You're going through his phone, you find he's making a date...
There is an argument...
'Cause I did not think that we were ever going to break up...
The police were called...
and you told the police that he didn't live there.
I think that you were really angry.
You have to stop being angry.
It's over.
This is Judy Justice.
Raheem Henry is suing his ex-girlfriend,
Erica Christian,
for personal property and filing a false restraining order.
Court, come to order. All rise.
Have a seat, everyone.
Case 2052, Henry vs. Christian.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
Mr. Henry, what you're doing is suing the defendant
with whom you had a relationship for a period of time
for the return of property that you had in an apartment that you once shared
and for filing a false restraining order, a false police report.
Yes, Your Honor.
The defendant says that you never lived with her,
that you damaged her front door,
and you filed a restraining order against her that was false.
So, Miss Christian, I think I'm going to start with you.
Yes, ma'am.
According to papers that were filed,
you and Mr. Henry did in fact live together for a period of time.
- Up until... - October 19th--
- Shh! - Sorry.
Up until October 9th of 1921...
- Yes, Your Honor. - ...Of 2021. 1921. Ugh.
Oddly, almost the year of my birth.
Yes, ma'am.
2021. When he left.
- Yeah. Without no--- - Just a second...
October of 2021.
Then the information that I have contained in these papers
indicate that he sort of came begging back and that was in February.
- Yes, ma'am. - Of 2022.
And you took him back.
- Yes, ma'am. - And he was living with you.
You were living in the same apartment from February of 2022
until what you say in your answer
is June of 2022
when for some reason you were looking through his phone.
Now, you were looking through his phone because he was acting weird or whatever.
- Yes. - That's June of 2022.
You understand where I am going, Miss Christian, don't you?
Of course you do.
So from February of 2022. February, March, April, May...
For four and a half months,
Mr. Henry and you occupied the same residence.
- No, ma'am. - Your residence?
- No, ma'am. - Well, that's what you say.
- No, ma'am. - Oh.
He lived in his own apartment in Merritt Island.
- Okay. - When we got back together...
Here we go.
"On February 15th, 2022
he contacted me and we got back together.
He had his own place and never lived with me again.
He would stay over occasionally and bring a few things to make himself comfortable.
On June 21st,
I went through his phone because he was acting weird."
Where was he when you went through his phone?
He was asleep.
He was asleep... where?
In my bed.
Okay. In the apartment.
- - - Yes, where I--- - Okay, just...
- - - In the apartment? - Yes, ma'am.
Of course "yes, ma'am."
"And I saw that he was setting up a date with the mother of his child."
- Yes, ma'am. - "I got upset,
dropped off my son,
and then came back home while he was packing.
He told me he was taking my couch,
TV, dresser, dining table, and everything in my apartment."
So my next question to you is, who paid for the couch?
- Me. - I'd like to see a receipt.
I don't have it.
- Who paid for the couch? - It was a couple of years ago---
- Shh... - Sorry.
Um, my brother, Adonius Glover.
He's the one that gave me the furniture.
Just a sec...
He gave me the couch, the loveseat, the lamp,
you know, a few other things listed on that document.
When did he give them to you?
He gave it to me before me and Miss Christian moved into the first apartment.
So, let's go back.
Where was the first place that you lived with the defendant?
Cocoa, Florida.
Okay. From when to when?
From 2020 October to February, March 2021.
'Cause that is when her lease was up.
Were you both on the lease in that apartment?
No. I wasn't on that lease.
- Just you? - Yes, ma'am.
And that's the first place that you lived together?
Yes.
And why did you leave that place, Mr. Henry?
She was relocating to Titusville.
I helped her move into it, and I moved in as well.
- Does that sound familiar to you? - I--
Don't! Be very careful what you say to me.
Because I...
When I say I read the papers and I have my own preconceived ideas
of what this case is about, based upon 50 years' worth of experience,
be very careful for what you say to me.
Yes, ma'am.
Great. Does that sound familiar to you?
No, ma'am. He is lying.
He is lying about what?
Adonius did not give him that furniture. The furniture was given to me.
- Never was given--- - Just a second!
So we're not talking about the furniture now.
We're talking about when you lived together.
Okay.
You first lived someplace together and then moved into another place.
- Yes, ma'am. - So that sounds familiar?
Yeah.
Am I correct that this is all about furniture?
- - - No. - Mr. Henry, value of property.
