After you stopped working for him at the theater,
you contacted the authorities.
Yes, ma'am. He admitted to giving one of our 19-year-old employees alcohol.
That's not accurate.
Don't look at each other.
I'm actually the nastiest one here.
[narrator] This is Judy Justice.
[theme music playing]
[narrator] Noah Joyner and Harland Hendrickson are suing
their former employer, Christopher Rix, for unpaid wages and vandalism.
[bailiff] Court, come to order. All rise.
Have a seat, please.
Case #2094 Joyner, Hendrickson versus Rix.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
I think I'm going to start out with Mr. Joyner. Who is that?
That would be you. Because we start with you.
He came in later to this scenario, is that right?
Correct.
So, let me try to understand, Mr. Joyner, what it is that you're suing
the Defendant for, considering what you wrote to me in your complaint.
You were looking for a job.
Whatever business you had went south and you didn't have any money.
That's not true.
Well, let's see.
It wasn't said that like, but we did not lose it...
"After losing my jewelry business."
Yes, ma'am. That's not right.
Well, that's what you signed in your complaint.
Yes, ma'am. Yes.
So, I can only go by what you signed in your deposition,
that you lost your jewelry business, that's what it says,
and that you were looking for a job. The Defendant has a theater.
- Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. - [Judy] Among other businesses.
[Judy] And you sought out the Defendant, Mr. Joyner?
Yes, ma'am. I was...
Tell me how you sought him out.
I was vending in a coffee shop, I was vending my jewelry,
It's not a lost business...
Would you just get on to how you met him?
Definitely. So, I was vending there and I saw at the theater, Pride Weekend.
So, I had called Chris Rix, said hey,
is it okay if I come up there and vend my jewelry?
Just a second. So, you called him.
Was his name on the poster? How did you find him?
I just called the theater's number, and he answered.
Okay. So, you weren't calling him, you were just calling the number.
- Yes, ma'am. - [Judy] So, you asked him,
can I come and sell my jewelry at your theater? When was that?
That was Wednesday, June 16th, 2022.
Okay. And you were having some sort of an event?
Yes, ma'am.
Did Mr. Joyner come and set up his jewelry booth?
[Chris] They did, in fact.
[Judy] Were they charged for that?
No-no-no. No, I did not. I just simply offered the space.
They kinda told me their back-story and that they were having financial troubles
and I was trying to do a good deed for the community.
[Judy] So, you were not charged for the space.
Right. Yes, ma'am.
And you went up there on what date to sell your jewelry?
We started Thursday night, June 17th, 2022.
[Judy] When you say "we," is that you...
All three of us, yes.
[Judy] Okay. Did you sell any jewelry?
- A little bit. - So, not much.
Not enough for the three of you spending a day on the 17th.
And then, how did it come about that you sought out a job from Mr. Rix?
Because you did seek a job.
On what date did you ask him if there was any work?
Thursday night. Thursday the 16th.
And what were you supposed to do?
- Supposed to bartend, open, close... - That's not accurate.
- [Judy] I'll get to you. - Yes, ma'am.
[Judy] And what were you supposed to do?
And run the concession stand. Bartend, close, open and run the concession stand.
During what hours?
Four PM that day 'til twelve AM, one AM that night.
Could not really remember.
[Judy] Okay. And did you do that?
Yes.
And you weren't selling your jewelry at that time.
I was going off and on. So, anytime he had called me
for a different job, I would take that. Sorry.
So, the answer is you were doing both.
Yes, ma'am.
So, you were doing your own business
and doing whatever task Mr. Rix asked you to do.
- That was on the 16th. - Yes, ma'am.
And did he pay you for that work?
Yes, he ended up paying us.
Just a second. How much did he give you?
He gave us $264 for that weekend.
[Judy] Not "we."
I. Gave me $264 that weekend.
Did he work that weekend?
Yes. We, all three, worked that weekend.
[Judy] Doing what?
Everything. [chuckles]
Well, Mr. Hendrickson is not suing for any wages from him,
other than for the painting that he did later.
I'm asking you. What did you do for him and when and how much did you get paid?
I did opening, closing duties for him. I ran a bar.
[Judy] For how many days?
Four days, Your Honor.
[Judy] Four days.
In the beginning, but I did pick up more stuff whenever he called me
for more opportunities. So, he would be like, hey, we have Jam Band tonight,
so I would say okay, I could work.
