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So now you're walking
your husky on the street. And...?
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And then all of a sudden,
we see a dog charging towards us.
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- I don't know what she's saying.
- Just a second.
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- I saw my dog run across the yard.
- Listen. Listen--
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The fight-- Lasted like three seconds.
It wasn't--
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No, just a second, sir.
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Go ahead.
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Maybe your wife
lets you get away with that, sir.
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I don't.
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[narrator]
This is Judy Justice.
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{\an8}[narrator] Kristine Singleton is suing
dog owner, Kevin Free, for vet bills.
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[bailiff]
Court come to order. All rise.
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Have a seat, please.
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{\an8}Hello, Judge. Case number 2064.
Singleton versus Free.
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- [Judy] Thank you.
- [bailiff] You're welcome.
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[Judy] Miss Singleton,
your case is relatively simple.
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It is your claim that the
defendant's unleashed dog bit your dog.
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Yes, ma'am.
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You incurred vet bills and you
want Mr. Free to be responsible for them?
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That's correct.
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[Judy]
Mr. Free says that it's true
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that his dog did bite yours,
I think on the leg.
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Yes, ma'am.
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But that your dog was on his
property and your dog was the aggressor.
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- That's your position?
- Correct.
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Okay. And you were walking two dogs?
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Two dogs and my nephew.
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{\an8}[Judy] Nephew was a baby?
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{\an8}Yes. He was three
years old and my dog was three.
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{\an8}And the large dog that was bit,
he was twelve at the time.
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So you have a small rat terrier, I think.
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[Kristine] Yeah. Mm-hmm.
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[Judy]
And your larger dog is what kind of dog?
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A Siberian husky.
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[Judy]
And what kind of dog do you have, sir?
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I have a Italian mastiff, Cane Corso.
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[Judy] That's a big dog.
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{\an8}At the time he was about,
um, maybe twelve months old.
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{\an8}So maybe a little bit over a year,
so he's bigger now, but yeah.
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How much did he weigh?
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At that time?
Probably about 80 pounds.
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Tell me about your property, sir.
Photograph of your property.
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- I do, I do.
- I'd like to take a look at it.
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Okay. Here's a couple of them here.
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Miss Singleton,
this incident happened when?
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Christmas Day of last year, around 12:30,
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right before we had Christmas lunch.
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Weather was okay?
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Oh, it was great.
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And how close do you live to Mr. Free?
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I don't live anywhere near him.
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I actually live in Stone Mountain,
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but I was going to
my parents' house for Christmas,
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so we were
walking around the neighborhood.
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He lives almost directly
behind my parents' house.
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And I see that
while there are driveways here,
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the front lawn
extends all the way to the street.
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- Is that right?
- Yes.
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And you were walking both your dogs.
And were they leashed or unleashed?
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- They were leashed.
- [Judy] Both?
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Um, yes. They were both leashed.
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And Mr. Free, you sort of acknowledged
that both of her dogs were unleashed.
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I-- I've only seen one dog.
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I didn't see two dogs
and I didn't see a child either.
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- It was her and a dog, so...
- [Judy] Okay.
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The dog that you saw,
what kind of dog was that?
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It looked like a--a husky.
Kind of like a wolf. So I'm not sure.
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[Judy] So just a second.
So you saw a husky?
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- Correct.
- [Judy] Did you see the plaintiff?
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Yes.
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So I'm going to ask you one more time.
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- [Kevin] Okay.
- Was the husky on a leash?
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I gue-- Yes. I guess.
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[Judy]
The answer is either yes or no.
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- I-- I'm not sure. I mean, I wasn't--
- [Judy] Okay, well then, you're not sure.
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She says the husky was on a leash.
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Yeah. so I'm not going to
deny her dog was on...
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[Judy] Okay. Mm-hmm.
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And your dog at the
time was on your property unleashed?
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My dog was on my property, period.
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You don't-- Pay careful attention.
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- Your dog was on your property unleashed?
- Correct.
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At 12:30 on Christmas Day,
what were you doing?
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{\an8}I was putting up a basketball
goal I had just bought for my children
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{\an8}for Christmas in the front
yard with my dog next to me.
