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[Levy]
You're suing your ex-boyfriend here.

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You loaned him money.

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-It was never a gift.
-I didn't ask for the money, Your Honor.

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That is a lie.

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She got physical with you.

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Once I said
I don't want to deal with you anymore,

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that's when the court came.

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The breakup made you second guess
what you were doing all along.

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-Possibly.
-You're lucky he didn't press charges.

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I just lost my mom.

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But that doesn't justify physical assault.

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[narrator] Now, on Tribunal Justice...

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[theme music playing]

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[narrator] Today's case
was filed in Newark, NJ.

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Your Honor, this is
Case #3065, Williams vs. McDonald.

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Both parties have been sworn in.
You may be seated.

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-[Levy] Thank you, Cassandra.
-[Britt] You're welcome.

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[Levy]
All right, Miss Williams.

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-Yes.
-You're suing your ex-boyfriend here,

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-Mr. McDonald.
-Yes, that's correct.

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According to your complaint, you loaned
him money to get his car

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out of impound after it was repossessed
for his failure to repay a loan.

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-Yes.
-[Levy] You're here seeking $1,525

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that you loaned him
and that he didn't pay back.

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-That's correct.
-And, Mr. McDonald,

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according to your answer, sir,
you claim that the money

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that the plaintiff gave you was a gift.

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And that she only filed suit
after you broke up with her.

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-Yes, your honor.
-Got it.

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[Levy] Okay, Miss Williams, how long
had you and the defendant been dating

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before you loaned him this $1,500?

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We was dating for a good six months.

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When I first met Roger,
he was really sweet.

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Um... massaging my feet
when I got off of work. Um...

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A lot of love bombing.
And, um...

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at the time, he was an Uber driver.

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So when he did call me
and we talked...

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it was never a gift.
I don't know what he's talking about.

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Um... As you can see in my text messages,
he definitely told me

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that he was going to pay me back.

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So Miss Williams, according to your
complaint, you say in July of 2024

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-your mom died.
-Yes, that's correct.

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And in August, you had
to pay for her funeral.

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-Yes.
-And around that time in August

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is when the defendant told you
his car was repossessed.

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-Yes.
-You told him, "Hey.

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Don't ask me to borrow money.
Ask one of your friends."

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No, I did not say that.
What I said was,

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"Can you get money from your friends?

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-'Cause $2,000 is a lot."
-And what did he say?

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Because you're an Uber driver.

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Me dating someone, if they tell you,
you know, my car got repossessed

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and that's the way they get their money,
of course, you're gonna try to help them,

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'cause I'm dating you.

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All right, well, the point is that
he originally asked for $2,000.

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-Yeah.
-Then you told him it was a lot of money.

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-Ask your friends.
-Can you. Yeah.

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Can you reach out to your friends
and get something?

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Fine. And then did he come back after you
asked him to speak to his friends

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-with a different amount?
-Yes. Yes.

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[Levy] And that amount was the $1,525--

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$1,525, that's correct.

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And did he tell you
what he needed that $1,525 for?

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-[Trina] Yes
-How many missed payments did he have?

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Well... he didn't, he really didn't
want to tell me that.

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I was asking him,
and it seemed like it was an issue.

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I said, "How much is your car note?"

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Like, "How much did you miss?"
And he was like, "Why do that matter?

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I just need my car."

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Mr. McDonald,
do you remember asking first for $2,000?

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I didn't ask for the money, Your Honor.

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I noticed that the car wasn't outside
after I just left from Miss Williams

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earlier that day.

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So I already knew what it was,
'cause I knew I missed the two payments.

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It was two payments
plus the accrued interest.

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So when I let her know that the car wasn't
outside, her first initial reaction was--

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[Levy] Well, hold on, you just said
it wasn't outside.

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Is that all you said
or did you say, listen, it's not outside.

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I'm pretty sure that it got repossessed,
because I didn't pay two payments?

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-Mm-hmm.
-[Levy] Is that what you said?

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Yup. Pretty much basically
summing up in a nutshell.

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[Levy] All right, fine.

