Well, what day do you think it fell?
It happened in 2017.
She doesn't remember dates. Now, ms. Starrett --
I'm asian. I know math.
You're asian, you know math?
Yes. I'm good with dates.
[ laughter ]
what do you think she spent the money on
if she didn't spend it on the funeral?
I think she spent it on lipo and a butt job.
[ spectators murmur ]
we in here arguing about ass, or we arguing about this funeral?
What all were the $5,000 to include?
The full kitchen cabinets -- full kitchen?
Let me tell you something. Judge harvey, can I say --
no, no, no, no. He offered it.
Now, you listen to me.
Jesus was a carpenter,
and he'd have charged more than that.
[ laughing ] I know!
Hey, it's a big world out there,
and it's filled with people that just don't see eye to eye.
See, that's where I come in.
See, I ain't got a law degree,
and I'm way too fly to wear a robe.
But this is where common sense presides -- in my house.
Court is now in session.
[ chuckles ]
♪♪
all rise for the honorable judge steve harvey!
Steve: Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
[ cheers and applause ]
how are you today?
Hey.
That's good. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Alright, let's get started.
Rubin: This is the case of mui albaugh vs. Melanie starrett.
Mui says her former neighbor melanie
owes her $2,837.15
for a damaged fence
and for half of the liquor for a st. Patrick's day party.
Let's start with you, mui.
You've got 30 seconds to state your case.
Hello, judge harvey.
I'm here today
suing my former friend melanie starrett
for fixing my fence, damages from her tree,
and half of the party.
Melanie, it's your turn. You got 30 seconds to respond.
My neighbor and former friend mui albaugh
is suing me for half of the cost
of her party she threw
and for damages done to repair her dilapidated fence
that branches damaged during a storm.
And I don't owe her anything.
Are you both decided that you are former friends?
We're not mending fences.
[ laughs ] I like that. That's nice.
[ laughs ]
real friends don't need a privacy fence,
and especially not a dilapidated one.
Dilapidated? [ spectators murmur ]
what happened? Let's just get into what happened.
2017,
a tree branch came and fell
on the back fences -- I'm sorry. It was some --
some small limbs. Sir, I --
well, see, wait a minute. First of all,
just listen to me.
I'm-a give everybody a chance to tell they story.
Yes, your honor. Trust me, 'cause I want
to hear this right.
First, I'm very confused why we in here
about a tree branch from 2017 anyway.
I know, right?
'cause right now, I --
I want to end this right now.
Thank you. That's what needs to happen.
So, go ahead.
2017. Right, sir.
So, the -- there's no storm.
A branch from her oak tree
fell on the fence to my side. Right there.
There's the dilapidated fence with some rope
tied to a dilapidated play set. It is not dilapidated, sir, because --
yes. Pulling the fence over farther.
So, now, hold on.
It's not your turn yet. Yeah.
I do apologize. Are we gon' have this problem?
No, sir. I know how to handle
this situation if cussing is allowed.
But I really don't know how to keep saying,
"please be quiet."
thank you, your honor.
So, your honor,
if you can see,
the branch fell on that one front piece,
and my husband had to hold it up with the rope.
The fence that's leaning is leaning more into your yard?
It's leaning to my yard.
Right, so why would you have a rope
tied... Okay, so --
...To help it lean more into your yard?
Why? Why?
I-I don't know why... There should not be no rope
tied to the play set. ...My husband did that.
What is that? But, anyway, I don't know --
your husband did that?
Yeah. I don't know why he did it.
[ laughter ]
it looks like -- I can tell.
No -- if you don't be quiet --
I'm s-- [ laughs ]
[ laughter ]
just -- I'm gon' give you your turn.
Yes. I promise you.
So, these branches have fallen onto your fence
over into your yard? Yes, sir.
And did you say anything to your neighbor?
She actually came over and told me about it.
Oh, you didn't know? No.
So I'm like, "what are you gonna do about it?"
and she's like, "I don't have any money right now."
I was like, "okay, clean it up and pay me when you can."
okay. Did she clean it up? A little.
Okay, now hi.
