03x111 - Teen Carnage Caught on Tape

[bunniefuu]

[Judy]
You walked up to her and you punched her.

- I don't agree with that.
- Are you making any excuses for that?

- [Davonta] They had each other's hair.
- I'm done with you. Put him out.

Okay. Let's roll. Because my child
ain't standing here without me.

- You can take her if you want.
- [announcer] This is Judy Justice.

[theme music]

[announcer] Sophia Johnson
and her husband, Christopher Anderson,

are suing Davonta Greer
for medical bills, property damage,

- and lost wages caused by an as*ault.
- [Kevin] Court come to order. All rise.

[Judy]
Have a seat, please. Uncross your arms.

Judge, Case 3183,
Johnson Anderson versus Greer.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

[Judy] You weren't present
during any of the activities

that you allege in this petition,
is that correct?

- That is correct, Your Honor.
- Nor were you?

- [Christopher] Correct.
- You're her parents?

- Correct.
- Yes.

[Judy] You can sit down,
you can step up.

Okay.

And you were not present
during any of the activities

that are alleged in this petition,
is that correct?

Yes, Your Honor.

[Judy]
How are you related to the defendant?

[Davonta]
I am her uncle and her guardian.

- [Judy] You can have a seat.
- Yes, ma'am.

Stand up.

- Your first name is?
- My first name is Marley.

- [Judy] And yours?
- Justice.

- How old are you?
- I'm 15.

- [Judy] And you?
- Fourteen.

- How long have you known each other?
- We met each other this year.

- Who was new to the school?
- Me.

- [Judy] You were?
- Yes.

- Just this past semester?
- Yes.

[Judy] Okay. Marley, this petition
says that you had some difficulty

- with the defendant?
- Yes, ma'am.

And that she assaulted you, that you were
injured, and that was not far from school?

- Yes, Your Honor.
- [Judy] Okay.

So I'd like you to keep your voice up
and tell me when this happened.

Okay. This all started
September 21st in 2023.

December 21st
and now I want you to do something,

you know, young people know how to
listen to each other when they talk fast.

- Mhm.
- I am no longer young.

[courtroom laughs]

[Judy]
You don't have to speak in slow motion,

- but speak the way I'm speaking.
- [Marley] Okay.

- Got it?
- [Marley] Got it.

- Good. December 21st.
- Okay. In September 21st, 2023,

me and Justice took a class together
and it was our last period class.

We were taking a test and our teacher
has stepped out the room for a second...

- Yup, you're talking fast. [fast sound]
- [Marley] Okay.

- Our teacher...
- Your teacher asked?

No, our teacher had stepped
out of class for a second,

and me and my friends started talking.

When the teacher arrived back
in the classroom,

she said, "Stop talking," to us.
We stopped talking.

But Justice and her friend
were continuing to talk behind us,

so my teacher told me to bring her my test

and I was gonna receive
a zero for the test.

- Okay.
- [Marley] And then I told her

that that was not me talking,

so my teacher told me to point at who
was talking, so I pointed at Justice.

- Was Justice talking?
- Yes.

- [Judy] You remember this incident?
- Yes.

[Judy]
Were you talking?

Look at me. If you tell the truth,
you don't have to have a good memory.

Right? Because one way or another,

you see, she's taking down everything
and this is not my first rodeo.

So I'm gonna ask you a question,

after the teacher told them to stop
talking, did you continue to talk?

- No.
- [Judy] Okay.

Did you hear Marley tell the teacher
that you were talking?

Yes.

[Judy] And when Marley told the teacher
that you were the one talking,

did the teacher ask you
if you were the one talking?

- No.
- What did she do?

I really don't remember
what did she do, but...

[Judy]
We're not talking about five years ago.

We're talking about an important event.

Something bad happened to you
as a result of this event.

What do you mean
you don't remember? Look at me.

What happened after Marley told the
teacher that she wasn't talking, you were?