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Okay. What I want you to do is--
is this a picture of your house?
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That's a picture of my house from
the other side of the street. Correct.
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That's fine.
This is a picture of your house?
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- Yes, it is.
- [Judy] The answer is yes.
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Kevin, what I'd like you to do is
take this photograph to Mr. Free.
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I want him to take a Sharpie.
Do we have a Sharpie or something?
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- Okay. Do you have a pen?
- Yes, ma'am.
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And tell him to make a circle
where he was and an X where he saw
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for the first time,
Miss Singleton and her dog.
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- X where you were. Just where you were.
- Okay.
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[Judy] You personally.
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Okay.
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And put a circle the place where
you saw Miss Singleton for the first time.
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Okay.
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- So you were in the front yard.
- Correct.
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And that looks about 30 feet away
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from where you saw Miss Singleton
for the first time?
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- [Kevin] If that.
- From here to here.
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I say about 20 feet, Your Honor.
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It's not as big as it looks
on that picture.
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It's a pretty small yard.
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I would say it's about
30ft from where you put the X.
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It's all the way past the house.
You're at the one side of the driveway.
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- You have an entrance way to your house.
- [Kevin] Correct.
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And then you have--
is this front a living room?
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- Yes, it is.
- [Judy] A living room, which is past that
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and where you made a circle,
which is a very large circle,
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is probably ten feet away
from the edge of the house.
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- Yes, that's what I know--
- So I said it's about 30 feet away.
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[Kevin] Okay.
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And now I want you to put--
can I have your pink Sharpie, please?
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- Yes.
- Thank you very much.
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I want you to use this
and put in this picture
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where your dog was at 12:30.
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To get your understanding, you want--
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12:30. I want you to put a mark
where your dog was
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immediately before you
saw Miss Singleton and her dog.
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Immediately before. Thank you.
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- You're not going to be able to see.
- [Judy] Okay, great.
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Great.
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{\an8}So your dog, according to you,
was right next to you,
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about 30 feet away from where
Miss Singleton was when you saw her.
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To be honest with you,
he kind of moves around the yard.
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He doesn't sit still very much, so...
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- Well, you understand, Mr. Free,
- [Kevin] Mm-hmm.
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that even if your dog is on your property,
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{\an8}you're supposed to maintain
control of your dog all the time.
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- {\an8}-
- In which I did.
- [Judy] You understand that?
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- {\an8}-
- Yes, I do.
- [Judy] You understand that?
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- Yeah.
- [Judy] So if your dog
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is able to run 30 feet,
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without being connected to you--
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He didn't run--
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- [stammers] walk cha cha, tap dance.
- [Kevin] Uh-huh.
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[Judy] Pirouetted!
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- However he got there,
- [chuckling]
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your dog got 30 feet away
from where you were.
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- Correct.
- Your 80-pound dog.
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{\an8}Ultimately, her case comes down
to she was walking her leashed dog.
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I haven't figured
out whose fault it is yet.
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She was walking her leashed dog.
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And your dog ran,
walked, pirouetted, cha-cha'd--
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whatever it did, to her dog,
out of your control.
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{\an8}[narrator] Kristine Singleton
claims dog owner Kevin Free
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owes for vet bills from a dog fight.
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Now, Miss Singleton was walking
with her other dog and a three-year-old.
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I want you to process that into your mind.
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And this is a twelve-month-old,
which is still a puppy.
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You know, still a puppy,
but at 80 pounds--
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Your Honor,
there was no three-year-old.
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- I--
- I didn't see any three-year-old.
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- [Judy] Just-- just a second.
- [Kevin] Okay.
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I don't care what you saw
while you were busy
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putting together something for
Christmas in your front yard.
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- Mm-hmm.
- If you didn't see it,
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that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
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If you didn't see it,
it just means you didn't see it.
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She tells me she sees it.
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{\an8}She remembers walking her two dogs.
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{\an8}You only remember one.
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{\an8}She has two that she was walking
at 12:30 Christmas Day.
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The fact that you only saw one
means you weren't paying attention
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to where your dog was.
