03x99 - Flat Tire Fallout Part 1

[bunniefuu]

She's accusing you of vandalizing her car.

- That was not me.
- My front windshield was busted out.

[Sunshine] I don't know nothin'
about no windows, I'm not...

I have a video of that as well.

You know whether you were there.
Video, please.

- [announcer] This is Judy Justice.
- [theme music]

Faith Hamilton is suing
her ex-husband's partner Sunshine Green

for vandalizing her car and defamation.

[Kevin]
Court come to order. All rise.

Have a seat, please.

Judge, case 3168, Hamilton versus Green.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

[Judy] Ms. Hamilton, it is your allegation
that the defendant vandalized your car?

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy]
And in addition to vandalizing your car,

you say that she, in fact, did defame you,

and I believe that
that was on social media?

Yes, ma'am. Facebook.

[Judy] The defendant denies
that she vandalized your car

and she says that you, in fact,
defamed her, she has a counterclaim?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] I've read your papers

and it seems that you were married
to a man whose name is?

- Adel.
- How long were you married?

[Faith] We got married December of 2019.
We were divorced May of 2023.

And the defendant dated your husband?

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] Was that after the divorce?

- Before the divorce.
- [Judy] Before?

- How much before the divorce?
- I wouldn't even know.

I've just received information from him
why he was incarcerated.

[Judy] Okay.
You met him while he was incarcerated?

No. I met him out of...
when he was out of incarceration.

Give me the month and year.

Probably about October of 2023, I believe.

- What was he incarcerated for?
- He was on a parole violation.

[Judy] Okay.
How long was he incarcerated for?

Less than two years,
maybe about 16 months, maybe?

But you met him before he went into jail?

- [Sunshine] Correct.
- [Judy] And did you continue

to communicate with him
while he was incarcerated?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Did you see him?

- Did you visit him?
- No. Actually, he was paroled to me.

- To your home?
- [Sunshine] Yes.

- Yeah.
- Upon his release.

- So he came to your house from prison?
- I picked him up from prison.

[Judy] Now, at some point, you were
in a car together with your ex-husband?

- Yes. It was my car.
- [Judy] What were you doing together?

We were just hanging together.
We were leaving my sister's house.

- So this is after the divorce.
- [Faith] Yes.

- [Judy] Month and year?
- November 2023.

So it was a friendly divorce?

Well, it wasn't friendly to start.
After a few months went by,

we talked and decided
that we just wanted to be friends.

[Judy] This incident happened in November.
Do you remember the day?

- Yes, ma'am. November 27th, 2023.
- Tell me what happened.

So me and my ex-husband,
we were sitting in the car...

[Judy]
Where?

In the parking lot
of my sister's apartment complex.

We were getting ready to leave,

he informed me that Sunshine
was sitting in a car nearby

- so I just told him let's just leave.
- [Judy] Just a sec.

- Do you live in that area?
- [Sunshine] No, ma'am.

[Judy] You were in the parking lot
for what reason?

I was not in the parking lot.

I received a telephone call
requesting that I come and meet with him

to release his clothing that were at my
home because he was on the run.

He sounds like a prize if that's true.
[chuckles]

- [Sunshine chuckles]
- So he tells you to meet him

where he knows
he's going to be with his ex-wife?

- I had no idea.
- [Judy] You had no idea?

- No idea.
- [Judy] Okay.

So now you're in the parking lot
with your ex-husband...

- Yeah.
- [Judy] ...and he says to you,

"There is Sunshine"?

- [Faith] Yeah.
- And you know who Sunshine is?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Okay. Go ahead.

So I told him it would just be best
if we decided to leave...

Because you were no longer together,
is that right?

No, we were together. He's on the run.
Where he was paroled to at my house,

he can't come there because [...] police
and parole were looking for him.

What were they looking for him for?

He got released from incarceration
October 18th. Approximately a week later,

- he absconded from parole.
- [Judy] How do you do that?

You mean he didn't report
to his parole officer?

I contact parole letting them know
that he was not at home

- when he's supposed to be at home.
- [Judy] Okay.

So he was paroled to you,
and he left your house?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Got it.

How many hours or days had he been gone
when you contacted his parole officer?

Approximately about a week.

[Judy] So you didn't know where he was?
Did you know where he was?

- Yes, I did.
- [Judy] Where was he?

[Faith] He was with me
and with other people as well.

You mean with other ladies?

- I assume so.
- [Judy] You assume so? Okay.