Hi. How you doing today?
Hi, your honor. I'm doing wonderful.
Beautiful day. Guess what?
This your turn.
Thank you.
[ chuckles ]
now, did you go to her house
and tell her that your tree branch
fell on your barn and then onto her fence?
No, your honor. That's a lie.
I wasn't even at home when it happened.
But on my way home into the neighborhood,
there was debris all over the roads.
Lie. There was tree branches
and stuff all over the road.
It was obviously a storm all over the entire neighborhood.
No storm.
And some branches --
hold on one second.
Now it's your turn to be quiet.
Didn't I give you your chance? Yes, sir.
Thank you very much. Go ahead.
Okay, first, it was just a -- small limbs
that fell on my barn and onto the fence.
That's not a small limb. Well, I came home.
I see all the debris everywhere,
and my son tells me that she has already come over
and said that there was some branches fell on her fence.
And so I go over there, and she's like,
"well, it's no big deal. We'll just pick it up."
so we both cleaned up our sides.
When tree branches fall,
they don't fall and just cut in half
and, "this your half of the branch,
and that's her half of the --" right.
Right, sir. I've just got a lot of common sense,
because, see, look at this photo.
The stuff that's on your side of the fence
look like it come from your side of the fence.
The top half of the leaves are in her yard.
Indeed, very green.
'cause it just happened.
In 2017.
That's right. [ laughter ]
but, your honor? Yes, your honor.
Do you remember what month this is, day or month?
August. August.
It was spring. Yes.
Okay, do you remember what day this was, mui?
It was in the morning.
Like, it --
I'm sorry, judge.
It was -- it was --
alright, I'm just trying to narrow down the day.
Right. Do you remember the day of the week?
Was it a Monday, a Tuesday --
you got seven to pick from.
Well, it's 2017.
It was 2017.
I think it was August the 6th.
2017.
Well, that sound close to you?
It was 2017, steve.
Well, we do know it was 2017.
That's correct.
[ laughs ]
alright, now.
Did you do anything to help them at all?
She requested for me to go get a 2x4,
and I didn't know what one was. No. No, no, no, no.
But I went to the store -- you didn't know what a 2x4 was?
Okay. And I went to the store,
and I asked for a 2x4,
and the man brought me a big piece of wood out,
and I said okay, and I paid for that.
Did she bring you a 2x4?
She did. Okay. We agree on that.
Right.
[ cheers and applause ]
wonderful. Okay.
So she brought it over and told my husband --
oh, this another picture.
Yes, sir.
This is around January of 2018.
August, September --
six months. About six months.
August, September, October, November --
it was a week after the -- the limbs fell
on the barn and the -- no.
That's not true. You can tell that it's --
because I'm a country boy. Yeah!
See them brown leaves on the ground?
There's no tree -- yeah!
That's because it's winter, 'cause the 2x4s are new.
Look at 'em leaning against the fence.
They don't have no weather on them or nothing.
See how her fence look? I do. I see it.
Why we ain't painted this fence, I don't know.
That's none of my business.
Again, 2018 came along.
Another tree branch fell.
We have a second time? Yes, sir.
So now we have a more current situation.
Right.
So, the second incident was during a storm.
Another storm. A large, large branch
fell on the fence.
That's a damn tree.
[ laughter ]
literally -- hold up. We through with branches.
It took everything out. If you're from georgia,
it's large oak trees. Stop.
You hardly have no more of this tree.
There's some tree, yeah.
There's some tree left, but it's not really
called a tree anymore. Right.
It's still green.
So, when did this tree fall?
September 11, 2018.
Yes, your honor. A year later, another storm...
No storm. ...Knocked something onto
her fence from my tree.
So, okay, if we don't have storms,
how are all these branches falling with no storm?
But now you're saying there was a storm.
It was storms. There's storms all the time in georgia.
You live here. You know this.
My clerks have researched this.
The day in question --
[ spectators murmur ]
how are all these branches falling with no storm?
There's storms all the time in georgia.
My clerks have researched this.
[ spectators murmur ] the day in question,
9/11/2018,
there were no storms.