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So she knew what happened to the vehicle,
and that right there in that instance,

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she said, "Okay, well we need to get
that car out," because this is the month

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-of August, right before my birthday.
-That is a lie.

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And then she said we need
to get your car out,

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because we were taking a trip
down to Baltimore,

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which she had planned
for my birthday, but...

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she didn't want to drive her car.
So, of course...

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we need my car out of the impound
if we're going to use

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my car to drive down to Maryland.

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So she insisted
on giving me the money to get it out.

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Did you at any time offer to repay
the money that you borrowed from her?

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I did.
I said I would pay you over time.

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And this is while we were still dating.

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Uh... I told her, like she said
I was doing Uber at the time.

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So I told her, you know, that payments are
going to come after I catch back up

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on the car payments, of course.

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And then she was okay with that.

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What does she do for a living?

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When we were dating, when we first started
dating back then, I don't know.

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I think she was doing something in HR
or something like that, but I don't know

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where she was at specifically,
but I think she was doing something in HR.

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What do you mean?
You're dating her, right?

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-You guys were exclusive?
-Yeah, she was doing something.

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No, we weren't exclusive.

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-[Levy] You were not?
-Yeah.

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-Did you know that, Miss Williams?
-Yes.

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[Levy] All right.
What were you doing for a living?

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How are you supporting yourself?

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I was a business office manager.

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-[Levy] In HR?
-Yes.

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Okay, how much were you making
at the time per year?

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-Maybe like 80, 80,000
-[Levy] All right.

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-[Levy] And you had savings?
-Yes.

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[Levy] Okay,
let's take a look at this car.

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That's the one that you missed
the two payments on?

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-Yup.
-[Levy] Okay.

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So what was it that he told you
as far as the repayment?

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He told me give him about two weeks
and he'll be able to pay me back.

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Once he get his car back,
he gonna start doing Uber again.

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[Levy] And just so we're clear, do you
remember asking her for $2,000 originally?

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Uh. No, I told her the original amount
which it was for the car.

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It was about like 22, 23,

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but I told her I had borrowed money
from a friend of mine

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so I really only needed 15 from her.

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Fifteen, but I remember you
borrowing fifteen twenty-five.

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-Fifteen twenty-five.
-[Levy] Alright.

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-And that was for the two car payments?
-Yup.

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How much were your car payments?

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Uh, at the time they were $570 a month.

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[Levy] $570 so $570
and $570 is $1,140.

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What'd you need the extra money for?

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[dramatic music playing]

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[narrator] Coming up on
Tribunal Justice...

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I read the text messages
where you talked about... being hit.

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Twice, around my birthday time,

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and then she hit me
a couple months prior to that.

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What happened?
Why did you do that?

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[theme music playing]

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[narrator] Trina Williams is suing
ex-boyfriend, Roger McDonald II,

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for over $1500 she lent him
to get his car out of impound.

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Roger says not only did he pay for
everything when they were dating,

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but Trina was demeaning and abusive,
so they're even.

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-Remember borrowing $1,525?
-[Roger] $1,525.

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All right.
And that was for the two car payments?

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-Yep.
-[Levy] How much were your car payments?

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Uh, at the time?
They were $570 a month.

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$570, so $570 and $570 is $1,140.

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What'd you need the extra money for?

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Uh... the accrued interest.

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[Levy] So you're saying
the accrued interest was almost a third...

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of the entire amount
of money that you needed,

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-that's how much it was?
-Yep.

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[Levy] All right.
You had text messages on your phone

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that you reviewed prior
to coming in today, right?

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-Yes, your honor.
-[Levy] So first of all,

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I'm going to direct
your attention to September 21st.

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You remember telling the plaintiff,
"Ask anyone who loans me money

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and they will say I pay my [bleep] back."

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-Mm-hmm.
-[Levy] Do you remember telling her that?

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-I do
-[Levy] You use the word "loan," right?

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In that text, did you not?

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-I did.
-On October 15th, at 9:48 AM.

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You remember telling her, "You really went
and filed a claim against me?"

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-This is after you filed, correct?
-Yes. That's correct.

