Who was beating your child?
She told them the other son had hit him.
I never said my son hit him.
-You don't know who hit him? -No.
I would be on the war path to find out who did.
I'm not getting that from you.
Do you understand?
[narrator] This is Judy Justice.
[narrator] Previously on Judy Justice...
He asked me, do I whoop my kids, basically, with the belt.
-[Judy] He asked you that? -Mm-hmm.
Because clearly, these are linear marks on the child's back,
which clearly suggests that he was hit with something.
And he's not crazy enough
to hit the child on the back
and then take him to an emergency room.
I want you to know I don't believe that.
When they did their investigation, what did they do?
-Um, they-- -[Judy] "Um" is not an answer.
-After they did their investigation... -Mm-hmm.
...was your child immediately returned to your custody?
-Uh, we went to court-- -So, the answer is no.
[narrator] And now, the conclusion...
Marcus Vega-Tatum is suing the mother of his child,
Jaivana West, for damages after making false accusations to the police.
Did anybody make a determination as to how this little boy
got these welt marks on his back?
No. She told them he was playing, and his brother had hit him.
-[Judy] His brother? -Yeah, that's what she told me.
I need the name of the child that you say caused these marks.
-I never said my son hit him. -[Judy] You never said to him--
No, I never talked to him. I don't talk to him.
How did you explain to Child Protective Services the marks on his back?
When they bring it to my attention,
'cause I wasn't at home when my son left that day.
And so, pretty much... was with my son.
And I asked... did he have any bruises on him when he left.
He said no, that wasn't on--
You don't know. Your answer was you don't know who hit him?
No.
There are an awful lot of people who take care of your boy.
I'm just interested in how much you looked
into who was beating your child.
No one was beating my child.
That's not accurate, madam. Someone beat your child.
If my son was getting beat,
I'm pretty sure CPS woulda came and picked my kids up.
Listen, I don't know what CPS does in the area where you live.
I worked with Child Protective Services for over 25 years.
Nothing that they do surprises me. But I do know this:
If I had a little 4-year-old boy
who had what apparently are belt marks
or some other linear marks from being hit, and if I didn't do it,
I would be on the war path to find out who did.
And I'm not getting that from you.
Okay. Now, the reason he was arrested for assault
was because he slapped you, you said, on the face.
Mm-hmm.
Can I see any medical report that you had and photographs, please?
I didn't get those.
[Judy] Do you have a police report with regard to that assault?
You have it.
-[Marcus] Can I say something? -Shh, just a second.
Would you find and circle here
where the police noted your assault and your injury.
'Cause you say you had a cut.
So, show me anywhere in that police report.
Give her a pen, please.
Am I able to pull it up on my phone?
If you have them on your phone, I'll look at them on your phone.
It's this one.
[Judy] This says you had a scratch under your right eye.
Mm-hmm.
And photos were collected, they said yes.
Do you have a photograph?
No.
So, there was an Order of Protection, a Temporary Order of Protection issued.
Correct? In her favor?
Yes.
And why were you wearing an ankle monitor?
Oh, because, uh, I got released from jail,
and I was on a distance, I had to wear an ankle monitor.
And I also had to stay a hundred yards from her.
[Judy] The ankle monitor had to do with this incident?
This incident, yes. And I have the pictures of her face.
-Can I see them, please? -I went and got 'em.
All they show is a scar with a scab that had already healed.
Can I see?
-[Marcus] We never talked that day. -Shh.
Was this photograph of the scratch taken that day by the police?
Yes, those are from the police.
'Cause I had an attorney, and they printed and sent me the pictures.
The picture was taken the same day by the police?
-[taps on bench] -No.
These photographs taken, they were taken by the police.
That's what it says in the report.
-[Judy] What? -I said, those aren't the same pictures.
Yeah, I don't think those are the same pictures.
Just tell me which pictures were taken the same day.
I don't think I had a hood on that day.
You don't think you what?
[Jaivana] I said, I don't think I had a hoodie on that day.
These weren't taken that day.
When were they taken, and who took them?
[Jaivana] We only had one police report
that had something to do with him slapping me.
Like with me trying to get my kid back.
This isn't a slap mark, madam. That's not a slap mark.
Do you have a scar on your nose?
Like a little scratch right here, yeah.
[Judy] Can I see it up here, please?
Step up.
[Jaivana] Right here?