Okay. So, you worked, say until June 20th. You said for four days,
and then you would work after that period of time?
Yes, ma'am.
When did you stop going to the theater
for the purposes of doing anything for Mr. Rix?
Month and day.
Oof.
One of the things you're supposed to have, Mr. Joyner, when you come to court,
and if you're suing for wages, is you're supposed to have it right here.
Right in the front of your brain. What date you started,
what date you stopped, what hours you worked, what you did.
That's what you're supposed to have. Do you understand?
[indistinct]
Okay. Mr. Rix, on what date was the last date
you saw Mr. Joyner at your theater doing anything?
Saturday, June 25th.
So, it would be a fair statement that certain days
you saw him between the 16th of June and the 25th of June.
Yes, ma'am.
Now, you told me about the 16th, that you started working part-time.
'Cause you were back and forth between your own business
and doing something for him, for which, actually, he gave you free space
to sell your jewelry. Now, you know, when you go someplace,
you usually pay for space to sell your jewelry. Right?
Right.
Well, I mean, I know that because I've had hundreds of cases involving people
who rent space in a theater or under a tent or in a yard,
so that they can sell their jewelry. He gave it to you for nothing.
Yes.
And you're back and forth doing little errands for him on the 16th.
Like what? Sixteenth.
While you were selling your jewelry, tell me what you did.
We worked the Jam Band for him that night.
[Judy] Not a "we." I don't want to hear a "we."
I worked the Jam Band that night.
He has a jazz band that comes in and performs.
And what do you mean, "you worked"?
I worked the concession. I opened, closed, bartended for him.
Anything that he was calling me over to do, I was...
That's a little too loosey-goosey for me.
Okay, let's go.
What did he do, if you remember, on the 16th?
On the 16th, 17th and 18th, that's when they had their jewelry set up.
He did not work my concession stand at all.
He did not work for me that time at all.
That's not true, Your Honor.
Don't speak. Do not speak.
Do you see I asked you questions, he was quiet?
Now it's his turn to speak. Now you have to be quiet.
Do you understand?
He worked Sunday, June 19th, from nine to two,
which was five hours, that was brunch. He worked June the 22nd.
Um, they were late, they arrived at three-twelve.
[Judy] They, you said they arrived.
They were both of them came that day.
On the twenty...?
- On June the 22nd. - [Judy] Twenty-second.
- Mm-hmm. - [Judy] Was that the first time
that both Mr. Joyner and Mr. Hendrickson came together?
To work for me at the... In a theater capacity, yes.
[Judy] Okay. And that was June 19th?
That... No, that was June the 22nd.
Actually, I misspoke, I apologize. They both worked June 19th for brunch.
They both worked June the 22nd. On June the 24th,
he had a text meltdown, and then he came to work
and worked five to nine. I have their hours exactly.
Five to nine, and that's just Mr. Joyner or both of them?
[Chris] They both came on June the 25th, Your Honor.
[Judy] And worked from when to when?
On the 25th, which was Saturday, he worked from 5:20 to 10:30.
He passed on the concession opportunity where he could've made more money.
No-no-no, but he worked doing what?
Oh, um, he followed, he trailed me. I was trying to teach him managerial type,
uh, cash in, cash out, etcetera, and the business situation
of the theater. 'Cause that's what he proposed to me that he was educated to do.
You mean, managing a theater?
Yeah, just kinda help me with open, close duties.
Um, overseeing that tasks are done by the other employees, etcetera.
[Judy] Okay, so, it sounds as if he and Mr. Hendrickson
worked for a limited number of days.
[Chris] Correct.
How many days in total?
In the total project, which was painting...
No-no, not painting, just in the theater.
Joyner worked four days at the theater
and Harland worked three days at the theater.
Uh, four, I beg your pardon.
- [Judy] Four? - Yes, ma'am.
Your last day of work there was the 25th of June?
[Noah] Yes, ma'am. At the theater.
[Judy] I'm talking about only the theater.
I think he worked 18 hours, just at a quick glance here.
[Judy] Eighteen hours during the four days?
- Yes, ma'am. - And Mr. Hendrickson,
how many hours did he work? And you don't have anything
in front of you, Mr. Hendrickson, so I assume you have nothing.
No physical evidence, is that right?