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"You really think
I'm not paying you back?

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I am cutting off all communication
with you after I pay you off."

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-That's what you said.
-Yup.

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And finally, October 15th, later that day,
"I'm still paying you back,

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because I'm a man of my word.

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But if I wanted to be petty, I can
literally say I never signed no contract.

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I said I would pay you back
of my own accord."

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-Do you remember that?
-Yep.

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Do you have any text
suggesting that this was a gift,

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-not a loan?
-No.

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No, thank you. I'm done.
Judge Acker.

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Thank you, Judge,
could we put up Exhibit 3, please?

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I just want to compare some things
that you testified to in court.

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With what you said in your answer.
Because in your answer...

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you said
that the plaintiff never asked you

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for the money back until you broke up.

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But then you just testified
to Judge Levy that you told the plaintiff

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that you would pay her back over time.

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And you told her
that while you were still dating.

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That was in September.
We were no longer dealing with each other.

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-Are you now telling me that you misspoke?
-Yeah.

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I didn't understand what you were saying.
It was not while we were dating.

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That was after we were dating,
in September.

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We stopped dating at my birthday
which is August 15th,

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when she decided to put her hands on me.

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Which if you want to go to the exhibit--

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I did. I read the text messages
where you talked about being hit.

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Twice. She hit me around my birthday time
when we were in Maryland at the hotel.

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Then she hit me a couple months prior to
that while we were driving on the highway.

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And, uh, Miss Williams,
I saw the text messages.

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-Yeah.
-You don't deny being physical with him,

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-do you?
-No, I do not.

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What happened?
Why did you do that?

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00:08:31,066 --> 00:08:34,165
Well, basically Roger knew
I just lost my mom...

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and basically he was like...

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[sighs] Sorry.

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00:08:42,366 --> 00:08:47,600
He was basically, like, antagonizing me,
telling me,

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"Oh... this is the reason
why you like this, because of your mom."

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And I was telling him, "Can you
please stop, like stop talking about...

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00:08:54,734 --> 00:08:55,633
talking about my mom."

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00:08:55,700 --> 00:08:57,667
-He was bringing up your mother.
-Yeah.

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[Acker] And you didn't feel like hearing
about it, and you got explosive.

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00:09:00,367 --> 00:09:02,800
-Yeah.
-I'm sorry for the loss of your mother,

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00:09:02,867 --> 00:09:05,233
but that doesn't justify
a physical assault.

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00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:06,834
-Right.
-[Acker] And you're lucky

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00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:08,433
that he didn't press charges.

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00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:12,333
And I did see your text message, sir,
even after that assault.

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00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,166
You told her you were going
to pay her back and I want you to read

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00:09:15,233 --> 00:09:18,533
what you said on Saturday, September 21st.

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This is after the breakup.

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00:09:20,233 --> 00:09:23,433
Right, "Girl, you reaching,
and you even don't believe that.

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00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:25,333
Why wouldn't--
Why would I not pay you back?

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00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:26,967
I'm not petty like you.
My word is my word."

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00:09:27,033 --> 00:09:29,100
Stop there.
"Your word is your word."

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00:09:29,166 --> 00:09:30,734
What was the word that you gave her?

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I would pay her back.

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And so why are we here?

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Because after she decided to take me
to court after I told her pay her back,

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I felt as though now she's being petty,
because I did not press charges

226
00:09:40,233 --> 00:09:41,533
after her put her hands on me.

227
00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,066
And I feel as though all the money
that I spent on her in the timeframe

228
00:09:45,133 --> 00:09:47,667
that we've been together,
she hasn't done anything for me.

229
00:09:47,734 --> 00:09:50,400
-I feel like I don't have to pay her back.
[Acker] It's your position

230
00:09:50,467 --> 00:09:53,467
that you really kind of want to rethink
the deal, because some things--

231
00:09:53,533 --> 00:09:56,165
-Some things have occurred--
-You had a change of heart.

232
00:09:56,233 --> 00:09:57,734
-[Roger] Yeah.
-You changed your mind.

233
00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,000
But it sounds like it's less
the physical assault.

