02x21 - High Security Break-Up

[bunniefuu]

[Judy]
She threw you out.

And you're supposed to
remain away from her.

Your Honor, I have a video of catching him
stalking my house.

She was concerned
about her safety with him.

You have to say it's over.

I... [stammers]

You have to put a period to this.

Yes.

A real period.

[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Brian Martin is suing his
ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Hancock,

and her ex-boyfriend, Derek Jones,
for personal property.

[bailiff]
Court, come to order. All rise.

Have a seat, please.

Hello, Judge. Case #2063,
Martin vs. Hancock/Jones.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

[Judy] Mr. Martin,
how old are you, sir?

- I'm 46.
- [Judy] Who is this with you?

This is my girlfriend, Kimberly.

The case is not unusual, but sad.

Mr. Martin, you had a long history
of drug addiction.

- I did.
- [Judy] From when to when?

From 2002 until December 1st, 2020.

I've been clean for two years
on the first of December.

- Good for you.
- [Brian] Thank you.

Did you manage to get clean by going
into a residential facility?

I did, yes.

How long were you
in a residential facility?

Um, I was in 23 days
in an in-patient facility

and I was just over a month
in an out-patient facility.

- Are you currently working?
- [Brian] I am.

What kind of work do you do?

I'm a production manager for
a soap and bath b*mb company.

How long have you been working for them?

A year, yesterday.

Are you in touch with your folks?

- I am.
- Back in their good graces?

- Yes, ma'am.
- There was a time when that wasn't true.

Correct.

This is what I gather this case is about.

Miss Hancock was your girlfriend.

- [Brian] Yes.
- [Judy] For how long?

We dated from November, 2019
until April, 2020.

We separated for a few months and
got back together in July, 2020.

And separated again in September, 2020.
So, seven months.

And it would be a fair statement, sir,
that the reasons that you separated

on both instances is because
you relapsed into using drugs.

Yes.

[Judy] And it would also be
a fair statement that the first time

you left the house
at the Defendant's request.

You were unsuccessful, permanently,
from ridding yourself of addiction

but you thought you were okay and
you asked her to take you back.

- Yes. Yes.
- [Judy] And she did.

And you would have to acknowledge to me
that made her, A: a forgiving person,

Very.

[Judy]
and someone who cared about you.

- Yes.
- [Judy] I say all that to you

because it's not my job today to
exacerbate what appears to be

a strained situation,
which I assume, from your papers

has resulted in a Final Protective Order
in favor of Miss Hancock

keeping you away from her
for how many years?

- Permanently. Yes.
- [Judy] Forever.

And that was after a criminal case
was resolved.

- And that was a criminal stalking case
- Yes.

that was resolved,
and it was resolved in her favor,

probably, and I don't know this for
certain, probably with a plea from you.

- Yes.
- [Judy] And when you enter a plea,

the judge always asks you,

"you understand your
right to have a trial,

you have a right to examine witnesses,
you have a right to call witnesses.

And by making this admission,
it is the same thing as a guilty verdict."

- Correct.
- [Judy] Judge did tell you that.

- Yes.
- [Judy] I assume.

I remember making those statements
many, many times

a long, long time ago.
I'm surprised I still remember any of it.

And you're supposed to
remain away from her.

- Yes.
- [Judy] So, the first question I have,

well, I know why you're here.
You're here because you say

the last time she threw you out,
and she threw you out,

not only because she found drugs,
that you were using again,

but she had a fear that you were
selling drugs out of the house.

And she couldn't be involved with that,
which is perfectly legitimate.

- You would have to acknowledge that.
- Absolutely.

But also acknowledge, and I'm reading
these papers sort of between the lines,

your complaint,
her answer and the countersuit,

- that Miss Hancock had a child.
- Yes.

- [Judy] A son.
- Yes.

- [Judy] How old?
- Fifteen, at the time.

An uber-impressionable age.

And the fact that you were using drugs

in the house, it really exposed him
to something that a teenager

shouldn't be exposed to
because his mother has feelings

- for that person who's drug addicted.
- Yes.

And I assume you had warm feelings,
at some point, for this 15-year-old.

- Absolutely.
- [Judy] At the time,

your parents had asked you
to leave the house.

I was living with my parents at the time.
Jennifer asked me to move into the house

because Mr. Jones
had placed a GPS tracker on her car,

and she was concerned
about her safety with him, so...

