on the calendar in the matter of
George/Johnson vs. Carroll.
>> Judge Judy: Thank you.
>> Byrd: You're welcome, Judge.
Parties have been sworn in.
You may be seated.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. George,
I'm going to speak to you.
This is your stepdaughter.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And this
is your daughter?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
Your complaint alleges
that there was an argument
in your house.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
And that your stepdaughter
and your daughter caused some
damage to both the house
and later to a car.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Ms. Carroll says
that this argument
was precipitated
by something that you did,
that she
really didn't cause any damage.
It was all as a result
of your bad behavior.
So, Ms. Carroll,
I'm going to start with you.
Let me try to understand
what this argument was about.
On the 13th of May of this year,
according to what I read
in your mother
and stepfather's petition,
you came to your mother's home
because some friends
of yours had a baby.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And these people
didn't have the wherewithal
to take care of this baby.
>> Yes, the proper things.
>> Judge Judy:
So you came to the house to see
if you could give
the baby to your mother?
>> No, Your Honor.
I didn't come to the house
to see if I can
give the baby to my mother.
I asked her if it was possible
to watch the baby because
she did offer, so we came back.
>> Judge Judy: No, that's what
not what I'm reading.
So you wanted your mother
to take care of the baby
until you came back from where?
>> Just for the mother
to have a break.
Just back to my house.
Just for the break.
>> Judge Judy: For how long?
>> For a couple of hours.
That's what was discussed.
>> Judge Judy: That's not
what I'm getting from here.
What I'm getting from here is
that the fight was
about you wanted your mother
to take care of the baby
for an extended period of time.
And your mother said to you,
"Well, I don't mind doing that,
but we would have to do it
legally through the court."
Well, legally through the court
is not for a couple
of hours babysitting.
Legally through the court means
you wanted
to leave the baby with them.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: Well, then
which one is it?
Listen, if you tell the truth,
you don't have
to have a long memory.
If you're going to make up
stories, you're
going to look very foolish.
And it's going to be very
unpleasant.
Do you understand?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
Now, on the 13th of May
of this year, you came
and you asked
your mother to do what?
>> To watch the child.
>> Judge Judy: For how long?
>> For a long period of time.
>> Judge Judy:
Did you tell her why?
>> Because the parent didn't
have anything
for the baby at all.
And I don't have anything
at my house
because I don't have any kids.
And my mom has a 2-year-old,
which is my youngest sister.
So she has supplies and things
for the baby that
we do not have, I do not have.
>> Judge Judy: Well, did these
people live with you,
the mother of this baby,
the father of this baby?
How do you know them?
>> I met her through
another friend.
And we're close friends.
>> Judge Judy: I mean, is there
something wrong with her?
>> Judge Judy: She came
asking for help to me
because everyone turned her down
for a specific reason,
which I did not know that.
>> Judge Judy: They turned her
down for what reason?
>> I do not know the reason
they turned her down,
but that's my friend.
>> Judge Judy:
So when you asked...
Well, when you asked your mother
if she would take this baby
for an extended period of time,
what does your mother say to
you?
>> My mother says she will take
the baby
with proper documentation.
>> Judge Judy: So she wanted
to go through court.
>> Exactly.
>> Judge Judy:
And what did you say to her?
>> I said, "Okay, Ma.
Then we can do that.
No problem."
But the mother didn't have
the stuff for the baby
because she had a situation,
incident where
she lost her apartment.
She was homeless.
And she did not have proper
documentation
because all the baby stuff
and her stuff had gotten lost
in the moving situation.
That's what I was trying
to explain to my mother.
>> Judge Judy: What stuff?
You mean, like,
a birth certificate?
>> Birth certificate,
Social Security card.
And she did not have the money
to replace anything else.
She was messed up.
>> Judge Judy: Listen, if this
is your good friend,
why didn't you say,
"Come and stay with me"?
>> I'm not in that
situation right now, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: What do you mean,
you're not in that situation?
You have no kids.
She said to me, "I have no kids.
This is a good friend of mine."
>> Exactly.
>> Judge Judy:
And she was homeless.
Why didn't you say,
"Come move in with me"?
>> Okay, so back in New York,
I have a program apartment
to the point where
somebody else is paying my rent.
So I'm not allowed to have
people live with me while
I'm in that program apartment.
So therefore, my mom pays
her own rent out of the pocket.
I don't pay out of pocket.
I get help.
So therefore...
>> Judge Judy:
You have children?
>> No children.
I'm single.
>> Judge Judy: Do you work?
>> No, I do not work.
I receive disability.
>> Judge Judy: In any event,
at some point,
the argument with your mother
precipitated your stepfather,
according to you,
coming in to find out
what this was all about.
>> Exactly.
>> Judge Judy:
Because mother said,
"I'm not doing this
unless it's through the court,
so I have proper documentation."
Your stepfather,
according to you,
came in and said,
"What are you trying to do?
You want us to take this baby
so that you and your friends
can go out partying
and having a good time?"