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VOICE OVER: Samantha Clinch WRITTEN BY: Joe Shetina
#10: “You’re Gonna Go Back to Jail”
Plaintiff Crystal Benavidez bailed out her then-boyfriend after they had an altercation and he was arrested, but things just took a turn from there. Defendant Richard Grieve tries walking back the claims made in his initial police statement, making little sense. He doesn’t seem to realize this is serious, nor does he realize how serious it is that he didn’t do his court-ordered anger management. Naturally though, his lies about his dangerous behavior are soon destroyed by an independent witness statement. The fact that he could become this angry yet be this calm in court is just chilling.
#9: Keyed Cars & Pregnancy Scares
Soon after meeting online, Brayan Sanchez Guadron and Sabrina Perez ended their relationship, such as it was. He alleges she vandalized his car and harassed him in retaliation. Perez can’t even refrain from making outrageous facial expressions and laughing whenever the plaintiff talks. There’s clearly still some animosity there. She even seems to proudly acknowledge getting intimate with the plaintiff’s friend after he broke up with her, and tried to ingratiate herself into his life. Things got full blown scary when Sabrina claimed to be pregnant with Brayan’s child. However, her dates clearly don’t make sense, and the judge isn’t entertaining her fantasies.
#8: Bailing Out
Justin LaBreche sues his ex-wife Molly and her mother for bail money he put up for her. The defendant owns up to some bad decisions, including using illicit substances. However, the judge does acknowledge her about it all, which in turn makes certain things about the plaintiff’s testimony ring false. Judge Judy has some reservations about giving the plaintiff the money he’s asking for, and the minute she gets up to make one of her notorious phone calls, his face falls. It turns out, the phone number on the invoice he gave her was a fake – or at least, doesn’t exist in the US. You never quite know what wild thing is going to happen in this courtroom.
#7: Exes Come to Blows
Plaintiff A’Kalli Carter alleges her child’s father, defendant Quinton Fitcheard, assaulted her during an argument. Judge Judy smells a rat right away. Carter’s version of the story doesn’t make much sense to her. The judge is able to establish that she instigated the altercation by walking into the man’s family’s house uninvited. However, things quickly got out of hand. Carter apparently got violent, a fight broke out, and she then blocked him in with her car. The fact that she left her kids in the vehicle was seemingly enough to convince the judge that she was spoiling for a fight. Needless to say, the plaintiff leaves with nothing.
#6: A House Is Definitely Not a Home
Plaintiff Toni Meadows is suing ex-boyfriend Martin Gustafson, against whom she filed a restraining order shortly after moving into a home together. Though she contends they own the house, it’s only in Gustafson’s name. But here’s the twist. The protective order actually forced Martin Gustafson out of his own home because it was Meadows’ listed residence. Not only that, but despite believing it’s her house, Meadows hasn’t even been paying the mortgage or taxes. It sounds more like the plot of a psychological thriller than a small claims case. We can’t speak to her intentions, but Judge Judy roasts her for her entitlement.
#5: “You Are a Moron!”
If there’s one thing that enrages Judge Judy, it’s people using their children as weapons against an ex. In this classic case, David Johnson sues his wife because her allegations that he was not the father of their daughter forced him to take a paternity test. Defendant Cathleen Kreftmeyer even told her own kid, who was only six, that her dad might be someone else. So Judge Judy unloads on her. Kreftmeyer is clearly seething. Surprisingly though, she does the smart thing and largely keeps quiet. The kicker is that Johnson is the father. It seems like Kreftmeyer is just being spiteful, and she pays for it.
#4: A Different Kind of Custody Battle
Plucked from the earlier days of Judge Scheindlin’s program, this dispute involves a mother suing her ex-husband over their daughter’s behavior. Usually, Judge Judy says parents fight to keep their children. Yet here, plaintiff Kim Billington is pursuing legal action against her ex, defendant Richard Billington, for damages because he didn’t take their daughter, Hillary, despite getting custody. According to her, the relationship between mother and daughter has deteriorated to a toxic, unfixable point. Richard, meanwhile, insists Kim just wants to harass him. The judge clearly has no sympathy for someone who would drop their parental responsibility, no matter the reason.
#3: Who Claims the Kids?
Joshua Mendez is being sued for wrongly claiming his and his ex’s children on his taxes. Carmela Minacci and her new mother-in-law, Nancy, lead the charge on the lawsuit. However, their struggle to care for the kids is evident. The judge is not at all impressed with the plaintiff and her new husband, who were investigated by child protective services due to substance use. She can’t imagine why the courts would make it hard for Mendez to reclaim his children, but he actually made the difficult decision due to an unstable housing situation. As always with these cases, we just feel for the kids.
#2: The Case of the Fire Dancer
Fire-dancing indoors? That’s absurd, and so are half of the shenanigans these alleged former lovers pulled. Lauren Glynn sues ex Brittany Kittredge over rent and a burnt couch. However, Kittredge implies that Glynn’s talent for fire-dancing is responsible for the burn marks. They then take some of the punchiest potshots that have ever been exchanged between two “Judge Judy” litigants. If these quips feel a bit rehearsed, that might be because they were. Copywriters Kittredge and Glynn have since admitted to having concocted the case for TV. In fact, it was Kittredge’s second phony appearance on the program.
#1: Bleached Clothes
The plaintiff in this case wins without having to say much. His former partner, Monika Lahai, digs her own grave. When Judge Judy grills her about bleaching her cheating ex’s clothes, she has a priceless defense. She didn’t pour bleach on most of the clothes. No, she was threatening to, using jeans as bait, when the plaintiff lunged, spilling the bleach himself. So, really, one pair of jeans aside, it’s his fault? Meanwhile, she seemingly had his clothes laid out for the presumed purpose of destroying them, but that’s irrelevant. Lahai, who talks over Judge Judy and refuses to listen to a thing she says, actually can’t believe she’s being ruled against. We can’t believe she thought this was going to go her way.
Which of these couples shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments.