- I got angry, like, because...
- [Judy] You got angry.

- Yeah.
- Okay. That... not unreasonable.

- You got angry because?
- She pointed at me and I wasn't talking.

She told the teacher I was. It wasn't me.

So did you tell the teacher it wasn't you?

- Yes.
- [Judy] And what did the teacher do?

- She...
- Come on, come on.

- I'm trying to think...
- [Judy] Just a second.

Has this happened to you before in school?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Oh.

Well, I was gonna say... [laughs]
If it hadn't happened to you before,

I would say, that this is an important
event, but it's happened to you before.

What did the teacher do
with regard to your test?

I don't know.
I think she took the test too.

Like, she told me
I couldn't take it anymore.

- Okay. And what did you say to her?
- [Marley] I said, "Don't point at me."

And she pointed at me again,
and I said something like...

- Let me hear what you said to her.
- I call her a B-word.

[Judy]
Okay. And you said that in class?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Okay.

- And then the class was ultimately over?
- Yes.

Tell me what happened after class.

[Marley] Well, before after class,
me and Justice got in, like...

- it was a altercation but it was verbal.
- In the classroom?

[Marley] Yes. And our teacher sent an
administrator come get us out of class,

- and talk about it. And me and...
- [Judy] Okay.

Because you started yelling at each other?

- Yes, Your Honor.
- In front of your teacher?

- [Marley] Yes.
- Okay.

The administrator told us,
like, "Is it a big deal or not?"

Me and her both agree it wasn't
a big deal,

it wasn't... it was dead right there.

So then I'm walking to the bus lane,
so I was waiting at the bus,

and then next thing I know, somebody
got my hair and I'm getting punched.

[theme music]

Your ward told me
that she went to where she was.

No, she said that there was a coincidence
and they ended in the same spot.

- Those are her exact words.
- [Judy laughs] Lost.

- Lost.
- Those are her exact words, verbatim.

- You're lost. You're lost.
- [Davonta] Those are words, verbatim.

I don't know who made you her guardian.

- [laughs] Those are her words, verbatim.
- [Judy] Some fool.

[theme music]

[announcer] Sophia Johnson
and her husband, Christopher Anderson,

claimed Davonta Greer owes for damages

after his 14-year-old niece attacked
their 15-year-old daughter at school.

Who got your hair? Did you see?

I didn't know who grabbed my hair
because I was turned one way

and when I was turned this way,
somebody grabbed my hair and punched me.

And then I turned around, it was Justice.

Was there anybody else there

- other than you and Justice?
- Yes, it was the whole school.

It was dismissal,
so everybody's going to their buses.

Was anybody around Justice
when you saw her and you got punched?

No. Because when I turned around,
I started defending myself.

So everybody moved back,
but everybody was recording.

[Judy] Okay. Justice,
have you seen these recordings?

Yes, I seen one.

[Judy] Well, you wanna tell me
what happened at the bus stop?

Can I, like, rewind back before?

- Of course.
- [Justice] Okay. Like, when we talked,

we, like, talked it out
or whatever with the administrator,

and I thought we were cool,
like, after we got done having... yeah.

So it was time for dismissal to go out
to, like, the buses and stuff.

And I see her in the hallway
with her friends,

and I walked past her, and she stopped me,

she was like, "We good or something?
Like, we good?"

I'm like, "Yes, we good.
Like, everything's cool."

So I'm walking out to the
buses or whatever. And...

[Judy]
Look here. Don't go there. Look here.

- You're walking out to the bus and?
- [Justice] Yeah.

Yeah, and it's like a little spot
where people sit

to wait for their buses and stuff.

But I didn't see her after,
like, we said we was good and stuff.

So someone came up to me

and told me, like,
she wanted to fight me and all of this,

and I'm like, "We just squashed it in,
like, the class, and we talked about it."

So I don't understand
why would she go back, you know, like...

so I, like, walked up to her,
I tapped her, I asked her, I'm like...