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Or they wasn't there.
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Well, that's pretty stupid, Mr. Free.
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I mean, it doesn't make sense
to carry two dogs.
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- [Judy] That's pretty-- Mr. Free--
- In a neighborhood you don't even belong--
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- I mean, you're not from.
- [Judy] Mr. Free--
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Mr. Free, they're
only going to take one voice.
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[Kevin] Understood.
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They're only going to take one voice,
and that's mine.
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Let me tell you
why your argument is stupid.
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{\an8}Because it doesn't make any
difference whether she was walking
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{\an8}two dogs or four dogs or eight dogs.
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It doesn't make any
difference whether she was walking
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with or without a three-year-old.
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Ultimately, her case comes down
to she was walking her leashed dog.
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I haven't figured out
whose fault it is yet.
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She was walking her leashed dog
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and your dog ran,
walked, pirouetted, cha-cha'd--
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Whatever it did
to her dog out of your control,
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was not under your
control because it was not leashed.
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- Do you understand?
- I understand.
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Now, I can take away everything else.
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Not that I'm going to,
because I believe that you were
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distracted, you didn't see it.
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And I believed her that she was
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- walking with a three-year-old nephew.
- Yes, ma'am.
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Nephew--
and another dog that you didn't see.
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00:09:08,934 --> 00:09:11,533
But that's not the issue in this case.
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Whether she was with another dog,
another child, or with anybody else,
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the issue is whose fault is
it that a dog was out of control?
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So now you're going to tell me what
happened at 12:30 on Christmas Day
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just so that Mr. Free doesn't
think that I'm picking on him.
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- Okay.
- Which I'm not.
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[laughs] I know.
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[Judy] You may think I am,
but I'm not picking on him.
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You're walking with your husky?
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- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] On a leash?
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00:09:35,266 --> 00:09:36,767
- Yes, ma'am.
- What happened?
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00:09:36,834 --> 00:09:38,467
I was walking with my nephew,
three years old.
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- No, don't. Just listen to me.
- Okay.
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- Listen to me,
- Okay, just walk down the street.
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- Okay.
- I said you're walking.
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- -I--
- I got it in my mind.
- [Kristine] Okay.
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00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,900
But so Mr. Free doesn't think that
I'm being unfair to him,
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00:09:49,967 --> 00:09:51,567
- Mm-hmm.
- 'cause he don't remember
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00:09:51,633 --> 00:09:52,600
- Mm-hmm.
- what he saw.
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00:09:52,667 --> 00:09:54,867
You're walking your husky.
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00:09:54,934 --> 00:09:56,000
Okay, only him.
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- On the street.
- Mm-hmm.
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- So your nephew didn't get hurt.
- That's correct.
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00:09:59,100 --> 00:10:01,200
- Your rat terrier didn't get hurt.
- [Kristine] That's correct.
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00:10:01,266 --> 00:10:04,000
{\an8}Okay, so now you're walking
your husky on the street, and...?
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00:10:04,066 --> 00:10:06,900
{\an8}And then all of sudden,
we see a dog charging towards us.
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00:10:06,967 --> 00:10:08,066
- {\an8}-
- And...
- Who's "we"?
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00:10:08,133 --> 00:10:10,533
Oh, I called me, my nephew
and my dogs "we."
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No, now it's just "I saw."
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[Kristine] I saw... [laughs]
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I saw a dog charging towards us.
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That dog and Leon
got into a altercation,
227
00:10:18,533 --> 00:10:21,233
and then Leon turned around to try
to kick the dog in the face,
228
00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:23,633
and he grabbed his foot and he let go.
229
00:10:23,700 --> 00:10:26,100
- But then...
- Okay, let's go much slower.
230
00:10:26,166 --> 00:10:27,200
[Kristine]
Okay, yes, ma'am.
231
00:10:27,266 --> 00:10:31,300
- You saw a dog charging towards you?
- Yes, ma'am.
232
00:10:31,367 --> 00:10:32,400
And?
233
00:10:32,467 --> 00:10:35,600
And that dog got into
an altercation with--
234
00:10:35,667 --> 00:10:36,667
- [Judy] With your dog.
