the defendant
is your former girlfriend,
and you have one child together.
That child is how old?
>> 6, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And it's a little
boy, and you have primary
physical custody of him.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And you've had
primary physical custody
of him for several years?
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
The defendant shares custody
with you in the summertime.
Is that my understanding?
>> That just recently came back.
>> Judge Judy: Just recently.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Now, the lawsuit
is relatively simple.
Each of you are accusing the
other of initiating legal
proceedings with regard
to the other in family court,
which cost you both a lot of
money, and you want the other
to compensate you
for the legal fees
that were incurred
as a result of these frivolous
court actions.
So I'm gonna ask you both one
simple question first.
Did either of you make
application for counsel
fees against the other
when you were in family court?
>> No, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Was there a
reason for that?
>> The mediation did not work.
>> Judge Judy: What do you mean
the mediation didn't work?
>> We were required to go
to mediation and talk
with the parenting coordinator.
>> Judge Judy: Right.
>> And we were unable to be
civil and work things out,
so we went to a trial.
>> Judge Judy: Well, but when
you go to a trial, then at the
end of the trial, if you have a
lawyer, then the lawyer
says to the losing party,
after one case is dismissed and
the second case is dismissed,
"I want counsel fees because
this is a frivolous action."
Did either of you make that
application after the trials?
>> I did not because my lawyer
advised me that
they would not award it to me.
>> Judge Judy: And you?
>> I never did.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> Your Honor?
>> Judge Judy: She did.
She did file for $700.
>> Judge Judy: In?
>> Legal fees, yes.
>> Judge Judy: Was that denied?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: It was denied
by the family court judge?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Is that correct?
>> That is not correct,
Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Let's see if he probably
has something to demonstrate
that your attorney did make
an application for legal fees.
>> I have...
It's all right here, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
Let me take a look.
>> This is the most recent
order, where everything was
dismissed.
>> Judge Judy: Does that mention
the legal fees?
Does this mention
the legal fees?
>> It should. Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Not should.
I'm not going to read
this whole thing.
>> Well...
>> Judge Judy: Find it.
>> Denied motion.
>> Judge Judy: We're just
talking about legal fees.
I understand that her motions
were denied.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy: Show me
in the order.
That's all I want to see.
>> Right here.
I got it in the court docket,
where it was all denied.
You can look over
this whole docket.
>> Judge Judy: Not all --
I don't want to look over the
whole document.
I want you to take a pen
and circle where it says
"Motion for counsel fees
by Ms. Aldridge is denied."
That's it.
That's an easy thing.
>> I'm sorry, Your Honor.
It was right here.
This is part of it.
For some reason it's not
in the court docket, Your Honor.
I'm sorry.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
If it's not in the court docket,
then it's not there. All right.
Now, I'm going to address
one part of your case, sir,
because that's going to be
dispositive for me with regard
to the entire case.
There's no question,
Ms. Aldridge, that Mr. Case
has legal custody of your son,
either given to him
initially by you or awarded
by a court after a trial.
Is that correct?
>> That's correct.
>> Judge Judy: And that is,
after a full fact-finding trial,
the court clearly, by awarding
him physical custody,
determined that he was
a more appropriate parent.
That's what the courts do.
>> Right.
>> Judge Judy: They say between
two people, so that's a given.
Now, this is what I understand,
at least in part,
started all this trouble.
You had primary
physical custody.
According to you,
at some point last year,
your son came home
from a visit with his mother.
According to you,
he had a bruise.
>> Multiple.
>> Judge Judy: Multiple bruises.
And you asked him,
"What happened?"
and he said to you, in effect,
"Mommy's boyfriend hit me."
>> Actually, I picked him up
from the visit --
>> Judge Judy: No. No.
Listen to me. Did I say anything
that was untrue?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: I may have said
it in different words...
>> Right. Right.
>> Judge Judy: ...but is
anything that I said
inconsistent with your
complaint?
>> No. You're correct.
>> Judge Judy: Fine.
I actually tell the story
better than you do
because I get to the point.
So this is your story.
Your son comes home,
tells you that
his mother's boyfriend hit him,
which is why he has bruises.
At some time subsequently,
Ms. Aldridge notified
you that she was going
on vacation for a week,
wanted to take her son with her,
and you also ascertained
that the boyfriend
was going on that vacation.
So far correct?
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: How much time
after you noticed
these bruises was this vacation
supposed to take place?
>> I'm not sure approximate
date, but I filed for a
protection order against her
boyfriend.
>> Judge Judy: Immediately?
>> Immediately. Actually, I made
a police report.
As I picked him up,
I pulled over a police officer
as I was driving down the road.
>> Judge Judy: So you made
a report immediately.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, and you
initiated a protective order,
with your son as the beneficiary
of that protective order,
keeping Ms. Aldridge's boyfriend
away from your son?
>> Yes, Your Honor.