8:30.
>> Judge Judy: Thursday at?
>> 8:30, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: In the morning?
>> Yes, and I was hanging
with my friends.
>> Judge Judy: Which friends?
>> Um, Aaron, Sergio,
Uli, Javier.
And Mario came up to me, and
that's 'cause when I got my car.
>> Judge Judy: Mario came up
to you and?
>> He asked me
for my car, threateningly.
>> Judge Judy: No, he didn't.
No, he didn't.
He was...
Why would he threaten you?
He was your friend.
>> Because... That's why,
when I got my car, ma'am.
That's why, when I got my car,
that's when things changed.