[ spectators murmur ]
the wind top speed was 6 miles per hour.
Okay. Thank you, your honor.
Then her date is wrong. Thank you.
Well, what day do you think it fell?
Well, I don't think it happened in September.
I think it was October, actually, that it happened.
[ laughter ]
she doesn't remember dates.
I'm asian. I know math.
You're asian, you know math?
Anyway...
We about to be off the air.
[ laughter ]
okay, melanie, do you believe this is a healthy tree?
Yes. I know it's a healthy tree.
And why do you -- explain that to me.
I get my trees checked every two years,
and I know for a fact
once that tree goes onto her side of the fence
during a storm, that's her tree now.
That's her part of the tree now.
Oh, unh-unh.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no.
If you're driving a car, and you lose control of your car
and your car go through her fence
and end up on her yard, that ain't her car.
No, no, no, no.
But if a branch flies a mile down the street
into somebody else's yard
and goes through that house -- if a branch flies a mile down the street in another yard,
that person's probably not liable... In a storm.
...Because that's a tornado.
If the tree is in the yard adjacent to your property,
on your property line, that is your tree.
When these people come out every two years to check the tree,
do you have anything from them that says the tree is healthy?
I didn't feel like I needed anything.
Okay.
So we're here
because you are suing for damages to your fence.
Correct.
Do you have an estimate?
$2,720.
You came to court asking for $2,800 --
$837.15.
And $37.15.
Correct. So where's the extra?
The defendant decided to come over
and knock on the door.
She said, "let's throw a st. Patrick's day party."
what?
No. Because my husband's irish.
That was her idea, the party. This is just how
she wiggles her way back in. Why am I throwing a party at her house?
The fence is down.
The tree is still in the yard. Mm-hmm.
Y'all ain't been speaking.
And now all of a sudden,
you want to throw a st. Patty's day party,
and you all decide to throw the party?
I decided to throw the party,
but she was going to go on it half with the liquor.
So you got tequila, you got rum.
That totaled up to $234.30.
So you want what now?
Just half of it. But she just --
$117.15 is what you're looking for. Correct.
And I still don't understand why I owe
for a party that I didn't throw or have anything to do with
or drink any of those beverages,
because I do not drink whiskey, tequila, or rum. No -- that's funny.
Judge, there's a picture of her
being drunk in the bushes.
Wait a minute.
[ laughter ]
wa-- stop.
Hold up. Wait a minute.
Please put the picture up now.
[ spectators exclaiming ]
I saw her taking -- drunk!
I posed. Drunk!
That bottle ain't even open. Drunk!
You can blow it up even bigger. That bottle is not open.
I posed for that picture 'cause I saw her laughing at me
with her phone like this, 'cause she try --
I was like, "okay, whatever." drunk.
"she thinks it's -- she's laughing at me."
so I posed for it. It's a posed photograph.
But you are gon' go viral.
Probably.
[ laughter ]
this case right here
has been nothing but mess
from the time I started listening to it.
None of it has made sense.
You all can't agree on a single date, time, event,
nothing.
You all can't tell me if it was the tree, a branch.
And the liquor bill, I'm not making anybody
pay half on some liquor.
Listen to me.
She is responsible for the tree.
That's a granted.
It's her tree. It's in her yard.
The problem we have is we can't be concise about the storm.
If a storm caused it and it was a healthy tree,
she can't be held liable.
The sad part of this is that you're friends,
and you've been friends.
I feel sorry for you.
My final verdict is...
I'm not awarding anybody anything.
That's my final verdict.
And that's the way I see it.
[ cheers and applause ]
♪♪
you see how this looking?
I plead the fifth.
Oh-ho! Oh, you must think this a real court.
[ laughter ]
[ cheers and applause ]
alright. See what we got here.
Rubin: This is the case
of daphne springs vs. Tiffani brooks.
Daphne is suing her sister tiffani for $6,000
for money she gave for their brother's funeral
and says tiffani spent on herself.
Let's start with you, daphne.
You have 30 seconds to state your case.
Judge steve harvey, my brother died instantly,
and I gave my sister $6,000 towards funeral services.