234
00:10:00,066 --> 00:10:02,200
You're upset that she took you to court.

235
00:10:02,266 --> 00:10:03,667
But why do people take people to court?

236
00:10:03,734 --> 00:10:06,100
She didn't take me to court when we
were still dealing with each other.

237
00:10:06,166 --> 00:10:08,800
It happened once I told her
we're no longer dealing with each other.

238
00:10:08,867 --> 00:10:11,433
Once I said I don't want to deal with you
anymore, that's when the court came.

239
00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:12,967
[Acker]
Doesn't that make sense, though?

240
00:10:13,033 --> 00:10:17,266
She got physical with you, so you might
not want to be getting phone calls

241
00:10:17,333 --> 00:10:19,500
from her and text messages from her.

242
00:10:19,567 --> 00:10:21,533
Maybe court was the safest option.

243
00:10:22,066 --> 00:10:25,467
But I do want to ask you, Miss Williams,
he's an Uber driver...

244
00:10:25,533 --> 00:10:26,467
[Trina] Mm-hmm.

245
00:10:26,533 --> 00:10:28,500
-...and there is a good amount of--
-Previously.

246
00:10:28,567 --> 00:10:30,567
-What do you do now, by the way?
-I'm a manager.

247
00:10:30,633 --> 00:10:32,233
[Acker] Oh, good for you. Good for you.

248
00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:34,900
I'm glad you brought that up,
because there seemed to be...

249
00:10:34,967 --> 00:10:38,834
some tension over whether or not
she thought she was better than you

250
00:10:38,900 --> 00:10:40,767
-or she looked down on you.
-Yeah. She did.

251
00:10:40,834 --> 00:10:42,500
She's made several statements about it.
She did.

252
00:10:42,567 --> 00:10:45,400
Well, people who work for a living
and who have jobs,

253
00:10:45,467 --> 00:10:49,165
whether you are driving Uber
or sitting on this bench,

254
00:10:49,233 --> 00:10:53,000
the people who actually
go to work every day and actually perform

255
00:10:53,066 --> 00:10:56,233
valuable services for people,
that's nothing to be looked down on.

256
00:10:56,300 --> 00:10:59,200
My dad was a mail carrier,
and I used to love going to work with him

257
00:10:59,266 --> 00:11:01,133
and driving around in that Jeep.

258
00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,033
So your job was honorable,
and congratulations on being a manager.

259
00:11:05,100 --> 00:11:09,000
Now, so that's really beside the point,
but he had a chip on his shoulder

260
00:11:09,066 --> 00:11:11,934
about that, because he say
that he thought you looked down on him,

261
00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,467
and I think there was a lot of tension
around that.

262
00:11:14,533 --> 00:11:18,600
But when he was an Uber driver,
who drove you back and forth to work

263
00:11:18,667 --> 00:11:20,633
for a couple of weeks
when you couldn't drive?

264
00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:22,033
[dramatic music playing]

265
00:11:22,100 --> 00:11:24,600
[narrator] Coming up
on Tribunal Justice...

266
00:11:24,667 --> 00:11:26,467
You're not going to like this,
Miss Williams.

267
00:11:26,533 --> 00:11:31,367
The bottom line here is,
he's a giver, and you're a taker.

268
00:11:33,867 --> 00:11:35,867
[theme music playing]

269
00:11:36,033 --> 00:11:39,233
[narrator] Trina Williams says
ex-boyfriend, Roger McDonald II,

270
00:11:39,300 --> 00:11:42,800
borrowed over $1,500 to get his car
out of impound

271
00:11:42,867 --> 00:11:44,934
and then never paid her back.

272
00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,567
But Roger says he spent way more on Trina
out of love and since she abused him,

273
00:11:49,633 --> 00:11:51,300
he owes her nothing.

274
00:11:51,367 --> 00:11:54,200
When he was an Uber driver,
who drove you back and forth

275
00:11:54,266 --> 00:11:56,734
to work for a couple of weeks
when you couldn't drive?

276
00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:58,433
-It was him.
-Did he charge you?