- Yeah.
235
00:10:36,734 --> 00:10:39,233
Tell me about that initial altercation.
236
00:10:39,300 --> 00:10:42,266
At first, they were
biting each other's muzzles and--
237
00:10:42,333 --> 00:10:45,233
Okay, so they were both
biting each other's muzzles?
238
00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:46,967
- Yes.
- Okay.
239
00:10:47,033 --> 00:10:49,734
My dog turned around
to try and I guess he--
240
00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:51,300
[Judy] No, don't tell me what
he was trying to do.
241
00:10:51,367 --> 00:10:54,734
- Your dog turned around--
- He kicked the dog in the face.
242
00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,033
[Judy]
Your dog kicked his dog in the face.
243
00:10:57,100 --> 00:11:00,467
Yes. He grabbed his leg,
punctured it, let it go.
244
00:11:00,533 --> 00:11:04,533
Leon kicked him again.
This time he grabbed his other leg.
245
00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,433
- Okay, so your dog kicked that dog again.
- Twice. Yes.
246
00:11:08,500 --> 00:11:10,367
- [Judy] His dog again.
- Yes, ma'am.
247
00:11:10,433 --> 00:11:12,834
- And?
- That dog that time grabbed his leg,
248
00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:15,266
had a good hold, and shook it immediately.
249
00:11:15,333 --> 00:11:18,133
And then that's
when I knew his leg was broken.
250
00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,133
- No, no, no. Don't show me pictures.
- Okay.
251
00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,800
First I have to find
whose fault it is before I look
252
00:11:22,867 --> 00:11:24,367
- at pictures and vet bills.
- [Kristine] Okay.
253
00:11:24,433 --> 00:11:26,133
Okay. Now, when you saw
254
00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,767
- his dog charging towards you,
- Mm-hmm.
255
00:11:28,834 --> 00:11:31,533
- And your dog's name is Leon?
- Yes, ma'am.
256
00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:32,633
- On a leash?
- Yes, ma'am.
257
00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:34,266
[Judy]
On a leash. But it's a big dog.
258
00:11:34,333 --> 00:11:35,767
- Yes, ma'am.
- [Judy] How much does it weigh?
259
00:11:35,834 --> 00:11:37,200
Leon? 75 pounds.
260
00:11:37,266 --> 00:11:38,467
So about the same time
261
00:11:38,533 --> 00:11:40,066
- as the defendant's dog?
- [Kristine] Yes.
262
00:11:40,133 --> 00:11:42,533
- And it's a senior dog?
- Yes, that is correct.
263
00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,667
Has your dog ever
had a history with another dog?
264
00:11:46,734 --> 00:11:48,033
{\an8}I'm gonna say it again.
265
00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:50,500
{\an8}Has your dog ever had a history
266
00:11:50,567 --> 00:11:52,734
{\an8}of an altercation with another dog?
267
00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:53,633
[Kristine] No, ma'am.
268
00:11:53,700 --> 00:11:58,000
Has your dog ever had a history
of an altercation with another person?
269
00:11:58,066 --> 00:11:59,000
No, ma'am.
270
00:11:59,066 --> 00:12:02,433
And I assume
if I asked you those questions,
271
00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:04,300
you would give me what answer, sir?
272
00:12:04,367 --> 00:12:05,333
I would say no.
273
00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,000
[Judy]
You would say no because...?
274
00:12:07,066 --> 00:12:09,667
Because my dog has never had
any problems with any dogs.
275
00:12:09,734 --> 00:12:11,533
- With any dog?
- Any dogs, person.
276
00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,100
- [Judy] Any other person.
- Correct.
277
00:12:13,166 --> 00:12:16,066
So you would acknowledge Miss Singleton,
278
00:12:16,133 --> 00:12:21,033
that I'm going to show
you this photograph of Mr. Free's house.
279
00:12:21,100 --> 00:12:25,400
And what I'd like you to do is
show me where, according to you--
280
00:12:25,467 --> 00:12:27,400
let's get her a different color pen.
281
00:12:27,467 --> 00:12:29,500
Well, we have-- that's sil--
This is blue.