Honestly, I don't think that's what she did with it.
She's self-centered and obnoxious,
and I want my money.
Okay, tiffani, it's your turn. You have 30 seconds to respond.
My sister donated $6,000
to go towards my brother's memorial services.
I used it as I saw fit.
And I don't owe her explanation for anything.
Okay. How much was the funeral?
$15,000.
Other family members and myself got the money together.
I gave $6,000.
What do you think she spent the money on
if she didn't spend it on the funeral?
I think she spent it on lipo and a butt job.
[ spectators murmuring ]
now, they call it a bbl.
What is that?
I think it's a brazilian butt lift?
You think?
You know it's that 'cause you want one.
[ chuckles mockingly ]
she has always down-talked me, criticized me.
We in here arguing about ass,
or we arguing about this funeral?
I'm confused.
Now, you say the funeral cost $15,000.
Yes, sir.
So walk me up to the timeline.
Let's start with the services.
And I-I don't even want to say funeral services,
because it wasn't a funeral.
It was a little room.
I object. And --
she is not telling the truth.
You object? I object.
She is not telling the truth. [ laughs ]
wait a minute.
I -- she is not telling the truth.
Wait a minute.
You can't object
'cause you not a lawyer. Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you!
Now, back to you, daphne.
So, you walk into the funeral service,
and what do you see?
I barely saw chairs.
You don't see a casket?
No. You don't see the body?
I don't see flowers. I don't see the body.
No flowers. No.
But he was cremated.
Huh? He was -- he was cremated.
That's why she's mad. Wait a minute.
Your sister says she gave $6,000 towards the funeral.
Mm-hmm. But you didn't have a funeral.
You cremated him. Yes.
Who made that decision?
I did. She talked my parents into doing it.
How much was the cremation?
I googled it. It's up to $1,200.
Up to $1,200. $1,200.
It could be as low as like $700. Okay.
So my question is where is my money?
We cremated him,
which must have nullified the $15,000 funeral service.
You ain't got to have no casket.
You ain't got have no hearse. You ain't got to get in no line.
You ain't got to put the flag on the car.
You ain't got to do none of this.
The cremation is different.
When you get there and you don't see none of this,
what's your reaction?
I'm thinking that they're a little late.
Oh, you thinking the body on the way?
Just -- [ laughs ]
because why? I don't see it.
You think --
you think any minute now,
little -- little bro finna get rolled in?
We -- he just late for the show.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This is not funny.
No, it's not. It's really not funny.
[ chuckles ]
it's nothing in the room.
Y'all just came to -- there's a vase.
There's a vase. There's a what?
There's a vase with ashes inside.
That's how I found out that he was cremated.
Okay, that's a picture of me.
Oh, that's you? Yes.
Oh, y'all taking pictures with the -- with the --
[ laughter ]
and every pictures that she gets in --
oh, you do-- [ laughs ]
oh, you doing over-the-shoulder shots.
You letting them have it.
[ laughs ]
[ laughter ]
don't nobody do the over-the-shoulder shot
at the funeral. At the funeral!
I didn't have my body done at the -- at the memorial service.
Excuse me? I didn't have my body done
at the memorial service, and that's her argument.
Okay, now, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold tight.
So, I'm assuming by that statement,
something has been done to your body.
Yes! No, listen, because this is a big factor.
She stand there at the funeral --
I had my body done.
His funeral was on July 10th.
I didn't have my surgery until July 13th.
My surgery --
my -- my surgery was paid for on June 22nd.
Well, then, what was all the turning around
and taking the pictures
and -- and begging for the spotlight then?
Why was you mad?
She said I was prancing around. I wasn't prancing around.
I wasn't walking around moping and crying and sad.
Oh, just, "we over with this.
Let's move on." what?
Not like that, but you --
I mean, well, that's how it sound just now.
That's how it sounded.
I'm not telling people how to grieve.
How you grieve, that's your business.
That's fine with me. You don't care nothing about it,
I don't care nothing about it. No, I do care about it.
Well, that don't sound like it.
Now, he in the jar.
Let's just call it like it is.
