>> Judge Judy: Ms. Huettel, it
is your claim that the
defendant's dog -- or dogs?
>> It's one dog, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: One dog.
A small dog...
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: ...is responsible
for damage that was done to your
scooter.
The defendant says that the
damage done to your scooter was
your own fault, and he's
counterclaiming because he said
you trespassed on his property
and harassed him.
So this incident happened,
according to what I gather here,
while you were riding on a
scooter.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Do you have a
picture of that scooter?
>> I do, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: So I can do a
visual.
>> Thank you.
>> Judge Judy: Is this the one?
>> Yes, ma'am, it is.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so you're
riding on this scooter, and
according to your complaint, you
had two dogs.
>> Correct, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: What kind?
>> One is a Great Dane, and one
is just a small 40-pound
mixed-breed dog.
>> Judge Judy: So large dogs.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And you do not
have the dogs by the leash.
You tie the dogs onto your
scooter.
>> I have one dog by the leash
that is on my right-hand side,
and the Great Dane, who has been
riding with me --
>> Judge Judy: Just don't give
me a whole tributary.
I don't need a tributary.
Were the dogs' leashes in your
hand or attached to the scooter?
>> One was in my hand, one was
attached to the frame of the
scooter.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so the one
that was in the hand was the
smaller dog.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: So if you had
that dog's leash in your hand,
that hand was not on the
scooter.
>> The leash was actually
wrapped around my wrist, ma'am,
so my hand was on the scooter
because that is the gas, so...
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so now you
have the 40-pound dog whose
leash is wrapped around your
wrist, and you're holding onto
the handle of the scooter.
The other dog, the Great Dane,
that dog's leash is attached to
the other handlebar.
>> No, ma'am.
It's attached to the frame.
Between the handlebar and the
wheel, there's a solid frame.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, so that dog
is attached not to you, but to
the scooter that you're driving
on.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Now, do you pedal
this scooter, or the dogs run
and propel the scooter?
>> The scooter is actually
electric, and so I go, and the
dogs run with me.
>> Judge Judy: And where were
you going?
>> Just on my normal route that
I take my Great Dane --
>> Judge Judy: What is that?
>> Around the neighborhood.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So now tell me what happened.
>> We were going on our normal
route around the neighborhood.
I came up to the defendant's
house, and as I passed, his dog
ran out from his garage into the
street, and --
>> Judge Judy: Into the street
where you were and where cars
go?
>> Correct.
>> Excuse me, Judge, that's --
>> Judge Judy: Shh. Shh.
>> I'm sorry.
>> Judge Judy: I'm gonna get to
you.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: And his dog is
what kind of a dog?
>> I'm not sure what kind, but
it's a small dog.
>> Judge Judy: What kind of a
dog do you have?
>> It's a miniature poodle mixed
with a Shih Tzu.
>> And it barks a lot.
>> Judge Judy: That's what dogs
do.
>> Mm.
>> Judge Judy: That's how they
communicate, they bark.
Okay, so his little dog came out
of the garage and ran out into
the street and was barking at
your dogs?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, and...?
>> And, believe it or not --
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Don't ask me to believe it or
not.
[ Laughter ]
What I want you to do is his
little poodle came out and was
barking at your dogs, and...?
>> And my Great Dane went to
bolt forward because --
>> Judge Judy: Don't tell me
because!
Your Great Dane bolted forward.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And started to
run faster than the electricity
was taking your scooter.
The Dane was now propelling your
scooter.
>> What caused the crash was me
putting the brake on.
>> Judge Judy: Don't tell me
what caused the crash, madame.
I'm here to determine what
caused the crash.
His little dog came out and was
barking.
Your dog took off.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: The little dog
did not follow your dog.
He'll tell me that the dog never
left his property line --
doesn't matter.
But the dog didn't follow you.
Your Great Dane took off down
the street.
Are we together?
>> No, ma'am.
His dog did follow me, and in
the video that I have you can
clearly hear him calling his
dog back to his yard.
>> Judge Judy: How far do this
Shih-Poo follow you?
>> You can see on the video that
it was approximately two
driveways past the defendant.
>> Judge Judy: Fine.
Two driveways past the
defendant.
And then did the Great Dane
stop?
>> I put the brakes so that the
car in front of us could back
out of the driveway without us
going around it, and that's when
the scooter tumbled.
>> Jud