So, you were dating at the time.

Yes, I-I was living with my parents
before I moved in, yes.

Okay. Was that a happy situation?

Um, at the time it was, yes.
It didn't get difficult until after. Yeah.

Moved away from that. And
when you moved in with Miss Hancock,

according to you,
you were not paying rent.

- Correct.
- You were, in fact, working.

- I was.
- And according to you, you were working,

not paying rent and buying certain things
for the house in lieu of rent.

That's what you say in your papers.

I... [stammers] Yes,
I bought things for the house.

Those were exactly
the words that you swore to.

You said, "I also spent over $10,000
on things for her place

- in lieu of paying to live there."
- Correct.

What things did you buy?

- I bought a dryer.
- [Judy] A dryer...

I put $1200 into
her son's Ford, fixing it.

Okay, so you paid for
some things for her son.

What else did you buy for the house?

Um, we went to Costco several times and
spent $1,000 on towels...

Just a second. I'm not interested
in Costco several times.

You know, you do use toilet paper,
don't you?

Absolutely.

What else did you buy for the household?

I bought a battery for a Ford car.
I bought a Keurig.

I bought a rug, towels...

I paid for the vacations
while we were together.

I bought some home lights for the outside.

C'mon, keep going. What else
did you buy for the house?

- I...
- What else did you buy for the house?

So far, we're not close to $10,000.

That's all.

Well, you swore to the fact
that you spent $10,000

that you bought things
for the house in lieu of rent.

So far, you've given me maybe $2,500.

Okay.

And that includes
a couple of trips to Costco.

So, I want to know what else
did you buy for the house?

Did you buy televisions for the house?

- I bought televisions, yes.
- [Judy] Just a second.

- How many televisions did you buy?
- [Brian] I bought two.

[Judy]
And how much were they?

Um, one was $1,700,
the other one was $500.

What else did you buy for the house?

Those are the only items
I remember buying for the house.

Great. What items do you claim that...
'Cause that's what this is about so far...

What items do you claim
that Miss Hancock kept

that belong to you, when she told you
to leave the second time?

I have text messages saying...

No, no, I don't want to hear
text messages.

I want to hear what items
you claim are your property

that she kept when she
told you to leave the second time?

That requires things: a fish bowl,
a guppy, a pair of shoes, a tie.

And if you say any of those things
I'm gonna throw you out of here,

because I don't waste
my time over guppies.

So, tell me what you are alleging
that she kept.

- Two TVs.
- [Judy] Okay.

An entertainment center.

Just a second.
You didn't tell me an entertain...

You told me you bought two TVs,
$1,700 and $500.

That would fit into the $10,000
of what you spent on the house.

Entertainment center, what did you pay
for the entertainment center?

Originally, I paid $1,200.

[Judy]
What else?

I'm also asking for the return of...

a rehab center that she was
kicked me out of, $2,500.

Oh, don't be ridiculous. Keep going.

Okay. And then, 47 Nintendo 64 games.

[Judy]
Forty-seven what?

Nintendo 64 games.

Okay. Now, so, Mr. Martin...

'Cause I'm gonna make short shrift
of this case, as you can see right now.

And your girlfriend looks like
a nice lady. I don't know why you're here.

You seem to have problems with boyfriends.

- You gotta start picking 'em better.
- I do.

This one put out a tracker on you,
and this one,

you have a protective order permanently.

You have to figure these things out
before, ultimately, you get very hurt.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Brian Martin claims his
ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Hancock,

and her ex-boyfriend, Derek Jones,
owe for personal property.

Jennifer and Derek are
countersuing for harassment.

Okay, so far, all of the things that you
told me that you bought for the house,

Mm-hmm.

barely add up to the $10,000 that
you swore that you purchased

for things for the house
in lieu of paying rent.

- Do you understand?
- [Brian] I do.

If I may also add, when we
were separated the first time,

I sold my marital home for $47,000.
I cashed it at my bank

and I put it into an account with her that
I was an authorized user on.

I did not get that money back 'cause she
removed my name from the account.

So, that money also went to purchase
things while we were together

that were for the house. I don't remember,
specifically, what we bought.

it was close to $20,000
that wasn't returned.

But Mr. Martin, I can understand that,
but you know, this is a court.

- [Brian] Okay.
- This is not a guessing game.