277
00:11:58,500 --> 00:12:01,233
-[Trina] No.
-How many miles is it for you to go

278
00:12:01,300 --> 00:12:02,166
from home to work?

279
00:12:02,233 --> 00:12:04,700
From home to work?
I would say about eight.

280
00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:06,266
-Eight miles?
-Yeah.

281
00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:08,700
-[Acker] Is that true?
-At the time, she was going to Long Branch

282
00:12:08,767 --> 00:12:11,667
which is about 45 miles away
from where she lived at the time.

283
00:12:11,734 --> 00:12:13,033
That was by the beach, that's for sure.

284
00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:13,967
[Acker] Any truth to that?

285
00:12:14,033 --> 00:12:14,934
For a week.

286
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,300
[Acker] Listen, you are trying to give
short shrift to what he did for you,

287
00:12:18,367 --> 00:12:22,033
and I think that he simply wants
that to be aired here.

288
00:12:22,100 --> 00:12:24,433
He was a professional,
that was his job

289
00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:27,934
and instead of picking up
other people where he could make money.

290
00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,934
-Mm-hmm.
-[Acker] He drove you for two weeks.

291
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,967
Uber's not cheap, and so I think that you
want that acknowledged, correct?

292
00:12:34,834 --> 00:12:36,800
[Acker] Thank you. I have nothing further.
Judge DiMango.

293
00:12:36,867 --> 00:12:39,633
You're not going to like this,
Miss Williams.

294
00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:43,934
The bottom line here is, he's a giver
and you're a taker.

295
00:12:44,567 --> 00:12:46,867
I mean, that's pretty obvious
in these papers.

296
00:12:46,934 --> 00:12:49,834
-[DiMango] He paid for dinners, correct?
-Yeah, but--

297
00:12:49,900 --> 00:12:53,165
He drove you back and forth
and took off from work.

298
00:12:53,233 --> 00:12:55,266
-Uh, he drove you--
-[Trina] I did stuff for him, as well.

299
00:12:55,333 --> 00:12:57,867
You just said I took you for a trip
for your birthday.

300
00:12:57,934 --> 00:13:00,967
You'll have to stop.
The both of you have to stop doing that,

301
00:13:01,033 --> 00:13:03,266
-because this shows us--
-I took you out for dinner, too.

302
00:13:03,333 --> 00:13:07,567
He's saying you hit him. You're the one
that keeps antagonizing. Talk to us.

303
00:13:07,633 --> 00:13:10,200
He paid for most of the dinners.
You never refuted that,

304
00:13:10,266 --> 00:13:11,967
when he said,
"I paid for all your dinners."

305
00:13:12,033 --> 00:13:15,533
In fact, we have a text message in here
where you say you can't believe

306
00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:17,400
how kind and generous he is.

307
00:13:17,467 --> 00:13:18,600
-[DiMango] Correct?
-Yes.

308
00:13:18,667 --> 00:13:20,567
[DiMango] You started off by saying
he massaged your feet

309
00:13:20,633 --> 00:13:22,500
-when you came home from work, right?
-Yeah.

310
00:13:22,567 --> 00:13:25,467
He was giving. He was giving.
He was giving.

311
00:13:25,533 --> 00:13:28,400
Who gave more in this relationship,
you or him?

312
00:13:28,467 --> 00:13:30,500
-Honestly.
-Honestly...

313
00:13:30,567 --> 00:13:32,800
-I would say he did, for sure.
-[DiMango] Yeah.

314
00:13:32,867 --> 00:13:34,300
Yeah. Okay, back to you.

315
00:13:34,700 --> 00:13:38,567
You did also say that it
was going to take about two weeks,

316
00:13:38,633 --> 00:13:42,467
and that makes a lot of sense,
because you can't just get back in a car

317
00:13:42,533 --> 00:13:45,200
where that's your living
and be able to pay that day.

318
00:13:45,266 --> 00:13:48,033
You would be lying if you said
that to her, correct?