- Correct, Your Honor. - [Judy] All right. How many hours?
- Just under twelve, actually. - [Judy] Say twelve hours.
So, one worked 18 hours, one worked 12 hours.
Do you have any data to indicate that those hours are wrong?
- No, ma'am. - [Judy] Okay, great.
There was no actual documentation, like, we didn't have a clock-in, clock-out.
but the 18 hours is not correct though. We have no data.
- You have no data. He does. - [Noah] Right.
It's not actual fact, it's not factual.
How do I know, you're supposed to keep track.
[theme music playing]
[narrator] Noah Joyner and Harland Hendrickson
claim their former employer, Christopher Rix,
owes for unpaid wages and vandalism.
Christopher is countersuing for damage to his apartment complex and slander.
Okay. How much were you paid, Mr. Joyner, because part of it is your wages
that you're requesting for working in the theater.
How much, in total, did Mr. Rix pay you?
Two hundred and sixty-four dollars.
- [Judy] That's for the theater work? - Yes, ma'am.
And how much, Mr. Hendrickson, did Mr. Rix pay you?
Two hundred and four dollars.
Sarah, do math for me, would you, please? Eighteen into two-sixty-four
and twelve into two-oh-four.
Now, on what date, Mr. Joyner, because this is where it gets sort of fuzzy to me,
so, so far, this is what I'm getting: That the three of you
were trying to start a business that was marginally successful in selling jewelry.
So far, do we agree on that?
- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.
And as part of selling your jewelry, you approached the Defendant,
and it was really a cold call. You called a regular number,
not Mr. Rix personally, and told him your story.
And he said, well, if you want to come down, I'll give you free space
to sell your jewelry. And that was within his theater area.
Yes, ma'am.
So, you would say that was very nice of him.
Yes, ma'am.
And you worked for him and he showed you the place, he showed you the books,
he showed you... You started to do other things.
Now, at some point, this is where I go a little fuzzy with you, Mr. Joyner.
And maybe you can help me understand you. So, you have someone
who's been nothing but nice to you, so far.
On what date did you file a complaint
with Alcohol and Beverage Control?
That was July 5th, 2022.
So, let me figure this out. So, you worked for him at the theater until June 25th.
On July 5th, is that what you told me?
Well, after the 25th of June... So, we had kind of like a weird period where I was...
We were trying to figure out if we still wanted to finish the apartments for him.
No, no apartments. We haven't gotten to the apartments yet.
I'm gonna get to the apartments. 'Cause he asked you to paint apartments
you went over there and that's another part of your lawsuit.
- Just a second. Sarah Rose? - [Sarah] Yeah.
How much did Mr. Joyner make per hour?
Fourteen sixty.
Minimum wage.
And Mr. Hendrickson would be $17 an hour.
- And he made $17 an hour. - Correct.
For 12 hours at two hundred...
Those hours are not correct, Your Honor.
There was no documentation. We did not have a clock-in, clock-out.
But the 18 hours is not correct, though. We have no data.
- We have no data. - You have no data.
- [Noah] Right. - He does.
But there's no... It's not actual fact. It's not factual.
I don't know whether it's factual. How do I know? You're supposed to keep track.
Yes, ma'am.
But we're not the business owners.
Just a second. You... [chuckles] You want the money.
Right now, he's paid you more than the minimum wage for being around.
I mean, the theater ran for how many years before they worked for you for six days?
It's been about a year and a half. I bought it during COVID.
[Judy] And this was your first time working in a theater?
Yes, ma'am.
Yeah. So, you had no fund of information. He wasn't paying you for expertise.
He was paying you for those few days and you were following him around,
opening, closing a stand, whatever you were doing,
and you were paid more than the minimum wage.
Which is, I assume, more than you made selling your jewelry
for the three days you were there.
- Yes, ma'am. Right. - [Judy] Right.
I'm still gonna wait for this answer, because at some point after,
after you stopped working for him at the theater,
and after you had mulled over some information
that you thought you had acquired while you were working for him,
I want you to do a step-by-step,
why you contacted the authorities,
because he does have an alcohol license, right?
I assume, if you have an alcohol, if you contact...
Don't look at each other. Just look at me.
I'm actually the nastiest one here.
Agree. [laughs]
Well...
[scattered chuckles]
So, Alcohol Beverage Control... So, what information, sir,
did you give Alcohol Beverage Control that caused the investigation?
