03x70 - Dangerous Passenger and Where Is Disney World?

[bunniefuu]

Your brother asked you
if you wanted to come live with him.

-Yes, ma'am.
-Things started to get sticky.

He likes to yell and scream.
I told him he basically needs to move out.

-How did you respond to that?
-Not well.

And your reaction was to hit him.

Ever heard of the old adage that

fish and company start to smell
after three days?

[announcer]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Steven Schoeffler is suing
his half brother, Jonathon Doucet,

for damages from an as*ault
in a moving vehicle.

[Kevin] Court come to order. All rise.

Have a seat please. Kevin.

Hello, judge. Case 3101.
Schoeffler versus Doucet.

-Thank you.
-You're welcome.

[Judy] Mr. Schoeffler, the defendant
is your much young half brother.

Yes, ma'am.

-How old are you?
-40.

-And you, sir?
-23.

And from what I gather from the papers,
your mom died three years ago.

Yes, ma'am.

-And you were living with her at the time?
-No, I was not. Um...

I was actually staying
in my own rental place

in the same hometown
of Eunice, Louisiana.

-[Judy] Were you working?
-[Jonathon] Yes, ma'am.

Okay. Did you come a point
where you stopped working?

-Yes, ma'am.
-When was that?

It was shortly after my relocation
to Arcadia, Florida

and I was out of work for several months.

So you relocated
shortly after your mom died.

In Florida,
is that where your brother lives?

No, he lives on South Beach.

-But also in Florida?
-Yes.

And when you moved to Florida,
from what I gather from the papers,

things didn't go well for you.
You lost your job.

And your brother asked you
if you wanted to come and live with him.

-At least temporally.
-Yes, ma'am.

-You would say that's nice of him?
-Yes, ma'am.

-And who does your brother live with?
-His best friend, Ivan.

-And Ivan was okay with it?
-Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] So in what month and year
did you pack up your things from Arcadia

and move in with your brother?

I actually do not have an exact
recollection of the date and time.

-Okay.
-It was in November of 2020.

-So right in the middle of Covid?
-Mm-hmm.

What kind of house does your brother have?
House, apartment?

It's a condo.

-How many bedrooms?
-One.

-Where did you sleep?
-On the sofa.

So it was clear then that your
a grown man, he's a grown man.

He's got a roommate. I assume
you split the costs of the apartment

-with the roommate.
-[Steven] He's my partner.

-Do you split the costs?
-No.

-You don't? Who pays the rent?
-He does.

He pays the mortgage and everything.

[Judy] So he pays all the expenses.

By the way, how was your partner
with your brother moving in?

He was happy with him coming.
I mean, cause you know, he thought

it would be good for me
and that it would be good for him.

Cause where he was living before,
he was not living in very good conditions

and not with a very good person.

And from the day that I met the person
he was living with before,

I said, he's gotta go. Like, I didn't want
him there anymore. You know?

So when the opportunity presented itself,

I asked him to come live with me,
and he came.

Okay. So you were staying on the couch.
There's one bedroom,

and I assume that you weren't contributing
to any of the household finances

I have a monthly rent of $300.

-So you pay them $300?
-A month. Yes, ma'am.

-And when did that start?
-It was about a year and a half after

-when I had picked up my first job.
-Okay.

So you lived there rent free,
and they covered your expenses

-for a year and a half. Nice.
-Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] But then what I gathered
from reading these papers,

things started to get sticky,

because I assume you knew that this was
not a permanent arrangement,

-sleeping on a couch. You knew that.
-Yes, ma'am.

That's not the way, you know,
you live in a one bedroom apartment.

Sleeping on the couch
was supposed to be temporary.

And I gather things got a little testy
because you ever heard of the old adage

that fish and company start to smell
after three days?

-Ever hear that?
-[both] Yes, ma'am.

Well, now we're into your third year.
And you both acknowledge

that there was some arguing in the house
after a period of time?

[both] Yes, ma'am.

-Between the two of you?
-[both] Yes, ma'am.

What about his partner?

His partner was not involved
in the argument.