This is not a game show. If you're saying
that because of, whatever reason,

you put your money into
an account that she had access to,

and you spent money together
on the house from that account,

- I can't help you with that.
- Okay.

- [Judy] Do you understand?
- I do.

I mean, it was a time that was a fog.

Did Miss Hancock, and/or Mr. Jones,
ever return any property

to you or to your parents' house?

- They did on November 20th.
- [Judy] Okay.

- That was in 2021?
- [Brian] Yes.

[Judy] What month in 2021 did they
return things to your parents' house?

It was November 20th to the 21st,
during the night.

Were you present?

I was not, I did not live there.

So, I would assume that you found out that
that property

was delivered to your parents' house from
either Miss Hancock or your parents.

My parents.

And your parents aren't here today?

They are not.

[Judy] Your girlfriend was not there
when they were delivered?

No. I have signed affidavits from them.

- [Judy] From whom?
- From my parents. About the property.

Are you parents in any way disabled or
are either one of them in the military?

No, my father
was in the military, no longer.

Well, that's the only reason you don't
come in person to court,

if you're disabled,
and I might accept an affidavit.

Or if you're unable to come to court
by virtue of the fact

that you're in the military.
None of those things apply here,

So, I'm not taking any information
that you have in an affidavit.

Suffice it to say, that they did,
over a two day period,

return a lot of property
to your parents' house.

Yes.

And that based upon my rough guesstimates,

because you can't
help me out anymore with that,

that you swore in your complaint,
Mr. Martin, that you spent,

in lieu of rent, $10,000 in the home.

Yes.

And that was specifically because
you weren't paying

-any of the household expenses.
-Yes

And all the things
that you added up to me,

I don't know what 47 video games are,

but I assume that the 15-year-old
played them more than you did.

She says they were gifted to him.

I don't know whether
they were or they weren't.

So, if you want them back...
Do you still have any of the video games?

Yes, ma'am.

And you want the video games, sir, or
do you want to leave them where they are?

Um, I would like them.

- [Judy] You would like them.
- Yes.

Okay. Miss Hancock,
I'm gonna make this as easy as possible.

I would like you, not the boyfriend,
I would like you

to pack up those video games,

and do you live in the same town,
area, whatever?

Close enough.

[Judy] Is there a police precinct
where you can drop them off?

Yes.

Do you know what precinct number that is?

Um, I don't know the number, but I'm
happy to drop them off at Bountiful City.

- [Judy] Got it?
- Yep.

Within five days from today,
package up the videos that you have.

No problem.

If any of them are damaged,
I don't want to hear from you.

We're talking about a year ago,
a 15-year-old has played with them.

She's gonna give you back your video.

- Okay.
- [Judy] Your 47 video games.

- Okay?
- Okay.

[exhales] Take a breath.
You have to say it's over.

Tell me about your new girlfriend.
Are you living together?

- We are, yeah. She's great, I love her.
- [Judy] She's great.

- She's amazing.
- [Judy] And you're fine?

- Yeah. Mm-hmm.
- You're working?

- You have to put a period to this.
- Yes.

- A real period.
- [Brian] I know.

Okay? Miss Hancock, you and your...
Are you currently together?

- Or is this an ex-boyfriend?
- Ex-boyfriend.

Ex-boyfriend.

You seem to have problems with boyfriends.
You gotta start picking 'em better.

- I do!
- [Judy] This one put a tracker on you.

This one, you have a protective order,
permanently.

You have to figure these things out before
ultimately, you get very hurt.

- Absolutely.
- I've read, not only your answer,

and I've resolved Mr. Martin's claim.

He is going to get all of his videos back.

You know that Miss Hancock and Mr. Jones
have a cross-claim for harassment?

I do.

And that was not made part of
the criminal case, any restitution.

- No.
- [Judy] It was not.

Did the District Attorney
request any restitution?

- No.
- [Judy] Why not?

I was actually not involved.
It was a criminal case, not a civil.

You were the complainant
in the criminal case.

The State of Utah is the one who filed it.

[Judy]
But you were the complainant.

They may have filed it...

It actually says right here,
State of Utah is the Plaintiff.

- [Judy] Of course. I know that...
- Yes, I did contact the police and ask...

- [Judy] So, you were the complainant.
- Yes. Okay, yes.

You know, it's the State of New York
versus John Jones...

It's the State of Utah versus John Jones.
But there has to be a complainant.