No. Okay, step back.
So, you don't remember who took these pictures?
It was Stockton Police.
-At the police department on the-- -[Jaivana] No.
I'm saying it was the Stockton Police that took it.
Yes. When, is my question, the police department, on what date?
Was the date the date of the alleged incident with your son
when you were driving around the neighborhood?
Is that when these were taken?
Yes.
Well, that's certainly not a fresh anything, it's a nothing.
I don't know where it came from.
It certainly didn't come from being hit on the face. Okay.
Somebody who was watching this child hit him.
If it was you, you'd know how it was done.
But if it wasn't you, then I wouldn't be angry with him,
I would be angry with the person who hit my child.
Duh.
[narrator] And later today...
Did you do any work on the car, sir?
Yes, ma'am.
[Judy] I'd like to see what you've done on the car.
Oh, that's ridiculous.
It doesn't say "stupid" here.
[narrator] Marcus Vega-Tatum claims the mother of his child,
Jaivana West, owes for filing false police reports.
Jaivana is countersuing, claiming Marcus assaulted her
and filed a false CPS report.
Ultimately, the criminal charges were dropped. Is that correct?
It was dropped, it just took eight months later.
-[Marcus] I had to fight it in court. -[Judy] Do you have the dismissal?
No, I don't have the dismissal.
Do you know the reason?
[Marcus] The reason it was dropped?
There was no evidence. She wouldn't come to court either.
-[Judy] Did you go to court? -No.
-Were you told to come to court? -[Jaivana] No.
Pretty much, they were just keeping me updated on what was going on at court.
-Did you speak to the District Attorney? -Yes.
Did you advise the District Attorney that you didn't want to proceed?
No. I let them know I would--
Would you stand up and--
Could you stand up on your own?
I let them know I would come to court. If I needed to.
[Judy] Now, you have a counterclaim.
Your counterclaim is for filing a false CPS charge.
Now, the false CPS charge had to do with this, correct?
No, he filed multiple, um--
Well, after this, did he file any other CPS reports?
Yes. He said that, um, it was a CPS report about, supposedly, child neglect
or something towards my son and my other kids.
-After this? -[Jaivana] Yes.
Okay. Did you call CPS again? 'Cause this is a valid reason to call CPS.
No, I was fighting a criminal case after that.
You were fighting the assault case, this scratch.
Yeah. At the time when I went to jail, she applied for-- when I was in jail,
she applied for full custody and told them because I was in jail,
and they gave it to her. So, I didn't see him again until January of the next year
'cause they had gave her full custody.
Do you have any proof that he filed subsequent child protective proceedings,
or at least reports after this incident that occurred in November of 2023?
No.
Okay. Did you put your hands on her in any way, Mr. Tatum?
No.
Do you have any idea how she got this scratch on her face?
I don't know. She just had a newborn. I think the baby had scratched her.
It's a healed scratch. So, it was taken--
It was taken on the same day. It's a healed scratch.
My kids was, like, five or six months at that time.
-[Judy] What? -He said I had a newborn at--
-[Judy] What I'm saying-- -No, he said I had a newborn--
-[Judy] What I'm saying to you is... -Mm-hmm.
...if it was taken the same day, this is a healed scratch.
Duh. Don't answer me.
Let's deal with the counterclaim first.
I'm dismissing your counterclaim, Miss West.
He had an absolute right and an obligation to notify Child Protective Services
when the welts on your child's back were visible.
There's no question he didn't do it.
So, it happened when the child was in your care and custody.
It may not have been you. I don't know who beat this child--
If my son was getting hit, my son would've told me.
Your child was hit with a something. A belt, a cord, a something.
That's what leaves linear marks on a child's back.
Concerning, since I don't believe that he would've done that
and then taken the child to an emergency room.
So, somebody who was watching this child hit him.
If it was you, you'd know how it was done. But if it wasn't you,
then I wouldn't be angry with him, I would be angry
with the person who hit my child.
Do you understand?
Duh.
Now, at the time, sir, of this incident on the 5th,
it is my understanding, am I correct, that you had already been to court,
left, the case was dismissed, and you believed
that that order was still in place, where you had custody?
-Yes. -[Judy] That's what I figured.
That was evidently a mistake.
It was a mistake that you either rectified later
because now, you're back to the alternate week custody arrangement.
But that arrest was false. And I believe it was false.