In total, how much money was raised for the funeral?
Uh, maybe about $11,000.
$11,000?
Mm-hmm.
Do you know how much the cremation was?
It was a little -- well, it was like $4,000.
Do you have any evidence of what you spent for the funeral?
I don't have any paperwork of what I spent in the funeral.
However, I do have evidence
of what I spent on my bbl.
Okay, well, let's see it. Let's see what that --
whew!
Hold on. Wait a minute. Hold -- let me get this right.
So you kept your receipts from your butt
but not your brother.
[ laughs ]
we got some priorities going on here.
My point is is she didn't pay for it.
Everything had already been paid for, and she said --
these are charges on here.
Credit card charges.
Lipo, $10,000.
Upper lower abdomen, $3,000.
Back bra rolls, what is that?
They missed that, 'cause I still see fat.
[ spectators murmuring ]
oh, I know. The back roll is where it look like
you opened a can of biscuits.
That's what that is?
I just wanted to make sure that's what that was.
Now -- now, let me -- let me get into this.
When you charge a credit card,
the charges aren't due immediately.
And most credit cards, you got 30 days to pay.
So you make these charges on June 22nd.
Mm-hmm.
And she gives you a check on July 3rd.
And your brother's service was when?
On July 10th.
10th. Mm-hmm.
When did you get the surgery?
July 13th.
So let's go to a timeline.
July 3rd, there was a check cut by you, daphne, for $6,000.
Yes. Alright.
On the 10th was the funeral.
On the 22nd of June,
prior to the check, prior to the funeral,
charges were made on a credit card
for the brazilian butt lift and lipo.
Then on the next timeline we dealing with,
on 7/13,
you get the butt and the lipo done.
That's a true statement.
All these are correct statements?
Yes. Yes.
You see how this looking? Just say yes.
Well, I had stopped taking money from the family.
The only money that I took was from her.
Right. Now, daphne, you know
that you owe me anyway.
Stop. Stop, stop. Stop.
We ain't in here for "you owe me anyway."
how did the cremation actually come about?
Because when we raised the money from the family,
daphne had not -- she had not donated yet.
And you thought you were gon' be short?
Yeah, so that's how --
so when daphne came up with the $6,000 --
but everything had already been --
been decided. Yeah.
You didn't tell her... Yep. I sure didn't.
...That you all had decided on cremation.
All that messs I had to go through from her,
she owe me.
Oh.
[ spectators murmuring ]
did you just make an admission
that you took daphne's money
to do something with it other than pay for a funeral?
Is that what you just said?
♪♪
did you just make an admission
that you took daphne's money
to do something with it other than pay for a funeral?
Is that what you just said?
♪♪
I plead the fifth.
Oh. Oh.
Oh-ho. You -- oh.
Oh, you must think --
you must think this a real court.
[ laughter ]
[ laughing ] oh, my good--
oh!
She said she plead the fifth.
[ laughter ]
that's funny. I like that right there.
It's too late to plead the fifth.
Yes, it is. Yes.
You can't plead the fifth after you told the story.
[ laughter ]
you so mad to tell her off
that you done told us all what we needed to hear.
You knew good and well the decision was made
prior to her giving you the $6,000 check.
Put the check up, 'cause I want to make sure --
I got to make sure, anywhere on here,
do you see "booty"?
[ laughter ]
sister, this what you did. You ran game right here.
See, and you want to know what's beautiful about this?
Game recognize game. Oh.
This woman right here gave $6,000
to bury her beloved brother
to her sister, who was in charge of funeral arrangements.
These funeral arrangements were already predetermined
before she got her sister's check.
These funeral arrangements were to cremate they brother.
Save money.
And you probably -- I'm-a go out on a limb --
had something to do with that decision,
because in your mind, you had found the perfect way
to pay off this $14,000 debt.
Can I say something?
Unh-unh.
[ laughter ]
I've seen a lot of things in my day.
And this ain't the craziest one, believe it or not.
I didn't use the money to go towards my bbl.
However, I did use it for my flight,
my hotel, my food,
and I used it for everything else that I needed.