319
00:13:48,100 --> 00:13:49,400
-Correct.
-So that's another thing

320
00:13:49,467 --> 00:13:51,800
that supports her position,

321
00:13:51,867 --> 00:13:55,066
perhaps, that you were carefully
thinking this out.

322
00:13:55,133 --> 00:13:58,233
And you did say, "Hey, listen,
my word is golden."

323
00:13:58,734 --> 00:14:03,567
And the breakup made you second guess
what you were doing all along,

324
00:14:03,633 --> 00:14:05,934
because you did give us a list of money

325
00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,834
that you did spend,
and it was substantial.

326
00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:11,367
The gas, the liquor store
every three days.

327
00:14:11,433 --> 00:14:13,500
They must have known you
by your first name at the liquor store.

328
00:14:13,567 --> 00:14:18,900
Because every one of these, the 21st,
the 24th, the 28th, a lot of things.

329
00:14:18,967 --> 00:14:22,166
-That's what I tried to explain to her.
-[DiMango] But why do you do that?

330
00:14:22,233 --> 00:14:24,066
Why do you keep track?
That's what I was wondering.

331
00:14:24,133 --> 00:14:26,800
I didn't keep track. Well, I mean,
it's in my... it's in my records.

332
00:14:26,867 --> 00:14:29,500
So I know exactly
because during that timeframe,

333
00:14:29,567 --> 00:14:31,934
I know that I was only going
to and from that area for one person

334
00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:33,400
and one person only.
And that was her.

335
00:14:33,467 --> 00:14:37,934
Before that, if you go through my records,
I was saving, my bills were done,

336
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,467
I was paying on time, everything.

337
00:14:39,533 --> 00:14:41,066
But then once around February, March came,

338
00:14:41,133 --> 00:14:43,934
you can see the influx in spending.
You can see it.

339
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,600
I think he picked up on your feeling
that he was beneath you,

340
00:14:47,667 --> 00:14:51,734
and that's why you never told her
that you were behind on your payments?

341
00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,600
-Would that be correct?
-Correct.

342
00:14:53,667 --> 00:14:57,533
Because it does say in here you say
to him, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

343
00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,367
-You know, "Why didn't you tell me?"
-Yeah, be honest.

344
00:14:59,433 --> 00:15:01,133
"We maybe could have taken care
of this sooner."

345
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:02,266
And what is your answer?

346
00:15:02,333 --> 00:15:04,600
Are you going to throw it in my face later
like everything else?

347
00:15:04,667 --> 00:15:06,300
-[DiMango] And I didn't want you to know.
-Mm-hmm.

348
00:15:06,367 --> 00:15:09,867
Because I'm trying to show you
that I'm somebody that I may not be.

349
00:15:09,934 --> 00:15:12,467
And I'm afraid you're not going
to like that person.

350
00:15:12,867 --> 00:15:14,633
-[DiMango] Is that true?
-Possibly.

351
00:15:14,700 --> 00:15:17,300
-I don't have any other questions for you.
-[Trina] But, Your Honor--

352
00:15:17,367 --> 00:15:19,133
[Levy] Uh, hold on one second.
Miss Williams,

353
00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:20,467
I want to just get this out quickly.

354
00:15:20,533 --> 00:15:22,133
-Yeah.
-We're still in a courtroom right?

355
00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:23,500
-Burden of proof is yours.
-Yeah.

356
00:15:23,567 --> 00:15:26,834
But just so we're clear, you actually
provided us before you came in today

357
00:15:26,900 --> 00:15:28,700
-with proof of that payment, right?
-Yes.

358
00:15:28,767 --> 00:15:30,800
-Yeah.
-Can we take a look at 01, please?

359
00:15:30,867 --> 00:15:32,834
Your bank statement
that you submitted to us.

360
00:15:32,900 --> 00:15:36,633
That bank statement, Zelle money
that you sent to Roger McDonald,

361
00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:40,066
-August 9th for $1,525, right?
-[Trina] That's correct.

362
00:15:40,133 --> 00:15:45,133
In '02, your banking institution
confirming the payment made for $1,525?

363
00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:46,500
-Yes.
-[Levy] Okay.

