03x16 - Bullet-Riddled Betrayal

[bunniefuu]

Okay, so you took the car to go
and get some weed for the two of you.

Correct.

As I'm pulling off out of the complex,
a shootout broke out.

So you put your head down
and crashed the car?

Yes.

Did you report the car stolen?

'Cause he took it
without my permission.

That doesn't make sense to me.
If it doesn't make sense, it's not true.

[announcer]
This is Judy Justice.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] T'Niyah Foxx is suing
her ex-boyfriend, Keonte Williams,

for destroying her car
after being involved in a shootout.

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

Have a seat, please.

Hello, Judge.
Case 3019, Foxx versus Williams.

-Thank you.
-[Kevin] You're welcome.

All right, Ms. Foxx,
this used to be your boyfriend.

Yes.

[Judy] From when to when
was he your boyfriend?

Uh, we started dating in ninth grade,
the beginning of our freshman year,

till we stopped talking
right after this accident happened,

so about January.

Okay, could we have dates, please?

January in 2023,
we stopped talking.

How old are you now?

Eighteen.

[Judy] How old were you
when you started dating him?

Fourteen.

[Judy] Okay.

Did you ever live together?

At your house, at his house,
did you ever live together?

Not technically, but we stayed...

Not "technically,"
I'm dealing with reality.

In reality, did you ever live together?

-[T'Niyah] No.
-Did he ever stay at your house?

Did you ever stay at his house?

No.

But we was together all the time.

A lot.

What does that mean?

Like, we didn't live together,
but we was always with each other.

Where?

At his house.

[Judy] Better.

Were you together at his house
while you were still in high school?

Yes.

[Judy]
Is that your mother?

[T'Niyah] Yes.

Did you have your mother's permission?

-Yes.
-[Judy] To stay at his house?

Is that right?

-Yes.
-[Judy] Great.

How old were you
when you started staying at his house?

Seventeen.

So you were there for a little while
before this incident occurred.

Now, you had a car.
What kind of car?

A Malibu.

[Judy]
What year?



When did you purchase it?

I don't remember the exact date,
but the month was in January.

Before the accident happened,
I only had it for two weeks.

Was there a note on the car?

Yes.

Do you have insurance on this car?
You had to have insurance on the car.

Yes.

-[Judy] Full coverage?
-Yes.

This is what you're claiming.

You're claiming that you were at his house
and he asked to borrow your car.

You said no.

I don't believe that.

I don't believe that you said no.

So let's move on from there
because it's not particularly relevant,

but the car was involved in an incident.

And you want him to be responsible

because you say it was his fault
that this incident occurred.

He said it's not his fault at all.

He borrowed the car.

He didn't borrow the car to go and buy
or negotiate for drugs at all.

But he was just driving somewhere
and he got in the crossfire of a shootout

and the car was b*llet ridden
and destroyed.

[Keonte] Correct.

[Judy]
Now you're at your house.

And this is in January or February?

January.

January what?

Twenty-first.

[Judy]
What time?

Uncross your arms.
What time did you take the car?

Around 8:00, 9:00.

-[Judy] At night?
-Yes.

Before you took the car,
where were you?

Were you in the kitchen? The bedroom?
What room were you in?

In the bedroom.

[Judy]
What was she doing?

In the bedroom with me.

[Judy]
Doing what?

Laying down, watching TV.

Had you had dinner
at your mother's house?

-This is your mother, right?
-[Keonte] Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] Had you had dinner
at your mother's house?

[Keonte] No.

Where had you had dinner?

It's between 8:00 and 9:00,
everybody's eaten, even...

Well, old people eat
at 4:30 in the afternoon,

but even people your age are finished
with dinner by 8:00, 9:00.

-Where did you have dinner?
-[Keonte] In the house.

Uh, I don't eat much,
so I don't know.

Well, you have to eat.
You had nothing to eat?

No.

[Judy]
Nothing. Okay.

So now I want you to tell me
what inspired you to go out

at between 8:00 and 9:00.

Don't look down.

Right here.

I went out to, uh,
buy weed for us to smoke.

[Judy] Okay.

Is that where you told her you were going?

-[Keonte] Yes.
-[Judy] She say okay?

Yes.

[Judy]
Yeah, that sounds right.

Where'd you get the money from?

Myself.

[Judy]
From where?

Working.

Okay, so you took the car to go
and get some weed for the two of you.

Is purchasing marijuana
legal where you live?

No, ma'am.

So you have to go to not a dispensary
or something where it's legal,

you have to go and buy it on the street?

Correct.

How much money
were you gonna spend on marijuana?

[Keonte]
Like, $60.

-[Judy] What?
-Sixty.

[Judy]
So tell me what happened.

So now you're going to find
somebody on the street.

Did you make arrangements
with them before you went?