Your Honor, he was not the one that called them, I was.
We both called. So, what happened during the time
that we were working those four days, he would serve other people alcohol.
He would get on our asses about ID-ing people,
how to sign the papers for ABC, everything.
I made sure to take a picture of the number.
I didn't take a picture of the whole document.
What are you talking about? What document?
The ABC paper. Whenever we had to sign the paper
saying that if we didn't ID someone and the ABC came in and found out about it,
we would be fined and we would be held responsible, not Chris.
We had to sign those papers.
Okay, so? You signed the paper...
After we signed that, we noticed Chris was still giving out free alcohol to people,
pouring it, wasn't even checking people's IDs.
So, I called the ABC and I said,
I think there's suspicion that he's giving minors alcohol.
'Cause there were people there that were 19 years old
that were coming up to us saying, "Oh, yeah, we're 19 but we're cool with Chris."
And stuff like that. And ways, like they had a way with Chris, or whatever.
Friends with Chris. We just started working there, we don't know the regulars.
We don't know what the life is like.
I'm just trying to think of why you would do that.
For somebody who was... Forget whether I believe you or not.
Forget the loosey-goosey of what you just told me.
Maybe he said... I'm, I'm cool with Chris...
We have a recording that he admitted to giving our 19-year-old employees alcohol.
- 'Cause he said... - [Judy] And? And?
Just tell me. And? I want to know why you called them on July 5th.
You were no longer there. Did that have to do with the painting?
Was that before or after you started painting?
That was after we started painting.
Of course it was after you started painting. Now,
so, let's go to the second part of your lawsuit.
The second part of your lawsuit involves the work that you both did for him.
You have an apartment complex, Mr. Rix.
- Correct. - And that apartment complex
contains how many apartments?
Twenty. I bought it as a rehab. It was completely vacant and...
[Judy] At the time that you asked them if they wanted to paint it,
- it was vacant? All twenty units? - Correct.
Tell me, how did you approach Mr. Rix, or he you,
about this house painting job.
We were trying to get away from all the stuff that we were seeing
and hearing at the theater, so we asked if he had other jobs for us.
He said he had apartments that needed to be painted last week.
And if we could get in there and finish them, great.
[Judy] Okay. Now, I'm gonna come back to what you just told me.
You just told me that you saw things at the theater
that he served somebody that you know, who was 19, alcohol.
And that was very distressing to you. So distressing
that you said to him, do you have any other work for us.
It wasn't just that instance, no, ma'am.
How many hours did you work on each of those days, Mr. Hendrickson?
I do not remember the hours for the days,
but I calculated all the hours together and it was 52.
Well then, you know how many hours you worked.
Technically, yes.
What do you mean, "technically, yes"?
[theme music playing]
[narrator] Noah Joyner and Harland Hendrickson
claim their former employer, Christopher Rix,
owes for unpaid wages and vandalism.
Christopher is countersuing for damage to his apartment complex and slander.
Okay. Did he take you over to paint the complex in handcuffs?
Did he take you over there in a van? Did you ask him for additional work?
He's the only person, really, in Hot Springs, Arkansas
that we felt like we could relate to and feel comfortable working for.
[Judy] Hey, hey, hey. I asked you a very simple question.
Give me a very simple answer. Did you ask him for more work?
Yes.
And did he say I have an apartment complex that needs painting?
Yes.
[Judy] And did you agree on a price?
Yes, ma'am.
And what was the name of the last person that you did painting for?
House painting.
I did it for my parents when we built our house, but that's about...
I also painted a room once, in my dining room when I was 24 years old.
I actually thought I did a pretty good job.
I would not hire myself out as a house-painter,
but because I painted my parents' living room when I was 12.
So, the answer is, you had no...
He was asking us to paint because he couldn't find someone else
to paint for him 'cause he wasn't paying people.
I didn't ask Noah to paint.
That's correct, Your Honor.
- [laughing] Sir... Sir... - I was not asked to paint, no.
Mr. Joyner, you know what your problem is? Your problem is you were dissatisfied
with what you saw at his theater, and then you went...
So I shouldn't've reported it to the ABC?
Now I'm speaking. You were dissatisfied with what you saw at his theater.
While you were there, working at the theater, you did nothing about it.