She's not paying for you for property,
for furniture that was given to you that was secondhand.
You have to understand that.
If I find that it's your furniture, you're going to go get it.
- Yes. That's what I was hoping. - Just a second.
- You're going to go get it. - Yes.
If you can establish to me that it's your furniture, you can keep it.
You're not a married couple.
I have a couple of issues with some things that I think that you did,
because I actually think that you were together
and he was packing his things, but then the police were called.
And you told the police that he didn't live there.
Isn't that right?
Yes.
- Because-- - Just a second!
And that wasn't true.
It is true.
Tell me where he was living.
He was living in Merritt Island.
Whenever we broke up, in October. From October to February, we broke up.
He reached out to me the day after Valentine's Day. We started talking.
He was buying me gifts to try to get back in my good graces.
He was doing all this extra stuff to try to get back in my good graces.
We got back together. He never did move back in with me.
He always did live in his apartment in Merritt Island.
I work at 6:00 in the morning till 12:00 pm.
Sometimes, whenever I didn't have a babysitter--
he doesn't have a job-- he would watch my son.
That's why he had a key. That's why he had a spend-the-night bag, and all of that.
He would bring over his cloths, shoes, PlayStation...
Anything to make himself comfortable to stay the night.
And whenever the police were called, they made him collect all those belongings
and leave.
They escorted him off the property, told him that he was not allowed back.
They told me, that I---
Well, that's because if that's what happened, that's because they believe you,
- which I don't. - Okay.
- They definitely--- - That's because
they believe you and I don't because if he was trying to back in your graces...
and he was living in his own space
and you weren't back together again,
why in the world were you going through his phone
if you were just a casual gal?
And a casual gal doesn't let him stay with her son
because, "Well, he was available and he wasn't working so he watched my son
and he stayed over."
That all sounds like a whole lot of "Who shot John?"
And it was convenient for you to be able to say he doesn't live here.
So all I want to know, Miss Christian, is this case mostly about furniture.
Used furniture.
I also have a TV there--
Do you have the receipt for it?
- Yes, I have a title. - I'd like to see it.
You have a TV in the house that belongs to him?
So, the TV was--
Just a second! That's either "yes" or "no."
No, the TV does not belong to him.
Who does it belong to?
The TV was a gift from him to me that I ended up paying off
because he told me that when he bought it, that it was bought "cash."
Whenever... months later, I paid the TV off.
No, you didn't.
Just a... Shh!
First you're gonna show me that you paid it off.
I assume you have proof that you paid it off?
I gave him cash for it because I did not think we were ever going to break up.
Well, you never thought you were going to break up?
I thought he didn't live with you.
Like--
Just, I thought he didn't live with you
You don't buy a TV for somebody that you don't live with
that you're not gonna watch all the time.
I eventually thought we were going to move into a house together, Your Honor.
Your Honor?
Oh, don't tell me what you thought--
The TV that was bought was before I even...
Okay. That's a PlayStation, Nintendo--
That's property that is still at the apartment.
Okay. These are things that you say are yours.
- Yes. - That you bought and paid for.
- Yes. - Okay. All of these receipts?
All of it. No help--
Okay. So let's go beyond the point of...
Now you're back together again, because that's what I believe.
He's in bed. You're going through his phone.
You find he's making a date with the mother of his child...
You get annoyed.
You take your son to another location,
because you know that there's going to be an argument.
- You come back. There is an argument. - Yes.
He wants to take stuff... Whatever.
Police are called.
You tell the police he doesn't live there, they escort him out.
He wants his property now.
You're not married people.
Whoever paid for the property or whoever was the recipient
of a gift for the property owns the property.
That's simple.
You know, that's what the law is.
What you want me to believe, that a police officer saw him
kick down you door, go into your apartment,
take property, and did nothing.
That's what you want me to believe?
Raheem Henry claims his ex-girlfriend, Erica Christian,
owes for personal property.
Erica is countersuing for door damages and stolen property.
Okay. He has a Nintendo, a PlayStation Sony...
Your Honor, he collected those whenever--
Just a second. A queen mattress and foundation.
We have May of 2022...
This is a TV. An LED TV.
- Yes. - That was my birthday present.
Nah.
What?
Okay. So I have titles to these things.
Do you have titles or receipts for any of these things?
I don't have receipts for any of those things.
He grabbed his PlayStation, his Switch, and everything whenever he left.
The only thing that is in my apartment is the TV that he bought me for my birthday.