Did you call somebody
and say, "I'll meet you," you know?

Yeah, I called somebody
and I went to go meet up with them.

[Judy]
And you got into the car...

I got into the car.

As I'm going to get the weed...

I got it.

So you picked it up?

[Keonte] Yes.

And you gave the seller the $60?

Mm-hmm.

[Judy]
"Uh-huh" is not an answer.

Yes, ma'am.

And then what happened?

As I'm pulling off out of the complex,
a shootout broke out.

[Judy]
What complex?

It's a complex behind the YMCA.

Go ahead.

And I put my head down
once I heard the b*ll*ts hit the car.

And I was driving straight.
I hit the curb.

The car stopped. It didn't move.

-[Judy] Did you give the guy the money?
-Yes.

[Judy] So it wasn't the guy
that you bought from.

It was somebody else?

-I don't know.
-[Judy] You don't know.

So you put your head down
and crashed the car?

Yes.

[Judy]
What did you crash into?

The sidewalk.

Okay, you have pictures of the car?

The car was impounded,
I assume.

-[T'Niyah] I do.
-[Judy] I'd like to see it.

[clears throat]

Oh, it's pretty disastrous.

Now, you had
full insurance on this car.

[T'Niyah] Yes.

[Judy]
And you had only had the car two weeks.

[T'Niyah] Yes.

So did they total the car?

-[T'Niyah] Um, the insurance people?
-[Judy] Yeah.

Um, no, I had tried to put in a claim
for them to get it fixed,

but they denied it.

The police totaled it
and put it inside the pound.

I don't...I didn't understand
a word that you said.

So keep your voice up and speak slowly.

The police put it inside the pound,
but the insurance people,

they just denied my claim
that I put in for it, um, to get it fixed.

Why?

They said that because
the key was in the engine,

that it was technically my fault.

-Like, our fault.
-[Judy] No.

[T'Niyah]
I have the denial letter.

I'd like to see it.

[T'Niyah]
Here's the letter.

You know who shot at the car?

No, ma'am.

First name.

Um...

You know that person?

No, ma'am. [stammering]

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

[laughs]

[mocks stammering]

-[all laugh]
-[mocks stammering]

[announcer]
And later today.

Why don't you show me
what proof that you have

that the defendant
vandalized your car.

You didn't see it.

-I did not see it.
-[Judy] Right.

-So now...
-But I know she did it.

I don't care what you know.
I said "proof."

This is a proof case.

Show me proof that
the defendant vandalized your car.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] T'Niyah Foxx claims
her ex-boyfriend, Keonte Williams,

took her car without permission
and destroyed it.

Keonte is countersuing T'Niyah

for stealing money
from his Cash App account.

Where's the car now?

It's still...it's at the shop.

Now, I actually don't understand this.

When was the last time you
made a payment on the car?

Tell me when the last time is you made
a payment on the car.

This month.

Show me.

Did you report the car stolen?

Yes, I have a police report.

[Judy]
I'd like to see it.

Um, I actually think
it's with those papers.

Oh, here it is. Just a second.

This isn't a report...

First of all,
he didn't steal the car.

He took the car with your permission.

There's no question in my mind
that, living together,

he went out to get you some weed
with your permission.

It was 8:00, 9:00 at night.

There's no way that you said to him,
"No, you can't take it,"

and he took it anyway.

It just doesn't make sense
for a 17-year-old and an 18...

That doesn't make sense to me.
If it doesn't make sense, it's not true.

Who decided to say that the car
was stolen and tell that to the police?

Who thought that that was a good idea?

Um, me, because it was.
I didn't give him permission.

I actually told him to take
his mother's truck and he told me no.

[Judy] Okay.

Have you driven her car before?

[Keonte] Yes.

-How many times?
-[Keonte] A lot.

[Judy] How much?
More than 20 times?

-Mm-hmm.
-[Judy] Yeah, sure.

So I don't believe you.

Now, the problem
with you reporting the car stolen

is that they didn't find
that the car was stolen.

They found the keys in the car.

They found no evidence
of the car being stolen.

So they said the car wasn't stolen.

The keys were in the car.
That means somebody had permission.

That's still not a reason
for an insurance company

to deny a claim
if you had full coverage on the car.

So I would say that
you're suing the wrong person.

He's not gonna pay for the car.

He's not paying for the car.

Your Honor, I have evidence that he
actually went out to go sell marijuana.

He wasn't buying it.

I actually have a text message,
'cause we know who shot at the car.

It's actually his cousin. I text...

[Judy] Oh, just a second.
Do you know who shot at the car?

No.

I have messages of me
texting the person, telling them.

[Judy]
I'd like to see it.

So you know who shot at the car.

Madam.

You know who shot at the car,
is my question.

Yes, yes.

Then sue them.

Here you go.

Okay.