282
00:12:29,567 --> 00:12:30,533
Okay.
283
00:12:31,033 --> 00:12:35,200
I'd like you to make a P.
To just put a P.
284
00:12:35,266 --> 00:12:39,166
- Okay.
- Where the dogs first made contact.
285
00:12:40,934 --> 00:12:42,066
Okay.
286
00:12:42,967 --> 00:12:44,867
Okay. It's not on this photo.
287
00:12:44,934 --> 00:12:47,200
Is it on this photo?
Do you have a photo?
288
00:12:47,266 --> 00:12:48,133
I do have a photo.
289
00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:49,467
- Yeah, I'd like to see it.
- Yeah.
290
00:12:49,533 --> 00:12:50,567
Would you, please?
291
00:12:50,633 --> 00:12:52,333
Yeah, this is his home,
and this is where it happened,
292
00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:53,266
right underneath the tree.
293
00:12:53,333 --> 00:12:54,200
Put it...
294
00:13:02,233 --> 00:13:04,300
Oh, so what you're saying is
295
00:13:04,367 --> 00:13:08,200
where you put the P,
that the dog was in the street?
296
00:13:08,266 --> 00:13:09,333
[Kristine]
Yes, ma'am, that's correct.
297
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,000
- [Judy] Were you in the street?
- I sure was.
298
00:13:12,066 --> 00:13:15,567
I would like
you to put a D in this picture
299
00:13:15,633 --> 00:13:17,734
- [Kristine] Mm-hmm.
- Where you say--
300
00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,433
Did you see Mr. Free?
301
00:13:19,500 --> 00:13:22,033
I did not. Not until he
came to retrieve his animal.
302
00:13:22,100 --> 00:13:23,600
Did you see where he came from?
303
00:13:23,667 --> 00:13:25,400
No, ma'am, I did not.
304
00:13:25,467 --> 00:13:28,433
Did you see anything
being assembled in the yard?
305
00:13:28,500 --> 00:13:29,867
Once we were leaving, yes.
306
00:13:29,934 --> 00:13:31,967
- And what did you see?
- A basketball goal.
307
00:13:32,033 --> 00:13:33,633
- A basketball goal.
- Yes, ma'am.
308
00:13:33,700 --> 00:13:35,767
And is that what you were
putting together, Mr. Free?
309
00:13:35,834 --> 00:13:36,767
Yes, ma'am.
310
00:13:36,834 --> 00:13:38,533
Would you show me where that was, please?
311
00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:50,266
Mm-hmm.
312
00:13:55,633 --> 00:13:56,834
- It was here?
- [Kristine] Yes, ma'am.
313
00:13:56,900 --> 00:14:00,500
Okay. Now, Mr. Free,
you're putting something together,
314
00:14:00,567 --> 00:14:03,667
the first thing you hear is a kerfuffle,
some sort of a--
315
00:14:03,734 --> 00:14:05,600
- No.
- What do you hear?
316
00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,433
Dogs are animals.
They're not as smart as you are.
317
00:14:11,500 --> 00:14:13,467
But when your
dog charged out into the street,
318
00:14:13,533 --> 00:14:16,300
it could just as
easily have gotten hit by a car.
319
00:14:16,367 --> 00:14:17,667
That would have been your fault.
320
00:14:17,734 --> 00:14:21,300
Your dog was out on
a public street outside of your control,
321
00:14:21,367 --> 00:14:24,333
And it's a big dog,
and you should be more careful.
322
00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:39,266
{\an8}[narrator] Kristine Singleton claims
dog owner Kevin Free
323
00:14:39,333 --> 00:14:43,900
{\an8}is responsible for injuries
after his dog attacked her dog.
324
00:14:43,967 --> 00:14:47,033
No, I actually-- visu-- I saw my dog
325
00:14:47,100 --> 00:14:48,734
run across the yard, so...
326
00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,467
And? You saw the dog
327
00:14:50,533 --> 00:14:51,667
- running across the yard?
- And that's when I was--
328
00:14:51,734 --> 00:14:54,000
Well, normally, normally--
I really don't have a problem with him,
329
00:14:54,066 --> 00:14:56,333
- Let me explain something to you.