Somebody who was robbed,
somebody who was the victim of stalking,

somebody who was the victim of an as*ault.

That's the complainant,
that's who you were.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

Did you ever ask the District Attorney
for compensation?

For lost wages, or anything else that
you suffered as a result of this stalking?

No, I was not aware
I could actually do that.

Okay, well, that's not something
that I consider.

But there is part of your counterclaim
that is particularly troubling to me.

And it is your claim on the counterclaim
that Mr. Martin, at some point,

photoshopped pornographic pictures of you.

- Yes. Yes.
- And disseminated them.

When did that happen?

Um, it was left on Derek's car...

I'm not sure when because Derek found it
and didn't tell me about it for awhile

because he was upset and
he didn't want to upset me about it.

When did you find it, Mr. Jones?

That would've been after this first bogus
stalking injunction he filed and lost.

He filed a fraudulent
stalking injunction...

- [Judy] Stalking?
- Against me.

- So, it was after that?
- [Derek] Mm-hmm.

- [Judy] And that was May of 2020...
- One.

I'm trying to tell Mr. Martin, and I don't
know how to make it any more clear to him,

that this path going forward
has to be putting a period.

That in this whole scenario,
you were the culprit.

I did not do what they're claiming there.
Absolutely, 100% I did not.

- [Judy] You did not?
- Absolutely not.

Let us assume, Mr. Jones,
that you found, on your car,

a pornographic picture
that had been photoshopped

with Miss Hancock's face and
someone else's body.

I'm assuming,
for a moment, that that's true.

Not that I have to look at it,
I assume, for the moment, that's true.

What proof do you have that Mr. Martin
put that on your car?

Well, the problem is,
I don't have any proof of that.

But he had put other signs up.
I have a police report.

He was hanging signs on my property,
he got arrested for doing that.

- And tased.
- [Judy] Okay.

What I'm asking you, specifically, that's
what I'm particularly concerned about,

We couldn't prove it was him.

- [Judy] Hmm?
- We couldn't prove it was him.

Okay, fine. Do you have a new boyfriend?

No, I do not. [laughs]

In what month was
the protective order made final?

May of 2022.

Other than this experience...
What happened?

- Oh, there's a fly.
- [Judy] There's a fly.

Mr. Jones, I'm an expert at flies.

- [laughs]
- [Judy] It best not come here.

You have an attitude.
And you're not a baby.

It's not as if you're


And if you have that within you, to have
bad behavior against another person,

that's there.
Either you have it or you don't.

[theme music playing]

[narrator] Brian Martin has accused his
ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Hancock,

and her ex-boyfriend, Derek Jones,
of keeping his personal property.

Jennifer and Derek are countersuing
claiming Brian was harassing them.

Okay, other than today's appearance,
since that was issued in May of 2022,

have you had any other contact
with Mr. Martin?

No.

- [Judy] Have you?
- Yes.

- Tell me when.
- 5/7/2021.

- We called the police...
- [Judy] No, no.

Pay careful attention
to my question, Mr. Jones.

Between May of 2022 and today,

have you had any contact with Mr. Martin?

Just his filed... His claims. He keeps
filing protective orders against me.

When was the last time he filed
a protective order against you?

Well, he tried filing one
a week before this. And I have that...

- A week before what?
- Before this case.

I have that police report.
They told him "no."

Okay, so, they didn't
allow him to file it.

That one, but he's filed several others.

[Judy] I'm talking about between May...

No, that's the last one.

That's the last one.
I'd like to see it, please, Kevin.

Mr. Jones, do you have a protective order
in your favor?

I've tried.

[Judy]
Not tried.

No, I don't.

[Judy]
You do not. Okay.

Your Honor, I have a video of catching him
stalking my house, hanging signs.

We submitted that. We also have the police
report that he was arrested that day.

And tased.

- And tased.
- [Derek] Yep.

I have that report right here, as well.

I'd like to see it.

Mr. Jones, I'm gonna go back
to just May of 2020.

Since May of 2020,
have you had any contact with him?

- Uh...
- [Judy] The answer's either yes or no.

- Uh, yes.
- [Judy] When?

He's submitted letters to my family,
he has emailed me.

I'd like to see the letters
he submitted to your family.

These are some. There's more.

- These were cease and desist letters...
- [Judy] Just a second.

Just one second.