And I also have messages of me telling him
how much my car is to get repaired,

and he's telling me that he's only going
to give me what I put down on my car.

Let me explain something to you.
I'm not giving anything against him.

If you know who caused this accident,
who shot your car,

which is what you say,
you have to sue 'em.

Yeah, but I'm suing him
because he took it without my permission.

-I understand...
-[Judy] I don't believe...

And I'm telling you that
I don't believe that.

I'm telling you that I don't believe that.

So I'm telling you to sue the person
who caused the accident.

That's what you have to do.

Not him.

I don't believe he didn't have permission.

There's no question if you lived
at his mother's house with him,

he's driven your Chevy Malibu
dozens and dozens of times.

So, so I don't believe that
he didn't have permission.

He took it without permission
more than one time in life.

Sue the person who shot up
your car and caused this accident.

You say you know who it is.

My car wouldn't
have been in an accident

if he didn't take it
without my permission.

[Judy] Do you understand
what I just said to you?

Yes, I do.

I said, "I don't believe you.

Sue the person who shot up your car
and caused the accident.

You know who they are."

File a police report against them.

How's that?

Is the person who shut up her car
a regular selling drugs?

Not that I know of.

That person was there the night that you
were there allegedly purchasing drugs?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] Yes.

Is that the person who shot at your car?

I don't know who shot at the car, ma'am.

[Judy]
She knows.

Did he tell you who shot at his car?

Yes.

See, I believe that.

No.

[Judy]
You know who shot at the car?

No, ma'am.

Do you know what cousin
she's talking about?

Absolutely not.

-First name.
-Um...

You know that person?

You know that person?

No, ma'am. [stammering]

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

[laughs]

[mocks stammering]

-[all laugh]
-[Judy mocks stammering]

Okay, so your case against him,

your case against him for that
is dismissed.

He's got a counterclaim,
taking money out of her...

[Keonte] No.

Did you take money
out of his Cash App?

No.

[Judy] Show me proof she took
your money out of Cash App.

Uh, well, I don't have any proof,

but, uh, she had took over
my whole email.

-I never...
-[Judy] Just a second.

She never gave me...
-No, just a second.

I said, "Show me proof
she took money out of your Cash App."

Is what you said to me,
"I don't have any proof"?

[mumbles]

I don't have any proof
that she took it out,

but I have proof
that I gave her money.

I don't care whether you
gave her money or not.

[T'Niyah]
Excuse me, Your Honor.

I don't ask...
I didn't ask you anything.

He has a counterclaim
that you took $600 out of his Cash App

without permission
after this incident occurred.

He says he has no proof.

His counterclaim is dismissed,
as is your claim.

Now I'm gonna do
the second half of this case.

You sit down over there.

You move over there.

And you're the mother.
You're his mother.

You move over here.

Perfect.

Call the next case.

Case number 3019,
Williams versus Foxx.

Yeah.

Did you swear, uh, Ms. Williams?

Kevin?

[Kevin]
Raise your right hand, please.

You swear to tell the truth
in these matters today?

Yes.

-[T'Niyah] Yes.
-Thank you.

Okay.

What you're asking for,

if I find that she actually
vandalized your car, is $3,879.

Yes.

[laughs]
Are you out of your mind?

Like, really, seriously,
are you out of your mind?

-How is that being out of my mind?
-[Judy] Just a second.

I've just given you the number,

so you must be out of your mind
or you think that I am.

[theme music playing]

[announcer] Delaiha Williams is suing
her son's ex-girlfriend, T'Niyah Foxx,

for vandalizing her truck.

Ms. Williams, you are the mother
of the defendant in the last case.

-[Delaiha] Yes, ma'am.
-And it is your claim

that the defendant vandalized
your 20-year-old truck.

Yes.

First tell me when
you purchased this truck.

I purchased this truck in June of...



I had it about three years.

Who did you purchase it from?

[Delaiha]
I actually purchased it from my uncle.

[Judy] At the time of purchase,
you had to register the car?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] How many miles were on the car
when you registered it?



-That was three years ago?
-[Delaiha] Yes.

And how much did you pay
your uncle for the car?

I gave him 5,000 for the car, the pickup.

You give him $5,000 in cash?

[Delaiha] Yes.

[Judy]
And you kept full coverage on the car.

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

[Judy] It is your claim
that she vandalized the car.

And I'm gonna get to proof that you have
that she vandalized your car.

According to you,
you had full insurance on the car.

Yes.

And the insurance
paid you for the damage,

totaling the car, according to you,
and gave you how much money?

They gave me 9,000.

They gave you $9,000 for a car
that you paid 5,000 for?

Yes.

[Judy] So, so far, you're ahead
of the game $4,000.

Yes, I was.

And then, according to this,

you bought the car
back from the insurance company.

Yes.