So when you called the parole officer to
advise him that he was no longer with you,

you weren't worried for his safety.

I was absolutely worrying
about his safety,

and I gave him multiple chances
of, "Please, return back home.

I spoke with parole, parole's willing
to give you an additional chance

as long as you come back home
and contact them,

letting them know that you're here."

He would tell me multiple times that,
yes, he will come and return back.

And as I continued to ask him like,
"Where are you at?

What's going on? It's after nine o'clock,
you need to be here."

And he tells me, "Well, I'll be there."
And never shows up.

[Judy]
I got it. Okay.

- So now you see her in the parking lot...
- [Faith] Yes.

... this prized package...
by the way, where is he now?

- Incarcerated.
- [Judy] Huh. Good.

Well, he'll be able to watch me
from the rec room.

[court room laughs]

[Judy] He now called her and told her
to meet him and bring him clothes

to where he was going to be with you.
Did you know that he had called her?

- I didn't.
- [Judy] No? And when you saw her,

- you were driving your car?
- No. He was driving.

- [Judy] He was driving your car?
- Yes. Yes.

With no license.

Don't shout out.
That's the least of his troubles.

- Right.
- [Judy] Right?

Right. Right. [laughs]

He's got you, the parole board, and the
entire penitentiary system to worry about.

- [laughs]
- [Judy] Having no driver's license

- is really the least of his problems.
- [Faith] Right.

- Mhm.
- [Judy] Okay.

[theme music]

Who robbed what?

As I was driving down a street,
I came in contact with Adel walking.

So I welcomed them both into my vehicle.

He pulled out a handgun
and demanded money from me.

Faith snatched the money and ran...
both of them ran out of the vehicle.

[theme music]

[announcer] Faith Hamilton claims her
ex-husband's partner Sunshine Green

vandalized her car and defamed her online.

Sunshine is countersuing for a false
police report and defamation.

[Judy] So, he sees her, there's Sunshine,
you know who Sunshine is,

- you say, "Let's go?"
- Yes.

- [Judy] And?
- As we were leaving,

Sunshine began chasing us. So once
I noticed that she were chasing us,

I told him,
"Let's go to the police station."

- That's not true.
-[Judy] Shh. No, no, no. Just a... shh.

As we were driving,
we were stopped at a red light.

And Sunshine, got out of her car

and tried to punch at the passenger side
of my window car,

and I have a video of that as well,
I can show you that.

And, we continued to drive
until we reached the police station.

- Okay. And you say that's not true?
- [Sunshine] That's not true.

Okay. So I'd like to see that video.

[Faith] Babe. Babe, back up.
Babe! Go, babe. Babe.

- Your Honor, the reason...
- Shh.

[clattering]

[Judy]
Now,

- that was you getting out of your car...
- [Sunshine] Yes.

- [Judy] and approaching her car?
- Yes.

So when you said that's not true,
that's what I saw.

I saw you angry, getting out of your car.

But she stated that I...

- [Judy] Just a sec... Just a second.
- ... tried to bust out her window.

[Judy] I saw you angry getting out
of your car, and then the camera went...

Okay. So you said to him,
"Let's go to the police station." And?

[Faith]
Once we got to the police station,

they said I had to wait
for an officer to get there.

I waited for about a hour or so, but I
didn't stay to actually get a report.

- [Judy] Okay. And then you left?
- And then I left.

- [Judy] Keep going.
- [Faith] Later that day,

Sunshine came by my home,
and which I have a video of that,

where she asked my mother
what kind of car do I drive.

[Judy]
Okay. Now, she has... again, Ms. Green...

- [Sunshine] Yes.
- ...I just wanna let you know,

I saw that video,
you told me that that wasn't the case.

She says she has a video of you
in conversation with her mother.

- I'd like to see the video.
- [Judy] Just a sec.

No, that's not what I asked you.

Am I going to see you
talking to her mother?

- No, ma'am.
- [Judy] Okay. Let's see the video.

[Sunshine]
Hello? [indistinct]

- Hi, how are you?
- [woman] Good, and yourself?

- Are you Faith's mom?
- [woman] I am.

You are? Faith drive a [indistinct]

- [woman] Why is that?
- [indistinct]

[Judy]
And?

- Ma'am...
- [Judy] Just a second.

- That is you?
- [Sunshine] That is absolutely...

- [Judy] That is you?
- Well, I cannot...

- ...I actually cannot see the video.
- [Judy] Oh.

- You can go up. But you know if you...
- Can I get up there and look?