And you owe me that.
I've given you money time after time
after time again. When you were struggling --
she's the one that's broke! I'm not.
I'm not broke. Well, you about to be.
You gave me what?
[ cheers and applause ]
'cause I'm about to give you my final verdict.
I am going to award daphne
her request of $6,000.
Thank you. In full.
Thank you. Thank you. In full,
because you don't have no trouble paying your bills.
Ooh!
[ laughs ]
you gon' need a little more reputation repairing after this,
'cause this is on tv.
[ cheers and applause ]
my final verdict is, for the plaintiff,
$6,000. [ gavel bangs ]
and that's the way I see it.
[ cheers and applause ]
♪♪
I wasn't surprised.
I figured she would dig herself in a ditch, and she did.
I don't agree with his ruling.
My sister has always treated me bad, and she owes me that.
Erin: I'm not going out and buying random lumber.
I'm asking you to direct me to the lumber!
If this was scotch, I'd be set!
[ laughter ]
[ cheers and applause ]
alright, everybody, let's get started.
This is the case of erin wytiaz vs. Drake spann.
Rubin: Erin is suing her builder brother drake for $5,000
she paid for kitchen cabinets and furniture he never built.
Steve: Alright, let's start with you, erin.
You have 30 seconds to state your case.
I'm here today because back in November of 2020,
I paid my brother up-front $5,000
to complete kitchen cabinets and a new dining set for me.
And the project was supposed to be completed
in January of 2021,
and here we are.
Nothing's been started, all I get are excuses,
and I want my $5,000 back.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
Okay, drake, you have 30 seconds to respond.
Well, your honor, I have every intention
on building those cabinets
and the dining room table with benches.
And for that reason, I don't believe
that I owe her any money.
You have every intention of build--
yes.
Yes. This is going to be interesting,
because this started in November of 2020.
Yes, sir.
And you were supposed to have your kitchen
by January 2021.
Completed. Completed.
So tell me what happened.
We hadn't set a particular date for January.
My brother offered to come up and spend a week with us
to complete the kitchen cabinets and dining set.
Come up from where?
Alabama. I live in kentucky,
and he lives in alabama.
But here we are, a whole year later
that I gave him this money and have not seen anything.
So, is your brother really that good at making --
yes, he's incredible! He is.
But, I mean, if I would have known
that this was going to be the case,
I would have hired contractors.
You submitted some photos... Yes, I did.
...Of work of his.
He's great at what he does.
And he does all of this by hand.
What is this, sir?
That's a entertainment dog kennel.
So you can keep your dog in there and have your tv on top
and watch both of them at the same time.
[ laughter ]
looks like a jail for little people.
It could be that, too, judge.
See, I'm a grandparent.
Like, when they leave the grandkids with me,
I'd like to put them in there and then have the tv on top.
I can watch them and the tv at the same time.
That's right.
So, now, did you agree to make these cabinets
for your sister for $5,000? I did.
And she paid you up-front? Yes.
What all were the $5,000 to include?
The full kitchen cabinets,
plus the island, which is also cabinets.
Wait, full kitchen? Yes.
And the dining room table with benches, your honor.
Well, let me tell you something. Judge harvey, can I say --
no, no, no, no. Let me tell you something, how good a deal that is.
He offered it. Now, you listen to me.
Jesus was a carpenter,
and he'd have charged more than that.
[ laughing ] I know!
I didn't ask him.
I didn't ask him to do the job.
I was expressing that my husband and I
were going to be having this done to our home.
And he says, "well, why hire someone
when I can come up there and do it for you,
and I'll do it for 5 grand?"
why wouldn't I jump on that?
She's right, your honor. I did offer $5,000.
And the reason I did $5,000 is 'cause she is my sister.
And if you're in this line of business,
you know what you can do and still make a profit
and then I could still help her out at the same time.
I appreciate you helping her
and wanting to do it for such a discount price,
but this was agreed upon November 2020.
But this 2022. What are you being told?
"I can't find the lumber that I'm needing,"
or, you know, "the price of lumber's gone up
because of covid."
like she said, due to covid,
it made prices skyrocket on everything.