364
00:15:46,567 --> 00:15:50,333
Mr. McDonald, in August of 2024,
when you guys were dating,

365
00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,066
and prior, so for that period of time,
who are you living with?

366
00:15:53,133 --> 00:15:54,800
At the time,
I was back at home, with my parents.

367
00:15:54,867 --> 00:15:57,233
-And you weren't paying them rent, right?
-No, I was. I was.

368
00:15:57,300 --> 00:15:58,867
I paid my mother rent at the time.

369
00:15:58,934 --> 00:16:01,100
-She does make me pay a rent.
-[Levy] Is that right?

370
00:16:01,166 --> 00:16:02,367
-Yes.
-[Levy] Okay.

371
00:16:02,433 --> 00:16:03,600
I have nothing further.
Thank you.

372
00:16:03,667 --> 00:16:07,867
In December, the two of you were
still engaging in text communications

373
00:16:07,934 --> 00:16:09,333
about repayment of this debt.

374
00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,300
When did you file this lawsuit?

375
00:16:11,367 --> 00:16:13,033
-December.
-[Acker] Pretty shortly

376
00:16:13,100 --> 00:16:15,166
after the debt became due.

377
00:16:15,233 --> 00:16:17,066
Not a bad thing to do, frankly,

378
00:16:17,133 --> 00:16:19,967
especially when there's been
a physical altercation.

379
00:16:20,033 --> 00:16:23,333
You are too elegant a person
to ever put your hands on anybody.

380
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,467
-Right.
-[Acker] Don't do it again.

381
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:27,900
-I won't.
-I don't have anything else.

382
00:16:27,967 --> 00:16:30,333
Then we are going to retire to deliberate
at this time. Thank you both.

383
00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:31,433
Thank you.

384
00:16:31,500 --> 00:16:33,700
Court is now in recess.
Parties will be recalled.

385
00:16:33,767 --> 00:16:36,066
[dramatic music playing]

386
00:16:39,767 --> 00:16:41,667
[dramatic music playing]

387
00:16:42,734 --> 00:16:46,467
Clearly, she lays out on September 21st
what their agreement was.

388
00:16:46,533 --> 00:16:48,033
She writes to him, "As agreed,

389
00:16:48,100 --> 00:16:52,567
Friday, September 20th, 2024
was going to be your first payment.

390
00:16:52,633 --> 00:16:56,066
It's now September 21st,
and I'll take that to mean

391
00:16:56,133 --> 00:16:57,734
that you don't plan on paying me back."

392
00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,400
And that's when he said,
"My word is my word.

393
00:17:00,467 --> 00:17:04,433
However, I had to pay [bleep] my first,
which was more important,"

394
00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:08,099
is what he wrote.
This was a loan, wasn't a gift.

395
00:17:08,165 --> 00:17:09,834
He was upset for whatever reason he was.

396
00:17:09,900 --> 00:17:12,666
And I think that she's made out of burden
for $1,525.

397
00:17:12,733 --> 00:17:13,700
I do, too.

398
00:17:13,767 --> 00:17:18,165
You know, I think that now he sort of
wants to revisit past good deeds

399
00:17:18,233 --> 00:17:19,633
done in the relationship.

400
00:17:19,700 --> 00:17:22,900
Where I think that he did,
I think he extended himself

401
00:17:22,967 --> 00:17:26,066
very much for this young woman,
but that's a separate issue

402
00:17:26,133 --> 00:17:28,867
from whether or not
this transaction was one

403
00:17:28,934 --> 00:17:30,867
where there was an intention
that he pay it back,

404
00:17:30,934 --> 00:17:33,300
and I think that the evidence
clearly shows that there was.

405
00:17:33,367 --> 00:17:36,900
I think the whole relationship
supports her position,

406
00:17:36,967 --> 00:17:38,567
even in a negative way on her

407
00:17:38,633 --> 00:17:42,066
for her personality type,
that she was not going to let this go

408
00:17:42,133 --> 00:17:43,600
without getting paid back.

409
00:17:43,667 --> 00:17:47,233
She really took more in the course
of the relationship than she gave.