May is my birthday. May 7th is my birthday.
That was the birthday present that he bought for me.
Did you take your Nintendo?
- No. I haven't had, uh... - Wow.
Recently, that was something different. My storage unit was just broken into.
This is why I don't have original documents.
And she stole more of my property--
I don't know that. Did you file a police report?
Yes. Yes, ma'am, I did.
Okay. Did they ever find any of the property?
No. Not right now.
Okay, the couch, whatever other furniture is there, is how old?
I mean it used to be "used" furniture, so it was--
Yeah. My brother Adonius got it.
When he paid for it,
it was like a, kind of like a bundle deal
for the apartment, like a lot of furnishing,
and I ended up giving him some money for, you know, looking out.
- That was two, three years ago? - Yeah.
And it was used furniture at the time?
Yeah, yeah. It was nothing like brand-new out of the seal.
How much did you pay for the TV?
I got taxed on it. I was like at 15, almost to $2,000.
'Cause it's a 60" smart TV.
Okay. So what is it that you want?
...is my question.
I want a court order to go get the rest of my property. I have--
What?
I have to know what the rest of your property is. You have the TV...
The TV, I have asthma medication, I have--
She doesn't... I want to tell you something.
She threw out your asthma medication.
I believe so, too.
Just, she threw out your asthma medication.
- Yeah. - What else?
I have crutches, I have, uh--
You have what?
Crutches for... and certain things. I have a PlayStation.
You don't, you don't need crutches.
And the PlayStation you said was in the storage unit.
Yeah.
Well, I'm not interested in the storage unit. So far I have a TV.
What else?
My mattress. My bed, my--
- Yeah, you don't want that. - The stuff that I had from the apartment.
- Are you back with this lady now? - No. No.
- Where are you living? - I've been living on the streets.
I've been living out of my car ever since this has been happening.
Where are you going to put a mattress?
I have a storage unit. I was going to just collect...
I'm pretty much just trying to salvage what I can
because I have things that are sentimental,
stuff from my grandmother passing away,
things that I really can't put a price tag on.
I just wanna be able to get a court order to get the rest of my belongings--
I don't know what the rest of... I have a TV...
You have no place to put a mattress that's a couple of years old.
So you really don't need that.
I mean, I can give you an order to get your mattress,
but what are you gonna do with it?
Just gonna cost you to go get it and to store it.
So you really don't need it.
I don't need it, but I would like to still get all of my property back.
Like, stuff that I paid for because I worked. I worked hard, I--
I'm giving you your TV back. You're going to get the TV.
I haven't figured out what else it is
that you really want to make this whole thing worthwhile.
I'm not giving you any money.
Do you want the mattress back?
You paid for it, you're entitled to it back.
I can give you an order for the mattress and the TV.
Okay. And I also have electronics, like, um, from games,
the controllers, just... so much things that, like--
TV! Mattress!
Box spring!
He's going to come and get it. With a marshal.
But he's coming to get it within five days of today.
So what if I pull up my bank statements to show that I gave him cash
around the same time that whenever it was, like, pulled up and everything?
Because I did give him cash for the TV, for the bed, for...
Actually, more than he ever even put into it...
Let me explain something to you. Unless you have a check made out to him,
I have a problem with somebody who lies to the police.
- Ma'am, I-- - I do.
I have trouble with somebody who got very angry because her boyfriend,
who is living there, watching her son,
bought a TV, bought a mattress, bought a box spring,
bought all of those things and then you got annoyed that he was involved again
with his child's mother.
You dropped off your son someplace else to come back
to have a fight with him.
You did have an argument with him.
Police were called.
You said to the police, "He doesn't live here"!
You're Honor, he moved out.
"He doesn't live here." That's what's here.
Your Honor, I never moved out.
- He moved out in October. - We had a whole business together--
No, we do not. That business is in my name and I have the receipts to that too.
I... You have to understand something.
I know what happened. I don't believe you.
- Ma'am, I'm telling you the truth. - No, you're not.
You're not telling me the truth that when the police came, you said,
- "He doesn't live here." - Yes.
"He doesn't live here. Put him outside."
He took all of his belongings.
- Did he take his-- - October--
Oh, no.
May I finish? He took all of his belongs on October 9th.
Whenever he left. Without a call, without a text message. Without anything.
He broke up with me and left.
He got back in contact with me in February.
Mind you, we never lived together after that.