Zero. Even if it was true, you did nothing about it.
We didn't want to lose our jobs at the time, Your Honor.
You didn't have jobs at the time. You stopped working for him
on the 25th of June.
You didn't call Alcohol until July 5th, you said.
So, you were no longer working for him in the theater.
So, it didn't start to bother you, really, June 22nd, June 23rd,
June 24th, June 25th, the 26th, the 27th,
- the 28th, 29th, 30th... - That's incorrect, Your Honor.
All the way up until July 5th. That's...
The ABC report was not just filed by me and it wasn't just on July 5th.
There was also another instance where it was filed earlier,
but that was with them and there's no evidence about that.
- You filed July 5th. - Yes, ma'am.
Now you're gonna tell me what happened with the painting,
because you finished the painting kerfuffle, happened in July. That right?
Correct.
It was after the painting kerfuffle that you called Alcohol Beverage.
Yes, ma'am. Well, it was during, it was during.
- [Judy] What? - It was during, kind of, almost...
[blubbers] You're getting the feeling that...
It wasn't just me that filed a report with ABC.
Well, just a second. You mean, one of these other people who was also jobless.
- Yes. - Harland filed.
I don't care. Nobody was filed...
So, we shouldn't've reported it?
[Judy] No, I'm trying to get to your motive, sir.
- If it was so abhorrent... - [Noah] My motive...
- Don't... Don't try to speak over me. - I am just owed what... I worked for.
Don't try to speak over me. That doesn't work.
So far, you're not owed a thing for the theater.
Now we're getting to the painting. I'm just trying to see
what motivates somebody, and I'm not excusing the fact
that if Mr. Rix serves alcohol to minors, that that's not a good thing to do.
He can get into real difficulty. They conducted an investigation
- as a result of the calls? - Absolutely.
All I have to ask you is this: Do you still have your liquor license?
Absolutely.
- [Judy] Okay. Was it ever revoked? - No.
I have multiple in the state of Arkansas.
So, you're not owed any money for the theater,
Now we're going to get to the paint.
When did you start painting in the complex? Date?
June 27th, 2022.
Six-twenty-seven. Did you paint there 6/28?
- Yes. - Did you paint there alone
- or with Mr. Hendrickson? - Mr. Hendrickson.
- [Judy] Is that correct, sir? - Yes, Your Honor.
Did you paint on June 29th?
- Yes, Your Honor. - Yes, Your Honor.
[Judy] Did you paint after June 29th?
- No, Your Honor. - So you painted there for three days.
- Is that correct? - Actually five days that I was there.
- I started on the 23rd. - I was there for three.
And did you work the 23rd?
I worked the 23rd through the 29th. Seven days.
[Judy] 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th.
- Yes, ma'am. Yes. - [Judy] So you worked weekends.
Did you work weekends?
I worked the 23rd through the 29th. Seven days.
[Judy] Well, seven days... Just a second.
Pay attention to me. Seven days includes a weekend, Saturday and Sunday.
- Did you work Saturday and Sunday? - Yes. Yes, I did, Your Honor.
Not Sunday.
I'm gonna go back to you. Did you work Saturday and Sunday?
I worked the morning of Sunday and I left three hours after getting there.
Okay. So, forget Sunday. Now, how many hours did you work
on each of those days, Mr. Hendrickson?
I do not remember the hours for the days,
but I calculated all the hours together and it was 52.
Let me understand what you just said to me.
You don't know how many hours in each day,
but you calculated them together and came up to 52 hours.
Would you repeat what he said to me because it's mind-boggling to me.
He said, "I do not remember the hours for the days,
but I calculated all the hours together and it was 52."
Now, how do you calculate all the... Bup-bup-bup!
I just needed to be able to speak.
You didn't let me ask my question, sir. How do you calculate up to 52
when you don't remember how many hours you worked each day?
Looking at the text messages and seeing when I got there and when I left.
Because I texted him when I opened the doors and when I locked up.
[Judy] Well then, you know how many hours you worked.
- Technically. - What?
Technically, yes.
What do you mean, "technically, yes"?
'Cause they're not completely correct. I didn't text him right when I got there
and I didn't text him right when I was leaving.
I texted him when I got home or after I had started.
Okay. Let's go back.
[narrator] To be continued...
Want justice? Go to JudyJustice.tv.
[theme music playing]