-[Judy] For how much?
-2,100.

So you're still ahead $2,000.

[Delaiha]
Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
And you have your truck back.

-[Delaiha] Yes, ma'am.
-[Judy] Okay.

And what you're asking for in your
lawsuit against the defendant,

if I find that she actually
vandalized your car,

is $3,879.

Yes.

[laughs]

Are you out of your mind?

Like, really, seriously,
are you out of your mind?

-How is that being out of my mind?
-[Judy] Just a second.

Yeah, I've just given you the numbers,

so you must be out of your mind
or you think that I am.

-[sighs] Okay.
-[Judy] Okay. So let's just...

Just for giggles,

why don't you show me
what proof that you have,

proof that the defendant
vandalized your car.

-Well...
-[Judy] Not "well." This isn't a "well."

Show me what proof...

-She sent my son.
-[Judy] You didn't see...

You didn't see it.

-I did not see it.
-[Judy] Right.

-So now...
-But I know she did it.

I don't care what you know.

I don't care what you know.
I said "proof." This is a proof case.

Show me proof that...

This is your case.

Show me proof that the defendant
vandalized your car.

I do not have proof, Your Honor.

Well, then you have no case.
Goodbye. Thank you very much.

[Kevin]
This court is adjourned.

All right. I'm happy with that.

Step this way.

I came home
from my birthday photo sh**t

and he asked me to use the car
to go sell marijuana.

And I told him no,
to take his mother's truck.

I don't know, but she gave me her keys.
I went to go do that.

But he said that the car
didn't have no gas,

but I still told him no,
to lay down.

And when I dozed off and went to sleep,
I woke up and he was gone.

You hear the g*nf*re,
you hear the b*ll*ts hitting the car,

and you just...
you just hope for the better.

Because he was my boyfriend
and he didn't necessarily, like...

I didn't...we didn't wanna put him in jail.

Like, I knew he was gonna
answer the phone for me.

But it's just, like, it's the principle
of "I told you no, don't take it."

Like, it wasn't that deep
to call the police,

especially because
he's someone that I love and care for.

I'm not gonna put him in jail.

My child could've lost his life.
We're here for some, for some money.

But his...
he could have been dead right now.

We're not together.

Oh, it's over and it's gonna stay over.

I was in Chicago, Illinois,
and I was with two other friends.

And around the time
that she said that

she called my mom
and said it happened,

I was gone from Indiana
for the day before that happened

and the day that it happened.

Yeah, sure she was.
That's what they all say.

There were so many pieces of that case
that were reminiscent of other things.

First of all, Sarah,
I'm still not comfortable

with the wisdom of a parent
letting a 16, 17-year-old

go and live with her boyfriend
in their house just 'cause they wanna...

-Yeah.
-...and, you know, live together.

I just think that
it's such poor judgment,

and I know that that's provincial

and maybe not au courant
with what's going on in the world,

but I just find it
not in a forward trajectory...

-Sure.
-...of anywhere.

Seems to lead to more problems
that we see than solutions.

So then, you know, than forever...

-Then quick engagements...
-...than forever romances.

-...usually meant problems.
-Yeah.

The second thing that
I found particularly troubling

was that this young man, who I think
gave me totally honest answers...

Seemed honest.

Maybe not about selling,
maybe instead of buying he was selling,

I'm not sure,

but so casually knowing
that it's ill*gal in the jurisdiction

where they live to buy, sell,
or possess marijuana.

And I'm not getting
into that discussion now.

There should be a federal standard

so you know where you are
from one state to another.

But he knew it was not legal,

and how casually he admitted
to committing a crime.

I did look it up beforehand
and then when he said it,

I just cleared the tab because we didn't
need the information anymore

once he admitted
that he knew it was against the law.

It was a certain thing.

I only looked briefly, but it looks like
it's a misdemeanor crime

with a fine to possess up to
a certain amount in Indiana currently.

But yeah, but I mean, so in addition
to casually admitting to, I mean,

a misdemeanor here today,
also just the demeanor of the defendant,

speaking about his car being shot up
with him inside of it.

It was like,
"I had oatmeal for breakfast."

That seems like something...
it was very casual, very monotone.

Like, that would be
a huge life event, you know,

in your mind, in my mind,
and, you know, many people's minds,

and it's just unfortunate
that it's become so ingrained

in what's going on today
that it's just like...

Yeah, and I wonder whether
that would have happened

had the laws been different
in Indiana.

-Don't know.
-Yeah.

Certainly his mother knew she...
that her lawsuit was ridiculous.

She got paid twice.
She made out like a bandit.

Still made a profit
on her damaged vehicle.

Yeah, she made a profit on it. Yeah,
right. I don't know how that happens.

Anyway, interesting case.

[announcer]
Are you a victim of an as*ault?



[theme music playing]