He was just staying over to watch your son when you got angry in June.
- Whenever, whenever we-- - It was June!
It was June, four and a half months later.
Which he would go back to his apartment. He would come...
He never stayed more than a couple nights consecutively.
Okay. He's coming to get his TV.
He's coming to get his mattress and box spring.
- Can we talk about... - Do you have a counterclaim?
...my counterclaim?
You have a counterclaim for damage to the front door.
- Yes, ma'am. - Okay?
- Damage to the front door. - He kicked my front door down.
Okay. When did he do that?
Um, the day after he was police escorted, they told him not to come back.
And the next day he came back
and kicked my door down, right in front of the police officers.
So he came back with a police officer?
- And kicked my door down-- - Just a second.
He came back with a police officer, and the policer officer was there
when he broke into your apartment?
- Yes, and they were going to take him-- - No, no.
Don't tell me what they were going to do.
And they did nothing?
Well, they trespassed him from my apartment complex--
I'm asking you...
What you're telling me is, madam,
which is why I have problems with you right from the get-go,
what you're telling me now is
he came back to get his property.
- The next day-- - He didn't come back--
With a--
With a police officer.
- Yes. - And what you're telling me,
a police officer in what? You live in Florida?
- Yes. - What you want me to believe,
that a police officer saw him kick down your door,
go into your apartment,
take property, and did nothing.
That's what you want me to believe?
He didn't not do anything.
He was completely confused on who actually lived--
Don't tell me... You're telling me a police officer was confused.
I'm telling you the truth! They were very confused on who actually lived there.
- The police officer was my escort. - Just a second.
He was, they were trying to figure out if it was my apartment, his apartment...
I had to go get my property manager, bring my lease that only had my name on it...
You don't understand.
The last place you lived with him full-time, your name was on the lease too.
Only yours.
- Correct. - And you lived together.
So now you took a lease, again just in your name,
and said, "He's not on the lease, he doesn't live here."
- We broke up, though. And he-- - Okay. All right.
He's coming to get his TV. He's coming to get his mattress...
- Miss? - Okay.
I would like to see a police report. I would like to see--
I also have an iPad...
- Don't. Just a second. - Okay.
You're done. You're going to get your TV, your mattress, and your box spring.
Unless you have some sort of a police report for me,
I don't believe you.
I think that you were really angry
and you were dishonest with the police
and you felt that you were being taken advantage of.
Raheem Henry has accused his ex-girlfriend, Erica Christian,
of keeping his personal property.
Erica claims he broke through her door
and stole her belongings.
Now...
Yes, ma'am.
I have, um, my Chromebook, my iPad, my office supplies...
Things that were stolen from my company that whenever
he kicked my door down and took things out of my apartment that day.
Okay. Now let's get to the company.
What kind of work were you involved with
when you and the defendant lived together, Mr. Henry?
I did all the graphic design. I made the business cards--
Just a second. Were you involved in graphic design?
Yes, I actually went--
Just a second.
- Together? - No. It was mainly me.
And you did this over a computer? Over a laptop?
Over a tablet. Over, um, my iPad.
So the business supplies that she is going to tell me about
- were for the graphic design business? - Ah, yes.
Some of the supplies, but I never stole anything.
Ah, I just had an iPad that I worked on and I did graphic design on that was mine.
I gave her cash for it. She found it on Amazon for me for a good deal.
I was able to draw on it. She's never had access to it.
It has always been my Apple ID on it.
Where is it?
I don't know.
The day when I got... when I got escorted out, she came out of the apartment.
I was going in to get the rest of my belongings and she was saying,
"I can't find my iPad. You have it."
And right then and there, I knew she found it and she took it and hid it.
So the officer let me go inside to get my belongings.
I looked in the closet where I had it wrapped up. Gone.
I walked outside and was like, "Erica, where is my iPad?
I paid for that. I do work on that. That's mine."
She said, "I don't know. It's gone. You must have it."
Had this whole sob story about it. So still to this day, I have no idea.
Okay. What else?
My iPad that he stole the day that he broke into my apartment,
my Chromebook that he stole the day that he broke in--
Your what?
- My Chromebook. My laptop. - What else?
I have my printer that he stole.
It's all right here. Six hundred and... Do you want me to just pass it to you?
- Did you take a printer? - I was--
Shut up!
I'm so sorry.