410
00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:50,166
And then I think in an aftermath,
he thought about it, saying,

411
00:17:50,233 --> 00:17:51,934
"Well, you know,
I did all of this for her.

412
00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:52,934
This is the quid pro quo.

413
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,066
Now, so, I'll just take this,
and we'll kind of be even now."

414
00:17:56,133 --> 00:17:59,033
But, you know, I think he recognized
and he knows, as we do,

415
00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:02,734
that this was money that she lent him
and that he had to pay her back.

416
00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,333
And he made an agreement,
and we'll help him keep his word.

417
00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,033
I think he really got upset
that she sued him.

418
00:18:09,100 --> 00:18:11,200
And sometimes,
that's just what people have to do.

419
00:18:11,266 --> 00:18:14,367
When they really kind of have to be
at arm's length with each other.

420
00:18:14,433 --> 00:18:15,734
Well, how long is your word good for?

421
00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:17,834
I mean, that's really
like another thing like my word

422
00:18:17,900 --> 00:18:18,967
is good for 11 months.

423
00:18:19,033 --> 00:18:23,800
So if 11 months passed, then okay,
then you could not trust my word anymore.

424
00:18:23,867 --> 00:18:25,800
-So we're unanimous.
-Yes.

425
00:18:29,700 --> 00:18:31,066
Court is back in session.

426
00:18:31,133 --> 00:18:33,000
Parties are reminded
that you're still under oath.

427
00:18:33,066 --> 00:18:34,700
[Levy]
Thank you, Cassandra.

428
00:18:34,767 --> 00:18:38,266
All right, we've deliberated and we have
reached a unanimous verdict.

429
00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:40,900
The text messages make out
the fact very clearly

430
00:18:40,967 --> 00:18:43,500
that there was
an expectation of repayment,

431
00:18:43,567 --> 00:18:45,567
that this was a loan
from the very beginning.

432
00:18:45,633 --> 00:18:47,867
Mr. McDonald, doesn't diminish
what, if anything,

433
00:18:47,934 --> 00:18:49,533
you did during the relationship

434
00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,300
to cover other expenses.

435
00:18:51,367 --> 00:18:55,734
As far as the $1,525 was concerned,
it was a loan, not a gift.

436
00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,100
So it is the judgment
of this court in favor of the plaintiff

437
00:18:59,166 --> 00:19:01,767
for $1,525.
Thank you both.

438
00:19:01,834 --> 00:19:02,667
Thank you, Your Honor.

439
00:19:04,166 --> 00:19:06,900
This case has concluded.
All parties are excused.

440
00:19:10,900 --> 00:19:13,467
She got what she wanted.
I don't got to deal with it no more.

441
00:19:13,533 --> 00:19:16,066
Who else is going to make sure
you get your car out?

442
00:19:16,133 --> 00:19:19,166
Like, if I didn't care, I wouldn't
give him the money at all.

443
00:19:19,233 --> 00:19:21,533
I know I spent about $4,000 on a girl.

444
00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,834
Massaging, giving you flowers, you know,

445
00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:26,767
doing things
that you never had done before.

446
00:19:26,834 --> 00:19:29,000
I spent so much on her.
What she need it for?

447
00:19:29,066 --> 00:19:30,166
She makes six figures.

448
00:19:30,233 --> 00:19:32,333
I feel like it was love bombing,
definitely at first.

449
00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,333
For, like, the past couple weeks,
her mother had passed.

450
00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:38,100
I told her, you know, you can't use that
as an excuse to just belittle people

451
00:19:38,166 --> 00:19:40,166
and lash out of people.
She didn't like that.

452
00:19:40,233 --> 00:19:43,033
I mushed him.
It wasn't like a hit.

453
00:19:43,100 --> 00:19:45,233
I'm not abusive, I promise.

454
00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:47,000
[narrator] Are you being sued?

455
00:19:47,066 --> 00:19:50,333
Let Tribunal Justice decide your case.

456
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:54,600
Find us on social media
at Tribunal Justice.

457
00:19:54,667 --> 00:19:56,667
[theme music playing]