What's this?!

Um, Mr. Jones texted me
a text that said,

says, "tweaker," and that's who I...

Just a second. "Dear Miss Jones..."
Who did you send this to?

I'm not aware of the letter.
May I see it?

- He took it to my rental.
- Ssh!

What are you giving me?

These are letters he submitted to my
house, to one of my rentals,

- when he was trying to find me...
- Just a second.

This was in relation...

Mr. Jones had
a temporary stalking injunction

in place against him
on February 7th, 2021.

On Feb... Excuse me, May 5th, 2021,
he was served that stalking injunction.

And that is when the incident
with the Bountiful Police took place

that you're reading right now.

He showed up
to where I was getting my oil changed.

In addition to that,

he has sent Facebook
messages to my girlfriend.

I'm gonna tell you that...
You see how calm you are?

Not him. You understand that? Not him.

Probably not him, but definitely not him.

And I'm gonna just suggest to both of you,

that neither one of you
want any other legal action.

You already have
a lifetime protective order

issued against you
in favor of Miss Hancock.

Yes.

So, I'm just telling you, I'd stay
as far away from him, Mr. Martin,

as I possibly could.
Go a mile out of your way

rather than go anywhere near
where he is.

That's what I'm doing, ma'am.

Now, Mr. Jones, you have,
and I've been around here for a long time,

these kind of buildings for a long time,
you have an attitude.

I can tell you have an attitude.

And things may have
been bad, historically,

but you know your behavior
wasn't perfect, historically.

You would agree with that
with Miss Hancock, correct?

- Oh, absolutely.
- You would agree with that. Okay.

And you're not a baby. It's not
as if you're 21 years old anymore.

And if you have that within you,
to have bad behavior

against another person, that's there.

Either you have it or you don't.

And what I'm suggesting to you is, that
this is not going to be a good outcome

if this animus continues.
She's not your girlfriend anymore.

He's got a new girlfriend.

You don't have anything
to do with him anymore. Nothing.

If you have to travel a mile out of
your way to avoid going anywhere

where he gets lunch, coffee, a Jiffy Lube,
or anything else,

I would suggest that you do it.

I've done that.
He keeps filing protective orders.

Well, he can do that. So can you.
What I'm suggesting is,

that it's not...
Don't add fuel to this fire, madam.

It's my job to try to temper it.

If what you're going to do
is add fuel to this fire...

I won't.

Then I think it's really not a smart idea.

[indistinct]

The Plaintiff will get his 47 videos back
within five days.

They will be dropped off
at the local police precinct. What?

May I actually say, there's only 21
that was ever given.

So, there's not 47.

How many do you have?

We have 19 of those games.

- Okay, nineteen.
- [Jennifer] Yes.

Do you have any other property
that belongs to him?

No.

Okay, we're done here. Nineteen,
five days, police precinct.

[bailiff]
This court is adjourned.

I'm disappointed because I've dealt with
this man for over two years.

He's just jealous of my awesomeness.

I've moved on with my life,
I have a new girlfriend.

And I just want my things back.

Whatever. I just want him out of my life.

It's time to close the chapter,
it's time to move on.

I never want to see him again.
I never want to hear from him again.

People spend so much time
with negative energy.

Oh, yes.

Sarah, the one thing that you and
a lot of single people out there

can take away from this case is that
women are supposed to be smart.

And clearly, she had a nose for bad boys.

[laughs] Yeah.

Because, according to what we heard,
the reason she invited him

to come and live with her
is because the...

Different problem with
a different boyfriend.

The Co-Defendant, Mr. Jones,
was really stalking her.

And the same problem she had
with the Plaintiff.

But stalking is an odd one.
You have to be a little bit off

to engage in stalking,
to really terrorize somebody.

Especially to the level of
legal action for stalking.

Because I know the standard
for getting a restraining order,

even a temporary one,
is very high, the standard.

There has to be some pretty serious stuff
that the judge reads.

- And he pled guilty.
- Mm-hmm.

But Mr. Jones also acknowledged
that he had not treated her well.

So, it's always sad to me
when perfectly reasonable women,

because sometimes,
because of their need to nest,

Yeah.

will choose subpar mates.

I think it's more important to hold onto
your own energy

than to allow it to seep into
these negative wells

that will just run you dry.

You're absolutely right.
Just remember it.

I'll try.

[narrator] Want justice?