My partner, he wouldn't tell him anything,
but he would come to me anytime

he did anything that he didn't like.
I would have to hear about it.

Okay. He's your brother,
you take care of it. [laughs]

-Yeah. Yes, ma'am.
-Got it!

So there had been one such argument,
and then from what I'm reading,

-you had a doctor's appointment.
-Yes, ma'am.

And there had been a little episode
maybe the night before or the day before.

So you thought maybe it would be
a good idea for your brother to drive

to the doctor's appointment where you
could have a discussion with him.

-Yes, ma'am.
-And that was on...

-the 15th of May of 2023.
-Yes, ma'am.

So you wanna tell me what happened
that morning and getting into the car

because it is your claim that your brother
assaulted you and physically injured you

during the course of that car ride
to the doctor?

That's what this case is about.
-[Steven] Yes, ma'am.

I was a little upset with Johnny
because the night before

he was yelling and cursing at me
with the door open.

And some of my neighbors
came outside and they were like,

they were looking at us and they were,
like, "What's going on?"

And that became kind of common with him
because he likes to yell and scream.

I'm a very soft spoken person.
I don't yell and scream even when I'm mad.

I stay very calm. And, you know,
my partner was complaining to me,

and we were kind of at odds
with each other because

of this over the last few years.

I mean, when he comes home,
he doesn't even talk.

He just goes straight to his bedroom
and closes the door. Like...

-Who? Oh.
-My partner does.

Like, he didn't even
wasn't even talking to me.

He was, you know, very angry with me
because of this

because he he blames me in a way
for how he behaves.

[Judy] Okay.

[theme music playing]

You're driving, so I assume his
right hand grabbed you like this.

-Yes, ma'am.
-So you took your right hand

-and hit him. Where did you hit him?
-In-between his eyebrows.

And you got him to the hospital
because he was bleeding?

Yes, ma'am. Profusely.

-[announcer] And later today...
-You were taking your son to Disney

-Disney is in Orlando.
-Orlando.

So if your niece, who's 27, says we're
going to Fort Lauderdale to Disney,

what you say is,
"Disney is not in Fort Lauderdale.

Disney is in Orlando."

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Steven Schoeffler claims
his half brother, Jonathon Doucet,

assaulted him when he was driving,
resulting in a permanent scar.

So you were going
to a hematology appointment.

Did you ask your brother
to join you or did he...

He wanted to come.
He insisted on coming

because he didn't wanna be
left home alone.

And he usually would accompany me
to the doctor's office anyway.

-Okay.
-Like he would most always come with me.

Even if we were not arguing,
it didn't make a difference,

he would almost always come with me.
And so we we started driving and um...

when we were in the express lane,

and there's no way to stop
in the express lane,

because there's no shoulder.
He started, he when he opened the door

and was saying he was
gonna jump out of the car.

-No, but you were arguing before that.
-What I was telling him,

I told him is basically that Ivan had
had enough and and that I had enough

and that he needed to move out.
He needed to go back to his...his family

in Louisiana, or he needed to make
some other arrangement because

I couldn't take the stress anymore.
I had health problems at the time.

-[Judy] Is that what he told you?
-Yes, ma'am.

I just couldn't take it anymore
because the stress.

How did you respond to that?

-Not well.
-Tell me what you did.

We were having a discussion about what
had happened the night before

after he had talked about him
and Ivan having an issue with me.

I mean, at the point of
I wanted to go with him

to the doctors to smooth this over
And more or less, it was to the point

where he was just verbally berating me
at that point. And it was...

Did he tell you that both he
and his partner wanted you to move

-and find a suitable place to live?
-Yes

And when he told you that,
and you reacted badly,

-did you try to open the car door?
-Yes, ma'am.

It was only a ruse, though.
I just wanted him to stop.

Okay. But that was in your mind
that it was only a ruse.

You asked him to stop.
Your brother said,

"Can't stop here.
It's in an express lane."

-You're on a highway?
-Yes, ma'am.