I'm awarding you $2,500 on the false arrest charge.
I'm dismissing the defendant's claim for filing a false CPS report
because the CPS report was perfectly valid.
The child was in fact abused by somebody.
And you should really find out who that was, unless it was you.
We're done here. Thank you very much.
[Bailiff Kevin] This court is adjourned.
The bruise wasn't on my son no more. Like, there wasn't nothing on him.
Even when the CPS worker showed me the bruise on his phone,
I told him that looked like a fresh bruise.
How do I feel they got there? I'm not sure. I know when I received him,
he was taking a bath, and I seen it
and immediately took him to get his injuries checked out.
And if it happened at my home, it wouldn't have still looked fresh.
Especially 'cause we do a week on, week off.
Like, the bruise looked too fresh.
I'm just trying to be the best dad.
I just want to be a good parent to my son.
Well, that one really brought you back to your family court days, huh?
Well, you draw your experience from whatever you do.
You know, common sense is supposed to creep into whatever decision you make.
I'm trying to come to terms with, there's a 25-year-old woman
who has six children, who, according to her, works in a warehouse,
who receives no form of other assistance,
who pays $2,700 a month in rent.
And she drives a car, because she drove to his house.
So, she has a car. Which means, you have the car, you have insurance,
-you have other stuff. -[Sarah] Payments.
And math was never my strong suit, but I can't figure that out.
-Yeah. -So, there's something else going there.
If I had more time, maybe. But that picture of that scratch
was an old scratch of a nothing.
And certainly not worth spending any time in jail for.
That takes a toll. Just because it was dismissed,
which I think was the right outcome. Eight months,
and showing up once a month to a court date, as you're supposed to,
when the person who filed it never even showed up for court.
I mean, that's super frustrating. I think it's right that he--
She got what she wanted, which was she got the child back.
A Temporary Full Custody Order, so.
Correct.
Case 4090, Lewis v. Zamora. All parties, please, come forward.
[narrator] Francheska Lewis is suing her ex-boyfriend,
Leo Zamora, for stolen property and parking tickets.
Ms. Lewis, you and Mr. Zamora have a child together.
-Correct. -[Judy] How old is that child?
He's 5.
Other than having a child together, you don't live together.
And according to you, you've sort of remained friendly,
but he doesn't do much to assist in the support of your child.
That's according to you.
Correct.
[Judy] Understanding the background, he was in need of a car.
You agreed to sell him a car. And this lawsuit is about the fact
that you claim that he has not paid the balance of the car.
The defendant says, well, the car had certain issues,
but you disagree on the amount that you sold the car for.
-Is that right, sir? -Yes.
You thought you had her behind the 8-ball.
You had the car, and she was being a nice person.
It's not that she's vindictive. You have a fiancée.
Didn't you tell him he was doing the wrong thing?
I don't see him like he was doing the wrong thing.
I guess you missed that class in law school.
[narrator] Francheska Lewis claims her ex-boyfriend,
Leo Zamora, owes for stolen property and parking tickets.
Leo is countersuing Francheska for breaking their agreement.
In what month and year did you sell him a car,
and what kind of car did you sell him?
I sold him a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe in July, 2023.
[Judy] And how much did you sell it to him for?
-[Francheska] Five thousand. -[Judy] When had you purchased it?
-April first, 2023. -[Judy] From whom?
My ex-mother-in-law.
[Judy] How many miles did it have on it?
Um, it had approximately 160,000 miles.
[Judy] How much did you pay her for it?
Uh, she gifted it to me.
[Judy] Then you sold it to him a few months later.
[Francheska] Correct.
[Judy] How much did she sell you the car for?
[Leo] Two thousand.
Between $6,300 and $7,800.
Based on the 160,000 mileage.
-Sixty-three hundred dollars. -[Sarah] Yeah.
-Is the low end? -Yes.
For a private party exchange.
[Judy] You have proof that she sold you that car for $2,000?
-Yes. -[Judy] I'd like to see it.
Because that would mean that she's really a buddy of yours,
because the car's worth a lot more than $2,000.
"Four months is $2,000. So far, I've received $900.
You told me to take repairs into consid...
Nothing is owed on my end."
You have proof that you sold him this car for $5,000?
-I do. -[Judy] I'd like to see it.
'Cause that's very unclear to me.
How much money did you actually give her, sir?