[Judy] Listen to me.
Sunshine, whether you could see it or not,

- you know whether you were there.
- [Sunshine] Absolutely.

- Because there were...
- Just a second.

You know whether or not you were there.

So the question is,
you wanna look and see whether

- I can see that it was you there?
- [Sunshine] No, no.

- Just a second.
- [court room laughs]

[Judy]
Do you understand what I'm saying?

- Yes.
- [Judy] Okay.

You were there and asking
what kind of car she drove.

- That would be a yes.
- [Sunshine] Yes. But that...

[Judy]
Just a second. That's not a but.

- That's a yes.
- [Sunshine] Yes.

What was your interest
in whether or not she drove a Tesla,

or a Grand Prix, or a Chevy?
What was your interest in that?

Because on November 19th, I had filed
charges against Adel and Faith Hamilton

in regards to an incident
that occurred when...

- Put that down.
- [Sunshine] Which is the police report.

- Put it down.
- [Faith] Your Honor...

[Judy] On November 19th, you say you filed
a complaint against the two of them?

- [Sunshine] Yes.
- For what?

- For robbery.
- [Judy] Okay. Who robbed what?

As I was driving down a street,
I came in contact with Adel walking.

Adel called me on the phone, Adel asked me
if I can come back and speak with him.

As I came back, he stated he has Faith
with him, they were walking together.

And I said, "Okay, that's fine."

He said, "Well, Faith would like
to speak with you as well."

I said, "Well, it's not
gonna be a problem,

- is it?"
- Look at me.

I said, "Because I'm not...
I don't wanna be in no problem."

So he said, "No."
So I welcomed them both into my vehicle.

He pulled out a handgun
and demanded money from me.

As I had the money in my conceal,
which was my rent for $850,

Faith snatched the money and ran...
both of them ran out of the vehicle,

which at that time, I immediately
went to the police station

- and filed a police report.
- My question is, what are you doing here?

[Sunshine] Because I was gonna
let the police know this is her address.

I didn't know at the time.
I gave them two different addresses,

and then I ended up...
came in contact by someone who...

- Well, that's not really smart, is it?
- [Sunshine] It's not at all, ma'am.

- It's not really smart...
- It's not.

- [Judy] ...to go to the house...
- [indistinct]

...and you don't look frightened.
I mean, you're there asking her questions.

You didn't ask whether she lived there or
not. You asked what kind of car she had.

- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] Okay. And then...

[Faith]
And then, later that day,

I was leaving for work
because I work overnights.

Around 8:30 PM, I noticed that
my front windshield was busted out

and the two tires on my passenger side
was busted out as well.

- I...
- You have photographs?

- [Faith] Yes.
- I'd like to take a look at them.

- And that was on the 27th?
- [Faith] Yes, ma'am.

[Faith speaks indistinctly]

[Faith]
Your Honor, can I say something?

- Yeah.
- I also have a text message

that she sent with a video of her
actually busting out of my windshield.

And I also have a ring camera video of her
busting two of my... the tires as well.

- Okay.
- [Sunshine] I have no idea about this.

Shh, just a sec. I don't care whether you
have an idea of it, Ms. Green. [laughs]

- That is... Wait, just a second.
- Why... these are new to me.

[Judy] Well, it's not new to you that
she's accusing you of vandalizing her car,

because certainly, you are here
because she's accusing you of vandalizing.

So, what's news to you is she has video
proof of you doing it from a ring camera,

- am I correct?
- [Sunshine] I have... I have...

[Judy]
You have no idea.

- You haven't seen it.
- No idea. [laughs]

[Judy] Okay. Now, I've already
seen two videos, Ms. Green.

The first one,
you said didn't happen until we saw it.

And then you said, "Well, it did happen."

The next one was she said
you came to her home

to try to find out
what kind of car you drove.

And you said, "No, I didn't."
And then she had a video.

Pay careful attention. So, so far,
you're batting average is in the toilet.

[theme music]

[Judy] This is from your
ex-husband's text messages.

- Yes.
- [Judy] It reads, "Your face next.

Call her and ask what just happened.

Soon you're next. Call Faith
and tell her to check her vehicle."

[theme music]

[announcer] Faith Hamilton has accused
her ex-husband's partner, Sunshine Green,

of vandalizing Faith's car
and online defamation.

Sunshine is countersuing, claiming
Faith defamed her on social media.

Now, I'm gonna play the video.
I haven't seen it either.

Before I play it, do you
wanna tell me whether or not

I'm going to see you Fl*ttening her tires
and busting her windshield?