So you're going at least 50,


and you went to open the car door

I'm gonna ask you.
At that point, you're pretending,

but he doesn't know that
you're pretending to open the car door.

I want you to tell me what happened,
Mr. Doucet.

Well, when I opened the car door in order
to make an attempt to have him cease

the verbal beating that he was giving me,

he reached over, and, in my perspective,
I thought he was violently grabbing me,

-and I acted on impulse.
-How did he grab you?

-By the shirt? By the hair?
-Elbow.

-So you're driving.
-Yes.

So I assume his right hand
grabbed you like this.

-Is that right?
-Yes, ma'am.

-And grabbed your left elbow.
-Yes, ma'am.

-And your reaction was to hit him.
-Yes, ma'am.

So you took your right hand and hit him.
Where did you hit him?

In-between his eyebrows

-Did the car stop?
-No.

-Kept going?
-Yes, ma'am.

-For how long?
-I imagine it was hardly 15 to 20 minutes

before we got him to the hospital.

Well, you got him to the hospital
because he was bleeding?

Yes, ma'am. Profusely.

-Do you have the hospital report, sir?
-Yes, ma'am.

I'd like to see it because we already
then have the fact that

he put his hand on you
in all probability to stop you

because he thought you were
gonna jump out of the car.

Your reaction was to punch him.

That's what happened.
It's not so crazy unusual.

There's a bad cut there.
Was that just from your hand,

-or did you have a ring on or something?
-No, ma'am.

That's a pretty bad cut,
so that's pretty powerful.

-It was it was my knuckle bone.
-Oh...

That's a pretty devastating blow.
You're lucky you could drive.

-Yeah.
-Well, it's clearly, Mr. Doucet,

an as*ault on your brother,
and he was clearly injured.

That's what the basis of this case is.

-When did you move out?
-Almost two months after.

-When did he move out?
-A few it was a few months later.

It was, like, maybe in October,
the beginning of October

or September.
September, October.

-When did you file this case?
-A few months ago.

Like, um, in October, I think.

I filed it with the court
just a few weeks ago, actually.

I thought you meant with you guys.

Is what you're saying that you filed
this case

-to appear before me in October.
-Just after New Years.

and then you filed it in court
sometime more recently.

Yeah. In January.
The beginning of January.

-In court?
-Yes, ma'am.

-Do you have medical insurance?
-Yes, ma'am.

Okay. So the medical insurance
covered most of your medical bill?

-Yes, ma'am.
-Was there any payment beyond that?

Um, I had to go to Pensacola to visit
a plastic surgeon that I'm friends with

to see if there's anything he could
do for me. I went to see him twice.

and, um, basically, he gave me silicone
gel to put to put on my on the scar.

Um, he's a good a good friend
of mine, and um, so [stammering]

he didn't charge me anything.

-Okay. You don't see it, really.
-It's...

As you get older, you find that you look
at yourself a little less

or you put the mirror
a little farther away.

You don't see these little things.

Otherwise, you would have nightmares
and be up all night.

[all laugh]

[Judy] So you stayed home
for a couple of months.

How was the couple of months that you
spent before you moved out

-after the as*ault?
-I felt terrible.

I assume that you did.
Where are you living now?

-In West Palm Beach.
-Good. With whom?

-Uh, shelter.
-Is that the shelter that you moved into

-when you moved out of the condo?
-Yes, ma'am.

-Are you working?
-Yes, ma'am.

Tell me what the shelter is like,
Mr. Doucet.

Just very nice.
People generally keep to themselves.

I keep to myself and...

-Have you own a room?
-I share a room with another person there.

-Is it okay?
-Yes, ma'am.

-Do you see a doctor regularly?
-Yes, ma'am.

-Weekly? Weekly.
-Yes, ma'am.

-Through the shelter?
-Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

I also see a therapist weekly
through the shelter.

-That's what I was talking about. [laughs]
-Oh, my bad.

Okay. Alright. Good. So it sounds as if
you're in a reasonable place now.

-Yes, ma'am.
-Okay. Good.

So you acknowledge how badly
you felt after this as*ault.

