what do you do for a living?
>> I'm a substitute teacher
this past school year
and do artwork on the side.
>> Judge Judy: Okay,
this is what your case is about.
You took a job with the
defendants,
who own a yogurt shop,
and the job was to paint a mural
on one of the walls
in their yogurt shop.
You took this job in July
of last year.
According to you, you started
work on this mural
in August of last year
with an agreed-upon price
of $375,
which included
the cost of supplies.
The defendants gave you $150
to cover the supplies,
and you started work.
At some point five months later,
they told you
that they no longer
wanted you in the shop
to work on the mural.
There was some sort of a
disagreement, where you claim
that one of the defendants
sort of pushed you out the door.
And
even if you finished the mural,
you would have been entitled to,
let's see, 375 minus the 150
that they gave you equals 225.
So you're suing them for breach
of contract for $5,000...
That's ridiculous...
for breaching the contract
to paint the mural
because they ultimately decided
that they didn't like
this mural,
and they painted over it.
That doesn't necessarily impact
your $225 if, in fact,
you completed the mural.
Now, this kerfuffle
that happened in the store
in December, when you claim
that he became angry...
That would be Mr. Jones...
and pushed you towards the door
after he asked you to leave
because you were angry with each
other, after that incident,
did you go to the hospital?
>> No, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy:
Did you go to the doctor?
>> No, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy:
Did you take any pictures
of any physical injuries?
>> No.
>> Judge Judy: No?
Good.
So the punitive damages
for assault is eliminated
from your complaint
because he didn't assault you.
He didn't assault you.
Assault requires
some physical injury,
and you were not
physically injured in any way.
This is not going to be
a windfall for you.
Now, I'd like to see a sketch
of what you told them
that you were going to paint.
>> Your Honor, I have sketches.
>> Judge Judy:
Just show me a sketch
of what you were going to paint
for them, what you showed them
when they said,
"Okay, here's $150.
Start painting," in August.
>> Your Honor, I didn't have
it ready in the...
I have a lot of photographs
of it at different stages...
>> Judge Judy: I don't want
any photographs.
I want to see a sketch
of what you told...
>> ...within my...
>> Judge Judy: ...them that
you were going to paint for them
because they would have had
to have seen a sketch.
Do you have a sketch
of what she said
she was going to paint for you?
>> No, she just brought
in the picture.
>> Judge Judy: She what?
>> She brought in pictures
of sketches.
>> Yeah, I brought in actual
sketches to them that I...
>> Judge Judy: Fine.
Do you have any of those?
>> I didn't have
the actual sketches.
I meant to bring them,
Your Honor.
Here's one of them.
>> Judge Judy: Okay,
I'll just take a look at one.
I want to get some idea
of what...
>> And I have...
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
Is this what you're
talking about?
>> Yes, and I have...
>> Judge Judy: And how many of
these little stick figures
were you supposed to do?
>> I sketched...
There were mermaids to the left.
There were other images
of children
on the right side of the mural.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, now,
at the time
that you stopped working,
I want to see a photograph
of what the mural looked like.
>> Okay.
The final...
>> Judge Judy: No.
>> ...images are on this
that I have.
>> Judge Judy: I can't see
anything with that,
and I have no implement to do.
I just want to see what the wall
looked like the last day that
you were able to work on it.
>> Here's two of them here.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> Here's one also.
This is one of the last images
I have of it, this one.
>> Judge Judy: Okay, I'm not
putting all of this together.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy:
If this is the mural
that you took a photograph
of in the yogurt shop...
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: ...this is what
it looked like, what is this?
>> That...It's 35 feet long
and about 5 1/2 feet high,
so that is not in that image.
I don't have an image of the
whole thing
because it was so long.
That is an image of a boy
that's to the right on a...
>> Judge Judy: Well, I have to
see the whole thing.
>> ...sandy island.
Right, I have
other images for you.
>> And that's not even hers,
Your Honor.
The mermaids
were by another artist.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
I understand that you brought
in another artist in September
because things
were going very slowly.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: You brought in
another artist whose name was?
>> Kim.
>> Judge Judy:
Somebody that you knew?
>> Yes, she worked next door
to our store.
>> Judge Judy:
Listen to me carefully.
Did you paint this, or did Kim?
>> No, I did not do
the initial mermaids.
I did some...
>> Judge Judy: Then I'm not
interested in the mermaids.
>> ...finishing touches
when they were done.
>> Judge Judy:
I want to see what you did.
>> Yes.