Did Contractor Steal Appliances? | Part 2

Judge Judy
7 May 202404:57

TLDRIn a case before Judge Judy, a homeowner accuses a contractor, Mr. Santos, of stealing appliances from her house. The homeowner, Ms. Joyner, had arranged to meet Mr. Santos at the property, but he was not present. Upon her arrival, she found the house completely emptied of appliances. Only Ms. Joyner, her assistant Emma, Mr. Santos, and a trusted right-hand man, Jose, had access to the property. A neighbor, Jesus Lozada, testified to seeing Mr. Santos and two others at the property early on the morning after the alleged theft. Ms. Joyner reported the incident to the police, naming Mr. Santos as a suspect. Despite not hearing from the police, Judge Judy awarded Ms. Joyner $5,000 in judgment and encouraged her to follow up on the police complaint, considering the credible witness and the suspicious circumstances.

Takeaways

  • 🏠 The plaintiff alleges that the contractor, Mr. Santos, stole appliances from the house during construction.
  • ⏱️ The plaintiff visited the property on the 17th and was told by Mr. Santos to return the next day, but he was absent.
  • 🈳️ Upon returning on the 18th, the plaintiff found the house completely emptied out of appliances.
  • 🔐 Access to the house was restricted to the plaintiff, Mr. Santos, the assistant Emma, and the right-hand guy Jose, along with Emma's son.
  • 🚫 The plaintiff did not give the access code to anyone else during the period in question.
  • 👀 Neighbor Jesus Lozada testified to seeing Mr. Santos and two other people at the property early on the morning of the 18th.
  • 🚗 Mr. Santos' car was observed at the property on the morning of the alleged theft.
  • 🔍 The plaintiff reported the incident to the police and named Mr. Santos, but has not been contacted by the police for follow-up.
  • 💰 Judge Judy awards a judgment of $5,000 to the plaintiff.
  • ✉️ The plaintiff is advised to follow up with the police complaint, as there is credible evidence against Mr. Santos.
  • 🤔 The police have not yet contacted Mr. Santos, but the information provided by the witness could potentially lead to his arrest.

Q & A

  • What was the reason for the plaintiff to contact Mr. Santos?

    -The plaintiff called Mr. Santos because the floors in the house had been sealed and needed to dry before leaving the property.

  • Why did the plaintiff go to the house on September 17th?

    -The plaintiff went to the house on September 17th to evaluate the progress, as instructed by Mr. Santos, who told her to meet him there the next morning at 8:30.

  • What happened when the plaintiff arrived at the house on September 17th?

    -Upon arrival at 8:00 AM, the plaintiff found that nobody was at the house and Mr. Santos did not show up as expected.

  • Who had access to the house besides Mr. Santos?

    -Besides Mr. Santos, the plaintiff, the plaintiff's assistant Emma, the plaintiff's right-hand guy Jose, and Emma's son had access to the house.

  • When did the plaintiff discover that the house had been emptied out?

    -The plaintiff discovered the house was emptied out on September 18th at 10:00 AM.

  • What did the neighbor, Mr. Lozada, observe on the morning of September 18th?

    -Mr. Lozada saw Mr. Santos' car at the unit where they were working, with the garage door open, and Mr. Santos with two other people.

  • When did Mr. Lozada learn about the burglary at Ms. Joyner's property?

    -Mr. Lozada found out about the burglary in the afternoon of September 18th when Ms. Joyner called him.

  • What did the plaintiff do after discovering the burglary?

    -The plaintiff reported the burglary to the police and filed a police report, naming Mr. Santos as a suspect and providing the name of her witness, Mr. Lozada.

  • Did the police contact the plaintiff or Mr. Santos after the report was filed?

    -As of the time of the hearing, neither the plaintiff nor Mr. Santos had been contacted by the police.

  • What was the judgment made by Judge Judy?

    -Judge Judy ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding her $5,000 and advised her to follow up with the police complaint.

  • Why did Judge Judy consider the witness, Mr. Lozada, credible?

    -Judge Judy considered Mr. Lozada a credible witness because he had no apparent reason to fabricate a story, and his testimony was consistent and clear.

  • What advice did Judge Judy give to the plaintiff regarding the police?

    -Judge Judy advised the plaintiff to follow up on the police complaint, as the witness's testimony provided enough information for the police to potentially arrest Mr. Santos.