It was really an unprovoked as*ault.

He was probably trying to pull you back
so that you wouldn't hurt yourself

because I have a feeling that
your brother loves you a great deal.

But you're probably better off outside
of somebody else's social situation

by yourself, whether it's
by yourself at a shelter

or hopefully someday
in a place of your own.

[theme music playing]

You purchased the tickets.
Then your niece said to you

"We really have to fly into Orlando.
There's a change fee,

and this is what the change fee is
to change the tickets

from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando."

You said, "You pay the difference.
I'm not paying it. It was your mistake."

Yes.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Steven Schoeffler claims
his half brother, Jonathon Doucet,

assaulted him when he was driving,
resulting in a permanent scar.

In any event, you understand,
Mr Schoeffler, that I'm going to issue

a judgement in your favor.

but it's not gonna be a crippling
judgment against your brother.

I think that he understands that
what he did was wrong,

And you're entitled to a monetary award.
You had some pain and suffering.

Certainly, you understand
what his situation is.

Judgment for the plaintiff
in the amount of $1500.

-We're finished. Thank you very much.
-[Kevin] This court is adjourned.

I caused my brother unnecessary suffering,

and at least he got a little bit
of something for it

as opposed to the hell
and grief I gave him.

He needed something to happen to him
to see reason and behave himself,

you know, because he's kinda
out of control.

Um, a lot of pain.
Bleeding everywhere and...

It was not good.

I wasn't verbally assaulting him
or berating him. I was just telling him

you know, you really need
to leave my house.

You need to go because I can't deal
with you anymore.

uh, and the drama that you make
and the trouble that you cause. You know?

I just wanna know
I love him, and I'm sorry.

I don't know that if if that he's changed
his mentality or his his way of thinking

and behaving. I mean, he says that,
but he always said...

He always would tell me that,

and then he would go back to doing
the same things right after.

Only time will tell.

Yes. There is a chance to put
the relationship back together.

I felt so sad for both of those brothers.

-Clear that the defendant had, has issues.
-Sure.

His brother seems like
a very nice young man

and really tried very hard
to help his brother.

One incident, though,
can turn it all sour.

You know,
I really don't think it did, Sarah.

The defendant said he felt terrible.
I said, how did you feel?

It was two months.
He said, "I felt terrible."

He knew he had just lost it
for that moment.

-Yeah.
-And I'm sure that they love each other.

Seems like he's on the path to getting
the help that he needs

and getting on the right track, though.
So that's a least positive to see.

Sad. But I think he has
a supportive family.

I still think that he's supportive of him.

-Sure.
-Which is very mature, very grown up,

-and for the defendant, very lucky.
-Yeah.

Case 3093,
Scott versus Scott.

All parties, please come forward.

[announcer] Tanisha Scott is suing
her niece, Ceaira Scott,

for travel costs from Ceaira's negligence.

Miss Scott, this is your niece.
Is she your sister's daughter

-or your brother's daughter?
-My sister's daughter.

-How old are you?
-47.

-How old is she?
-27 now.

So this is what the case is about.
The family was planning a trip

-to Disney in Florida.
-Yes.

How many people were going?

Uh, seven people.
Not including the children.

-Seven adults.
-Yes

-Tell me who they were.
-My mother,

my mom's friend, my aunt,

my husband, and myself.

And did you invite your aunt
to go with you?

-Yes.
-When was it that you invited your aunt?

Well, she was included in the planning,
in the original planning.

-Which started when?
-April 2022.

Okay. So this is what the case is about.
You were supposed to find the least

-expensive flights for a few people.
-Yes.

-Not everybody, I assume.
-Just my aunt and my mom.

-This aunt?
-Yes.

And your mom. And you did
in fact do some investigation.

Mm-hmm.

And when you thought you
found the right fare,

there was a three way call
to the airline.

Yes.

-You were on the call?
-Yes.

-You were on the call?
-[Ceaira] Yes.

-And the airline was on the call?
-Yes

And you purchased tickets to go.