That's a true statement.
So same thing with me trying to buy lumber.
At the time when I offered her $5,000 to do the cabinets,
it would have been fine.
I would have made money.
She would have had the cabinets.
But now I have to dig into my own pocket if --
with the $5,000.
How? I've offered to cover the extra cost!
Yes, ma'am. Just wait a minute. He's not saying anything yet.
You know, you have -- is this your big sister?
Yes. I have two of them.
I never in my life want to argue with my sisters.
Right. Yeah.
You probably ain't gon' win this.
You know that, right?
I'm-a pray for you, though. Go ahead, man.
I appreciate it. Go ahead.
I can find lumber to do her cabinets.
That's not the problem. It's the quality.
So for the price that I'm charging,
yes, it's a good deal, but it also reflects back on me
if I give her some warped or twisted plywood.
So I can find wood,
but it's not going to be up to my standards.
Yeah. Yeah. Where in alabama do you stay?
"haylivole." haleyville is kind of how they pronounce it
outside of the state.
Your ass in the middle of nowhere.
And the work was being done in kentucky.
What part of kentucky?
Lexington, so central kentucky. Lexington.
How'd you get out here?
I flew.
Flew? Okay. How'd you fly?
Like, seated?
I'm -- what are you talking about?
You mean was I on the inside or the outside?
[ laughter ]
in the passenger seat.
[ laughter ]
[ laughing, stammering ]
I'm thinking commercial versus private.
You went, "seated."
[ laughter ]
"how the hell you think I flew down here? I was seated!
I buttoned up -- fastened the seatbelt, and I flew down here!
What you think, I flapped my way there?!"
oh, boy. [ murmurs indistinctly ]
[ laughter ]
ma'am, ma'am, thank you for that.
I needed that laugh today.
You have no I-- "seated?"
[ laughter ]
okay. So, you have no cabinets.
You can't find wood, which is true.
Covid brought that.
And do you think he spent your money?
Yes. Oh.
I think he spent it, because in March of 2021,
I was speaking to my sister-in-law, his wife...
His wife. ...On the phone,
and she said, "I'm mad because I got this medical bill in,
and I don't want to dip into savings to pay it.
So I'm just going to make a couple of payments on it.
But I wouldn't even have to do that
if your brother wouldn't have spent almost $5,000
on a new gaming system and tv," in December,
one month after I gave him $5,000.
♪♪
okay. So, you have no cabinets.
And do you think he spent your money?
Yes. Oh.
I was speaking to my sister-in-law,
and she said, "your brother spent almost $5,000
on a new gaming system and tv," in December,
one month after I gave him $5,000.
So why would I think anything else, judge harvey?
Well? Drake?
I won that tv and xbox at my work through a raffle.
I still have every bit of the $5,000
that erin has given me. Hold on, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait, you think a tv and a xbox cost $5,000?
Yeah, a 75-inch curved flat-screen tv
and an xbox series one x.
Yes. It's about 5 grand.
You got a curved tv? Yes, your honor.
Oh, my man. Did you put that on top of the dog kennel?
[ laughter ]
oh, man.
Did your sister-in-law mention to you
that it was won in a raffle?
She deliberately said,
"if he would not have spent $5,000."
I didn't tell my wife
that I had won that at work. I told her that --
and you shouldn't.
As you -- yeah -- how old are you, sir?
25, your honor. Yes!
Keep some things to your damn self.
[ both laugh ]
you, sir, have a chance to be married for a long time.
Thank you. Now, every woman in here --
"no, tell your wife everything."
no.
Now, you said you still have the money.
Yes, sir. That's correct. It's in my bank account.
I've got proof of it, your honor.
Okay, well, let's see what we got here.
This is your bank account? Yes, sir.
$6,955.20.
How long ago was this, sir?
Two weeks ago, your honor. Oh, okay.
Are you telling the court
5 grand been sitting there the entire time?
Yes.
I do that with every person
that gets me to build something for them.
I don't -- you hold onto the money.