No, no, you walked up to her.

Yeah, it wasn't like, uh, trying
to check her or anything.

- It was just like asking her...
- Okay.

...did she, like, say all that stuff.

Like, I didn't get mad, get rude,
or nothing.

I asked her respectfully, like, did she
say anything, like, any of that stuff?

She said yes.

So she turn around and then I sort of
forgot what I said, I think I was like,

"You said I didn't wanna fight you or
nothing. So do you wanna fight me now?

Because you said I didn't wanna fight you.
So I'm asking, do you wanna fight?"

So she put her hand in my face,
she turned around, she said, "Girl."

So, like, I felt like I should defend
myself. She put her hand in my face.

- This is your guardian, right?
- Yes.

He's gonna stand up next to you.

Very careful what you tell me
because there's video of it all.

I want you to show me what you mean

when you say she put her hand
in your face. Show me.

Like, she did this and turned.

- Okay. You can sit down.
- [Davonta] Yes, ma'am.

She put her hand up and she turned around
to walk in the other direction? Like this?

I wanna know where you hit her.

- In her head.
- [Judy] Okay.

Now, after you hit her in her head,
did you start to fight with each other?

- Yes, I defended myself. Yes.
- [Judy] You started to fight?

And people started to videotape the fight?

- Yes.
- Did you have any friends there?

I was standing by my friend,
but then when she walked up,

and when she had hit me, she moved away,
and it was just us two fighting,

and then the crowd formed and it was just,
like, everybody was there.

- Did you hit her?
- Yes.

- How many times?
- We was fighting a long time.

- Did you hit her?
- Yes.

- How many times?
- I can't count...

[Judy]
Have you ever been in a fight before?

Yes.

- How many times?
- [Marley] Once.

- [Judy] The same year?
- No.

- [Judy] The year before?
- Middle school.

- Ever been in a fight before?
- [Justice] Yes.

- [Judy] When?
- Hmm, probably like middle school.

- You're her mother?
- Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
Did you ever get into a fight?

- No, nothing...
- [Judy] Physical?

- No, ma'am.
- Sit down.

Did you ever get into a physical fight
with anybody?

Negative.

Did you get into a fight, Whitney?
I'm just curious.

No.

You know how... bizarre this sounds to me?
Really bizarre. Now, I'll see the video.

- [crowd chattering]
- [crowd screaming]

[Judy]
Who's in the white? I can hardly tell.

[Davonta] That's Justice that's being
attacked by the adult officer.

[crowd chattering]

And you were in the dark top?
Fighting with the officer?

Right? Well, he's trying to pull you off
and you're not letting go.

I just... that's what I see.
Am I seeing that wrong?

- [Sophia] Justice is holding her hair.
- [Judy] Just a sec.

- But...
- [Davonta] They had each other's hair.

[Judy] By the way,
I just thought maybe I misheard that.

- Ma'am?
- Did you say something

- about the officer attacking her?
- [Davonta] Mhm.

There was an officer in the video
punching Justice in her head.

- Yes, ma'am, I did say that.
- [Judy laughs]

- [Davonta] Yes, there is.
- Yeah, just a second.

- [Davonta] A grown...
- Are you making any excuses

for that behavior?

I'm saying that a grown adult
has no right to punch a child

- so that's not an excuse.
- [Judy] Oh, they're k*lling each other!

- [Davonta] I'm not a fool but it's wrong...
- They're k*lling each other.

- ...you as an adult would punch a child?
- [Judy] Just a second,

I would never have a child that was
involved in that kind of behavior...

- [Davonta] Well, if that's...
- ...that's what you should...

- just a second.
- [someone chuckles]

That's what you should
be dealing with. You, too.

That's what you should be dealing with

- children, children...
- Well, if there's a bullying situation,

- you only take so much bullying...
- Just, don't, don't...

...when you're a new student
and you don't know anybody in the school,

you just started a week
or two prior to that... yeah.

Lost.