I wasn't able to leave with anything because they made me
have to go through a civil suit because she started claiming stuff
and saying it was hers and it wasn't mine.
So the officer didn't even let me go back inside the apartment.
I want to know... I want to know,
when you went in, in the presence of a police officer, whether you
pushed down the door, kicked down the door, or not.
Unless I have a police report, I don't actually believe that the police--
- He was my escort. I actually met him. - Just a second.
Did you take any electronics with you when you left?
I didn't leave with anything.
Okay! Don't give me a whole bunch of papers!
What I would like to see is a police report.
Or any other documentation that he took anything the day after
you had him evicted from the apartment where he was living.
- She didn't even have me evicted-- - Shh!
I have the receipts of the stuff that he stole.
He said he didn't take anything.
He said the police officer who was there wouldn't let him take a printer.
I mean, those are heavy electronics.
And that was the only other time he was in the apartment.
- He also checked my car-- - Shh!
No, he didn't.
Unless you have some sort of a police report for me,
Miss Christian, I don't believe you.
I think that you were really angry.
I think that you were really angry because he left in October.
You took him back in February.
You found out that he was not being straight upfront with you.
And you were dishonest with the police, which is all part of being angry,
and felt that you were being taken advantage of.
According to you, you were together so much so
that he bought you a television set a month before you threw him out,
for your birthday, that cost thousands of dollars.
That's what you just told me.
Ma'am, he bought that TV in February for me for an early birthday present.
He bought it as an early birthday present.
- Oh, my... - He's coming to get...
Listen to me. He's coming to get his TV.
He's coming to get his box spring. He's coming to get his mattress.
It's a court order.
It's a court order with a marshal, in five days from today.
- Do you understand? - Yes.
- I also have my countersuit. - Five days from today.
Yeah.
The false police report, the false injunction...
Everything that he did--
I have to tell you something.
The same way that I'm not entertaining, because it's over,
this fib that you told to the police which caused him to be--
- Excuse me, Your Honor-- - Don't interrupt me.
I'm not entertaining. You filed restraining orders against each other?
- She filed-- - Just a second!
You filed restraining orders against each other. Is that right?
Yes, ma'am.
Do you have a restraining order against her?
Yes, but it was dismissed.
I said, do you have one currently? The answer is "no."
No.
Do you have a restraining order against him?
- No, ma'am. - Ah, good!
It's exactly what I thought. Because neither one of you...
You have to say "goodbye." You have to stop being angry.
But you have to give him back his property.
- I only wanted the restraining order-- - TV, mattress, box spring.
Five days from today.
Your counterclaim is dismissed.
We're finished with this case. Thank you very much.
This court is adjourned.
I think that it was unfair.
I'm pretty much just happy it's all over.
Broke up with me without even a text message, a phone call, nothing.
She just took it and ran with it
and she decided she was going to take matters into her own hands
and be spiteful.
Very single. No more relationships for a while.
It's definitely time to move forward and move past it.
A good one is out there, but I have not found him yet.
It's just nice that at least it's over. It's a weight lifted off my shoulders.
I sort of felt sorry for him.
He probably deserved some of it.
But you can't lie to the police.
I think she was being vindictive by saying, "He doesn't live here.
He doesn't live here."
Sorta kinda lives here, if you're being truthful.
But it's always a good idea to have your name on the lease if you can
because that's all the officer has to look at in a squabble
- like what happened between them. - Yeah. It's like...
It's almost between a rock and hard place.
- Yeah. - If your name is not on the lease,
- you're not responsible for the rent. - Yep.
And I've usually suggested that when you're living together,
you don't have both people's name on the lease.
Because, in the event that you separate,
who's gonna stay in the apartment?
And if you're the one who leaves, your former partner may say to you,
"Don't worry, you leave. I'll take over the rent."
- But if they don't... - You're still responsible.
Your still on the hook with the landlord.
- So-- - There's pros and cons to both.
- To both. But it's an exit strategy. - Yeah.
And people have to be smart enough.
You see, he had an exit strategy. His name wasn't on the lease.
- Yeah. - But then, he needed it...
- Got caught. - But I think she was being dishonest.
And I think his brother did in fact give him some old furniture.
Who care about that? It's from decades ago.
If you only stay a few nights, you're not bringing your furniture.
Your couch, your TV, yeah. Anyway...
They just have to get over it and move on.
- Put a period. Move on, - Now we put a period.
Now he has his TV, and he has his mattress...
if he wants it.
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