I hold onto the money until the -- you know,
it's completely done, you know? That's --
I'm just hung up on the fact
that I've offered to look in kentucky
to find the lumber that he needs.
And he's like, "no, no, no."
so, why?
Again, your honor, she is correct.
It's -- of course.
It's a tennis match.
I'm waiting on somebody. To say, "shut up! You lying!"
[ laughter ]
I have no doubt that she can find the lumber in kentucky.
Then why haven't you -- I asked you!
It's what -- I have asked you.
She can find the price --
I'm not going out and buying random lumber.
I'm asking you to direct me to the lumber!
I can't --
for those of you waiting on me to say something,
it's because this case is conducting itself.
[ laughter ]
I've never seen anything like it.
If this was scotch, I'd be set!
So, let me ask you,
do you have every intention of doing her kitchen?
I do, completely, your honor. When?
Just as soon as I can find -- oh, my god! When is soon?!
I know it's the same story. It's the same story.
If you don't be quiet...
I'm sorry. ...And let this man say one thing!
I'm sorry, your honor.
He's going to agree with you!
I know.
[ laughs ] I know.
Describe your relationship.
[ voice breaking ] before this?
Mm-hmm.
We were inseparable.
I would do anything for him, and he would do anything for me.
And for the past year, I haven't had my little brother.
And it hurts my heart to know
that I even think that he would have spent this money
and not told me,
but what hurts the most is our relationship has suffered.
We went from being on the phone for two hours at a time
with nothing to say, but everything had been said
to not hearing from him for two months.
You talk to your sister on the phone
sometimes for two hours?
Yes, your honor.
I got two older sisters.
I ain't talked to them for two hours on the phone
in five years total.
[ laughter ]
the story here is, like, incredible.
You're hurt mostly because you don't want to think
your little brother spent your $5,000
on a television set and a xbox.
Come to find out he really didn't.
And I believe him... I do, too.
..Cause this is a honest guy over here.
So, did you mention this to your husband?
I did, and...
Something that drake still doesn't know --
I guess he's going to know now --
is my husband and I had agreed
that after he completed the job,
we were going to give him an additional 5 grand
just as a thank-you and to help him out
because he just had a new baby.
I told him that I thought -- what the hell?
What are -- what are y'all doing?
This don't make no damn sense!
You're in here suing for $5,000.
You can't give him $5,000 more!
What the hell is going on here?
This was when we had initially agreed --
you stop talking! [ laughing ] I'm sorry.
You're not -- you're not a court person.
You should never go to court.
You're way too kind. What are you talking about?
[ imitating crying, speaking indistinctly ]
[ laughs ]
"'cause I just want my brother back.
And soon as he put the cabinets in --
he just had a baby, we was gon' give him another $5,000.'"
what?!
We didn't give him --
this doesn't make any sense at all!
I don't want a court show anymore!
What?!
Listen.
I've reached a verdict.
[ cheers and applause ]
I rule in favor
of the plaintiff
for $5,000.
Thank you.
[ cheers and applause ]
but this is $5,000
that this honest man has kept the entire time
to keep you from getting ripped off,
because he know he can give it to you at a deal,
and the reason he don't want you picking out the wood
is 'cause you don't know nothing about wood!
[ laughs ]
so now you got to give her $5,000 out your bank,
but then you gon' have to give him the $5,000 right back
'cause he had the baby. I'm gonna give him $10,000 right back.
And then you gon' give him $10,000 right back.
Yeah, because he's our brother, and he had a baby.
Yes, sir. "and he's our brother."
ain't that -- that's just the sweetest thing
I've ever seen in my life.
I love him. I know you love him.
You still want your cabinets,
'cause he can't get cabinets -- and I still want him to do it!
Be quiet!
[ laughing ] sorry!
[ laughter ]
y'all work it out any way you want to.
Give him $5,000. Give them the cabinets.
Give them the $5,000 for the baby.
Just y'all get together and have yourself a nice time.
My verdict is for everybody!
♪♪
and that's the way I see it.
Love you. Love you!
And I'm so sorry I was being mean to you!
You're the best little brother I've ever had.
-- Captions by vitac --
♪♪