Didn't you understand?
I'm not excusing the fight

but there was no fight until the punch.
Do you understand that?

Forget bullying, forget...
There was no fight until the punch.

There's ways to be attacked
without... and feel offended

and people are coming
into your private personal space

without them throwing a blow at you.
So, I don't agree with that.

Well, I don't give a rat's behind
what you agree with, sir.

- That's okay.
- [Judy] I'm gonna tell you

that she didn't go into her space,
she went into her space,

she walked up to the bus stop.

- That's what she...
- Can you show me that in the video?

- They were both at the bus stop.
- [Judy] No, listen.

She catches the bus just as well.

Sir, why don't you listen
to what your ward told me?

[theme music]

[Sophia] If you look
at the beginning of the video,

you see Marley's literally on her phone
with her book bag, her purse.

- I didn't see that.
- Yes, ma'am.

- Me neither.
- Start at the beginning, you can see the...

[Judy] Well, just a second,
can we go back and slow motion that?

[theme music]

[announcer] Sophia Johnson
and her husband, Christopher Anderson,

are accusing Davonta Greer's


by punching their 15-year-old
daughter at school.

She told me that girls had come
and yada yada yada in her ear...

[Judy]
...that she was saying nasty stuff

- about her.
- [Davonta] Okay.

That's sticks and stones
will break my bones

- but names will never hurt me.
- [Davonta] Okay.

Your ward told me
that she went to where she was.

No, she said that there was a coincidence
and they ended in the same spot,

- those are her exact words.
- [Judy] Lost, lost.

[Davonta]
Those were her exact words, verbatim.

- You're lost, you're lost.
- [Davonta] Those were her words,

- verbatim.
- I don't know who made you her guardian.

- I don't know who made you her guardian.
- [laughs] Those were her words, verbatim.

[Judy]
Some fool.

[Davonta] I wish we can rewind
because that's what she said,

we ended in the same space by coincidence

- 'cause they both catch the bus.
- Okay.

"I'm walking out to the buses or whatever

but I didn't see her after
and we said we were good and stuff,

so someone came up to me
and said everything she was saying.

She wanted to fight me, all of this,

and I'm like, we just squashed it in class
and we talked about it,

so I don't understand why she would go
back and like... yeah, so I see her outside

- so I walked up to her, tapped her, I..."
- I walked up to her, and?

"I was asking her, 'Did you say all that
stuff when we just squashed it?'

I asked her. I didn't get mad,
or rude, or nothing,

I was like, 'You said you didn't
wanna fight me, do you wanna fight?'

She put her hand in my face
and said, 'Girl.'

So I felt like I should defend myself,
she put her hand in my face."

[Marley]
I never put my hand in her face.

Who took that video?

It was posted on Instagram and they
sent it to me, so that's how I got it.

Do you know who posted it on Instagram?

- It has to have a...
- I don't know exact who,

but it was one of her friends.

So one of your friends
who posted it on Instagram?

Well, it was a lot of people
reposting the video,

there's one of my friends
that were reposting the video

but the account, we never knew
who actually posted the video.

- [Sophia] Your Honor, if I may?
- Sure, you can.

[Sophia]
If you look at the beginning of the video,

whoever is recording,
knowing what's gonna happen

because there's a little boy walking by
and she's like, "Move, move."

You see Marley's literally on her phone
with her book bag, her purse.

- I didn't see that.
- [Sophia] Yes, ma'am.

- [Davonta] Me neither.
- [Sophia] Start at the beginning,

- you can see the...
- Well, just a second.

Can we go back and slow motion that?

[Sophia] Standing behind Marley
and just attack her.

- [Davonta] Where does she pull her...
- [Judy] Shh. Oh, just a second.

Can we slow motion that again, please?

Justice,
you see that back in long black pants,

long black hair,
and the white shirt, is that you?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Okay.

Now, we're gonna do it
in slow motion. Slow.

So you're walking... slow, slow, slow.