Outlines

00:00

🏠 Dispute Over House Renovation and Missing Property

The transcript begins with a discussion about a house renovation project. The plaintiff contacted Mr. Santos regarding the progress of the house, and he was told that the floors were sealed and needed to dry before leaving the property. The plaintiff was instructed to meet Mr. Santos at the property the next morning, but he was not present. The plaintiff tried to visit the house on the 17th and found no one there, and upon calling, Mr. Santos asked them to meet the following day. On the 18th, the plaintiff discovered the house was completely emptied out. Only a few people had access to the property, including the plaintiff, Mr. Santos, the plaintiff's assistant Emma, and a right-hand man named Jose. The plaintiff did not visit the property between the 17th and the morning of the 18th. A neighbor, Jesus Lozada, was called as a witness and confirmed seeing Mr. Santos and his car at the property early on the morning of the 18th. The plaintiff reported the burglary to the police and named Mr. Santos as a suspect, but neither the police nor Mr. Santos contacted the plaintiff afterward. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding them $5,000, and advised the plaintiff to follow up with the police complaint.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Contractor

A contractor is a professional who enters into a contract with a client to provide services, typically in construction or renovation. In this video, the contractor, Mr. Santos, is accused of stealing appliances from the house he was working on. His actions are central to the conflict of the story.

💡Appliances

Appliances refer to the large mechanical equipment, often found in a home, used for various purposes like cooking, cleaning, or heating. In the context of this video, the missing appliances are the items that the plaintiff believes were stolen by the contractor.

💡Judge Judy

Judge Judy is a well-known television personality and former judge who presides over a court show where she adjudicates real small claims disputes. In this video script, she is the arbitrator questioning the parties and the witness to determine the truth of the alleged theft.

💡Burglarized

To burglarize means to unlawfully enter a building with the intent to commit a crime, typically theft. In the video, the plaintiff's property was allegedly burglarized, which is the core issue being discussed in the court.

💡Police Report

A police report is an official document filed with law enforcement agencies detailing a crime or incident. In this case, the plaintiff has filed a police report naming Mr. Santos as a suspect in the burglary, which is a significant step in the legal process.

💡Witness

A witness is someone who has seen an event take place, especially a crime, and can provide testimony about it. In the video, the neighbor, Jesus Lozada, serves as a witness, claiming to have seen Mr. Santos at the property on the day in question.

💡Code

In the context of the video, a code refers to a security measure, likely a numeric passcode, required to gain access to the property. The code is significant because it limits the number of people who could have potentially entered the property.

💡Access

Access denotes the ability or right to enter or use something. Here, it pertains to who had the ability to enter the house, which is crucial in determining who might have stolen the appliances.

💡Credible Witness

A credible witness is someone who is believed to be reliable and trustworthy in their testimony. Judge Judy considers the neighbor, Mr. Lozada, a credible witness, which strengthens the plaintiff's case against Mr. Santos.

💡Arrest

An arrest is the act of taking someone into custody by the authorities, typically in response to a crime. Judge Judy suggests that the police have enough information to arrest Mr. Santos based on the witness's testimony.

💡Judgment

In a legal context, a judgment is the decision made by a court regarding the rights and claims of the parties involved. Judge Judy makes a judgment in favor of the plaintiff, awarding her $5,000 in this case.

Highlights

Judge Judy evaluates the progress of the house construction project.

Mr. Santos instructs to meet the next morning, but he is not present at the agreed time.

The claimant found the house completely emptied out when they arrived on the 18th.

Only a few people, including the claimant, Mr. Santos, and the assistant Emma, had access to the house.

The claimant did not visit the property between September 17th and the morning of September 18th.

Jose, the claimant's right-hand guy, and her son also had the access code to the house.

Mr. Santos' car was seen at the property early in the morning of the 18th by the neighbor, Jesus Lozada.

Mr. Lozada observed Mr. Santos and two other people at the property with the garage door open.

Ms. Joyner contacted Mr. Lozada to inquire if he had seen or spoken to Mr. Santos.

Mr. Lozada was asked to move his car which was obstructing the garage.

The claimant reported the burglary to the police and named Mr. Santos as a suspect.

The claimant provided the police with the name of the witness, Mr. Lozada.

Neither the claimant nor Mr. Lozada has been contacted by the police regarding the case.

Judge Judy awards a judgment of $5,000 to the plaintiff.

Judge Judy advises the claimant to follow up on the police complaint.

The judge expresses confidence in the credibility of the witness and the possibility of arresting Mr. Santos.

The defendant, Mr. Santos, denies the allegations of theft.