-And you purchased tickets on what date?
-I purchased the tickets...

You all purchased the tickets
'cause she used her credit card.

-Yes.
-Go ahead. What date?

-Um, can I check my evidence?
-Absolutely.

[papers ruffling]

Your honor, I'm sorry.
It doesn't tell me the purchase date.

Okay. On what date were you on this
three way call and the tickets purchased?

If I'm not mistaken,
I think it was, like, December 3, of '22.

And this is what happened.

After the tickets were purchased,
you were on, you spoke to the airline.

-You gave them your credit card number...
-Yes.

...and they told you how much
your fare was gonna be.

-It was just you who...
-And my son.

You and your son.

-So you purchased two tickets.
-Yes.

Purchased two tickets. And when
you purchased tickets on an airline,

if I'm not mistaken,
The attendant who is helping you

gives you the date that you're going,
confirmation number.

I don't know whether
they assign you your seats.

Tells you certainly from where
to where are you going.

All of those things are confirmed
on the phone.

-Yes.
-That's what happens

when you call the airline.

[Ceaira] Yes.

And you've heard where you were going.
You're 47 years old.

And the airline tickets that you purchased
were going to Fort Lauderdale

instead of Orlando.
What?

That's where she said we were going.
I didn't know.

It was for her son's birthday. She told me
that we're going to Fort Lauderdale.

That's why the tickets was purchased
to Fort Lauderdale.

You were taking your son to Disney.
Correct?

-Yes.
-Disney is in Orlando.

-Orlando.
-So if your niece, who's 27,

says we're going
to Fort Lauderdale to Disney,

what you say is,
"Disney is not in Fort Lauderdale.

Disney is in Orlando."
That's what this case is about.

You were on the phone.
You purchased the tickets.

Then your niece said to you,
"We really have to fly into Orlando.

There's a change fee."

And this is what the change fee is
to change the tickets

from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando.

You said, ultimately,
"You pay the difference.

I'm not paying it. It was your mistake."
That's what happened.

-Yes.
-That's why we're here. You didn't go.

And you're suing for what
you spent on the airline tickets

and your contribution to the Airbnb.

-Yes, and...
-That's not happening.

-Okay.
-If the reason you decided not to go

is because you didn't
wanna pay the change fee,

well, that was your fault.
You listened.

I mean, I don't think
that there's a person around

who thinks that Disney in Florida
is in Fort Lauderdale.

It's in Orlando.
She may have gotten confused,

but you shouldn't have been confused.
You were taking a teenager to Disney.

-Right?
-Yes.

Okay. So you have no case, Ms. Scott.

Fact that you invested in tickets
and you didn't wanna pay the change fee,

you wanted her to pay for you,
that's unreasonable.

-Okay. Yes.
-Got it? Good.

-Case is dismissed. We're done.
-Thank you, your honor.

-[Judy] Thank you.
-[Kevin] This court is adjourned.

[theme music playing]

I feel like my niece
was responsible for those tickets.

Granted that, I mean,
she said we was going to Fort Lauderdale.

I didn't book... It was for
your son's birthday party, so...

See, that was a mistake I didn't know.

I've never been to Florida
or I've never been to Disney World before.

The judge say, it was my fault,
so it is what it is.

I just take the loss and now I know not
to just do it with nobody else

and book my own tickets.

There's nothing I can do.
There's no money I can return.

It was all out of my hands,
so I'm glad that she has the satisfaction

to know that she can get nothing from me.

I would just move on and the kids just,
you know, be okay by it.

The most surprising thing about that
whole case was that people still call

to make plane reservations.
I don't think, I can't remember

the last time I called
to make a plane reservation.

You sit on hold forever.
I just do it online.

-Do most people do it online?
-I...

I haven't made a replay reservation
in a very long time.

Yeah, I would assume so.
Make it online.

Maybe it diminishes
the problems like this.

like we see here when
you book to the wrong place.

But, hey, for everyone out there,
Disney World is in Orlando.

[laughs] That's right.

[announcer] Are you a victim of a scam?


[theme music playing]