[Leo] I gave her $1,000.
But our agreement was to pay $500 until we received the $2,000.
Why would she make you a gift of a car, practically? Why?
Well, she was trying to sell me some junk.
The car had bullet holes all in the side.
Just a second. If the car had bullet holes, those you saw.
-Right? -[Leo] They're covered.
-What do you mean covered? -They were bondo'd over.
To like, cover the holes.
Well, but you could see them.
-[Leo] Yeah, you could still see them. -So, you saw them.
Yeah, but I was willing to paint the car too.
[Judy] Yeah. She tells you, "Okay, I was thinking about five."
That's $5,000. And you said, "Oh, okay, for sure.
Will you work with me, like, with payment plan or something?
Or do you need it in full?"
"How much could you afford a month?"
And you say, "How many miles does it have?" She tells you, 160,000.
You show me where the $5,000 went to $2,000, sir.
Because we had made an agreement off of text messages and verbal.
No, show me. She said five, you said okay. That's all I have.
Five and okay.
And the Blue Book value of the car is at least $6,300.
I have messages saying that he thought the agreement was $4,000,
and I reminded him it was $5,000.
[Judy] May I see those, please?
Oh, you're a cookie. Yeah. Yeah.
Does he have the registration for the car now?
-The car's under my name still. -Where is the car?
-In my driveway. -[Judy] Can I see the title?
I currently don't have the title, but I have the registration,
Bill of Sale, Statement of Facts.
Did you do any work on the car, sir?
Yes, ma'am.
[Judy] I'd like to see what you've done on the car.
Oh, that's ridiculous. [laughs]
It doesn't say "stupid" here.
Oh, I know.
I have enough cars and seen enough receipts from mechanics
to know that this is baloney.
Now, breach of an agreement. What agreement?
We agreed upon a certain price and--
[Judy] No, you agreed upon $5,000. That's what these text messages say.
False police allegations. She reported the car as stolen.
Good for her.
You thought you had her behind the 8-ball.
You had the car, and she was being a nice person.
It's not that she's vindictive. You have a fiancée.
Didn't you tell him he was doing the wrong thing?
I don't see him like he was doing the wrong thing.
I guess you missed that class in law school.
Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of $4,000.
He also racked up parking tickets while in possession of the vehicle.
-May I see them? -[Francheska] Yes, Your Honor.
Um, these two are the same.
And then, these two are all for that one.
-Have you paid them? -I have not.
I've already received notice that they're gonna garnish my taxes and my wages.
Why didn't you pay these tickets? 'Cause they were in her name?
Your Honor, I paid for the smog. I gave her the smog papers.
She never went to the DMV to get the tags.
I have messages also back and forth telling her to get the tags.
She's been telling me she bought the tags.
[Judy] Why didn't you take the car to have it smogged?
I did take it. I got the smog paper and gave it to her.
-And? -She never went and got me the tags.
[Judy] Why don't you go and get your tags?
I can't get the tags because the car's not under my name.
If you pay for it, it'll be under your name.
Yes, ma'am.
I actually paid for the smog to get done.
He's ridiculous. You are lucky to be finished with him.
[blows raspberry]
Finished.
$4,370, judgment for the plaintiff.
Your counterclaim, whatever nonsense that is, is dismissed.
[bailiff] This court is adjourned.
I'm glad she caught onto his lies and saw that he really wasn't being honest.
She lied about a lot of stuff, and it's gonna go her way.
That's ridiculous. I mean, I gave him that truck because he needed help.
About the agreement upon the vehicle.
Out of the kindness of my heart. I learned my lesson,
and I hope he learned his too.
It's over now, hopefully. I'm hoping.
That's so easy when you have text messages
-with an offer and acceptance. -Mm-hmm.
For I think about $5,000, which was a perfectly fair price
because it's worth more, according to Kelley Blue Book.
-It said $6,300? -Sixty-three hundred, yeah.
-[Judy] Was the low end. -Mm-hmm.
I didn't see any bullet holes in the car.
-Slick. -Yeah.
And she was a nice woman. She said they didn't have a car.
And she was perfectly happy with him having a fiancée.
-Mm-hmm. Didn't seem bitter -[Judy] Didn't seem bitter.
It seemed like he was trying to get something for nothing.
Right.
[narrator] Have you been cheated?
Go to JudyJustice.tv.
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