- No, Your Honor.
- Video, please.

Okay. So that's somebody, who
I can't identify, coming up to your car.

It's a single person,
unless you have it clearer on your phone.

No, that's the only one, the video that
I have. That's the video for the tires.

I have a video where she...
well, you can't see her, but in the video,

- somebody's running up to my window...
- Somebody.

[Judy] Shh. Let me see. Don't tell
me what. I've been... I have eyes.

[Sarah]
The one of the windshield is on the phone.

Okay. I'll take a look at it. Kevin.

- Your Honor, again...
- [Judy] Shh.

I have nothing to do with...
I don't know nothing about no windows.

I'm not... That was not me.

Who took this video?

She sent my ex-husband a text message.
That video in the text message she says...

- No, no, I can read.
- [Faith] I'm sorry.

I can read. So you got this video, because
this video is not from a ring camera.

This is taken from somebody's own camera
because they're following their feet.

- Yes.
- [Judy] Okay. That's what it shows.

- Okay. Now, I'll see the text message.
- May I see that video as well?

- [Judy] Yeah, sure.
- [Sunshine] Thank you.

Absolutely.
Would you show this to Ms. Green?

This is from your ex-husband's
text messages?

Yes.

[Judy] It reads, "Your face next.
Call her and ask what just happened.

Soon you're next. Call Faith
and tell her to check her vehicle."

Sarah, would you do me a favor?
Go in the back and dial this number, 716.

Can I have that?

- Yeah.
- [Sarah] Do you want me to write it down?

You might wanna have her
take her phone off airplane mode.

Just a second. Is your phone with you?

- [Sunshine] Yes, ma'am.
- Take it out.

Take it off whatever mode it's on,
what mode is it on?

Kevin, go over and watch
the defendant, please.

- Take it off whatever mode is off.
- Actually, [indistinct]...

[Judy] Perfect. Just wanna see,
it may not come through this number

but at least that certainly
sounds interesting.

Because whoever did this to your car,
clearly had two things,

had your ex-husband's telephone number,

because they sent him a text message,
that's one,

- knew your name, Faith, that's two.
- I have a police report as well.

Okay. Kevin, you can come back now.

But first, would you give me
Ms. Hamilton's police report?

Should I turn this back off
or should I leave it on?

[Judy]
Just leave it right there.

It's a spam number, so when you call it,

it just says,
"Thank you for accepting our offer."

I mean, it's a spam number,
so I'm sure it could be a generated number

if people are looking to get
alternative phone numbers.

[Judy] Kevin, would you go over
to the phone? See if anything buzzed.

- [Kevin] Nothing.
- Leave it up here.

- Thank you.
- [Kevin] Okay.

Okay, well this is just a police report
about what happened.

It doesn't give me
any further information.

[Sunshine]
Your Honor?

- [Judy] What?
- May I speak, please?

- About what?
- [Sunshine] I have a police report

that Faith filed against me and had
me arrested. And in that police report,

and when I approached the judge
which the case just got just dismissed,

none of this that she's stating was...
any of the charges that...

[Judy]
Just a second.

- You have a countersuit?
- Yes.

And your countersuit is for false charges.
I assume these are the false charges?

Yes.

[Judy]
Well, you have to understand, Ms. Green,

so far, what I have is, you were at
a place going to meet your ex-boyfriend,

who you were really annoyed at
because he left the home

where you had allowed him to come to
after he was released from prison.

You went to jail, you picked him up,
you brought him home,

and all of a sudden,
he disappears for a week.

And you're back and forth,
you better come back... [makes sound]

... spoke to your parole officer,
he'll give you another chance, nothing.

Then you get a call from,
according to you,

"Meet me at this parking lot
because I need some clothes."

You go over there.
You are angrily exiting your car.

Then I have that same day,
you verifying or attempting to verify

with the person who lives in her house,
she says her mother,

what kind of car she drives,
because you knew he didn't have a car,

because he was driving the car
that you saw in the afternoon.

You wanted to know what kind of car
Ms. Hamilton drove.

That night, her car is vandalized,

and Adel receives a
text message from a spam number,

that says, "Next time, it's your face.
Soon you're next.

Call Faith and tell her
to check her vehicle."

I have to tell you that
in a beyond reasonable doubt situation,

maybe some jury of six or twelve

would have some doubt about
whether or not you vandalized her car.

So far, I have to tell you, I have
no doubt that you vandalized her car.

- Just understand.
- [theme music]

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

[theme music]