- You wanna see that again, Justice?
- I've seen it multiple times.

- We don't see Marley in the video at all.
- Just a second, just a second.

No, that looks to me
as if you walked up to her

and your hand came back
and you punched her.

- That's what I see.
- That's exactly what I said I did.

No, I don't wanna hear from you.

- I'm done with you.
- [scoffs]

You wanna do that again?
Let's do it slow motion again.

You're walking up to her
and as you're walking up to her,

you pull your right arm back and punch
her. That's what that looks like.

[Justice]
I never said I didn't do that,

- I told you exactly.
- [Judy] Okay.

I didn't see any, "Girl, did you talk
to me? Did you really wanna fight me?

I wanna fight you, hand in your face."
I didn't see any of that, Justice.

I just saw you walking up to her
and as you were walking up to her,

pulling your hand back and punching her,
that's what that video shows.

- Do you wanna see it again?
- I've seen it multiple times.

Well, you can imagine whatever you want,

it's not fantasy land,
that's what that shows.

Not all this palaver before
that you sold him on.

She didn't sell me.

- [Judy] Kevin, put him out.
- [Kevin] This way, sir.

- Justice, you can come right with me.
- [Judy] Put him out. I... Put him out.

- You could take her if you want.
- Because I'm not staying her

- without my child.
- [Judy] You can take her if you want.

[Davonta] Okay. Let's roll, because my
child ain't standing here without me.

Very good. Judgment for the plaintiff

- in the amount of $10,000. We're done.
- [Davonta] Let's go.

- [Sophia] Thank you, Your Honor.
- This court is adjourned.

[theme music]

After seeing the video,
the video only depicts part of the truth,

the conversation
was actually had before that.

The video was clear as day
that she hit Marley,

Marley was engaged in her phone
in her own world

and she came up behind her
and attacked her.

Well, this was a classic case
of a bully beat down,

someone who picks on you, intimidates you,

and then when they get those hands
or they take that beat down,

then they wanna come to the courts
and play all those games.

It was no bullying.

I will say violence is not the answer
but if somebody picking on you

and you got to give them
them hands, hey, so be it.

Keep your hands to yourself.

[sighs] You know,
I sat in the family court long enough

to know that with that kind of guardian,

even if she was redeemable at her
young age, it's gonna be a long haul,

because the only thing
that he found offensive

was what he said the officer
was behaving improperly.

I don't even remember what he said,

- punched her?
- [Sarah] Yeah.

There was nothing
in that video that suggested

that the two officers
was trying to do anything

- but pull these two girls apart.
- [Sarah] Putting...

And they wouldn't let go.

Putting themselves in harm's way, and now
a mob of students who are recording,

- who are hyped up...
- [Judy] None of...

[Sarah]
...all because of your child's actions.

So maybe you focus on that
instead of the actions of others

who are doing nothing more
than trying to discipline your child

- because she didn't know how to act.
- [Judy] And that somebody... right.

And there was no question

- when you watch that in slow motion.
- [Sarah] Mhm.

[Judy] That she came up to her
and sucker-punched her

- from the... from behind.
- From behind.

Well, that has to stop.

- [Sarah] It's crazy.
- She really got hurt.

And the person who was supposed
to give this young lady sound advice...

- Mhm.
- [Judy] ...is blabbering in her ear

- that she was a victim.
- [Sarah] Mhm.

She was a victim because she's just
in the school and she was being bullied.

Well, that's not what the video...

- The facts don't show that.
- [Judy] ...that wasn't the facts

and fortunately with everybody
walking around with a camera,

you can actually record events.

Yeah, but sadly
that doesn't help the victim mentality

that's being shoved down her throat

- by her own guardian.
- [Judy] Well, that's true.

- Yeah.
- But fortunately...

- [Sarah] It helps our job.
- ...it helps our job, to have it...

- [Sarah] On video.
- ...on video.

[announcer] Have you been cheated?


[theme music]