- Yes. Okay.
330
00:14:57,667 --> 00:15:00,967
- My job that I'm really good at--
- Okay.
331
00:15:01,033 --> 00:15:03,867
is telling when people
are peeing on my leg
332
00:15:03,934 --> 00:15:06,166
- and trying to tell me it's raining.
- [Kevin] Okay.
333
00:15:06,233 --> 00:15:07,834
- Do you understand?
- Yeah.
334
00:15:07,900 --> 00:15:11,567
Now, I could tell immediately
from your body language
335
00:15:11,633 --> 00:15:15,000
that you were beginning to tell
me a whole bunch of "Who shot John."
336
00:15:15,066 --> 00:15:20,333
So I suggest to you,
Mr. Free, that if you tell the truth,
337
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,233
you don't have to have a good memory.
338
00:15:22,300 --> 00:15:25,500
Now, I want to explain to
you why that's so important.
339
00:15:25,567 --> 00:15:27,200
Did you hear Miss Singleton?
340
00:15:27,266 --> 00:15:32,500
Miss Singleton actually said that
her dog nipped yours in the face.
341
00:15:32,567 --> 00:15:34,266
- Correct.
- [Judy] She said that.
342
00:15:34,333 --> 00:15:36,333
- Correct.
- She didn't have to tell me that.
343
00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:37,867
- Okay.
- [Judy] She said her dog
344
00:15:37,934 --> 00:15:40,066
not only nipped your dog in the face
345
00:15:40,133 --> 00:15:42,367
because they were
fighting muzzle to muzzle,
346
00:15:42,433 --> 00:15:45,433
but afterwards,
kicked your dog twice.
347
00:15:45,500 --> 00:15:47,734
- Do you understand?
- I heard that, yeah.
348
00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:49,266
- [Judy] That's what she said about that.
- Mm-hmm.
349
00:15:49,333 --> 00:15:50,633
[Judy]
That's sort of-- "Uh-huh."
350
00:15:50,700 --> 00:15:52,633
That--that's sort of surprising.
351
00:15:52,700 --> 00:15:54,533
That would seem, to someone...
352
00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,166
It surprises me that dogs
can get on their front legs and kick, too.
353
00:15:58,233 --> 00:16:00,200
{\an8}So I don't know
what she's saying to you,
354
00:16:00,266 --> 00:16:01,500
{\an8}but I don't know what--
355
00:16:01,567 --> 00:16:03,433
- {\an8}-I--
- I didn't see anything--
- Listen-- listen to--
356
00:16:03,500 --> 00:16:08,300
The fight lasted, like, three seconds.
It wasn't-- Go ahead. I'm sorry.
357
00:16:08,367 --> 00:16:11,000
Do you understand when
you're not telling the truth, Mr. Free?
358
00:16:11,066 --> 00:16:13,133
{\an8}Well, I think what you read
from me is--
359
00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:14,200
{\an8}- me responding to a whole bunch of stuff
- The important-- the important--
360
00:16:14,266 --> 00:16:16,400
{\an8}- that was said that didn't happen.
- [Judy] No, no, no.
361
00:16:16,467 --> 00:16:19,400
- What me responding to you is
- [Kevin] Okay.
362
00:16:19,467 --> 00:16:21,033
- your body English.
- Okay.
363
00:16:21,100 --> 00:16:23,266
That's me responding to you because
364
00:16:23,333 --> 00:16:26,700
- you were putting together this thing.
- [Kevin] Mm-hmm.
365
00:16:26,767 --> 00:16:29,800
But you said it was here.
- Correct. It was in the driveway.
366
00:16:29,867 --> 00:16:32,333
- It's pretty big.
- Well, this isn't the driveway, sir.
367
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:33,700
- [Kevin] That's--
- That's grass.
368
00:16:33,767 --> 00:16:35,700
That's what you marked where you were,
369
00:16:35,767 --> 00:16:37,734
and you marked
where your dog was in the grass.
370
00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:39,300
- [Kevin] Exactly where I was.
- [Judy] And-- Just a second.
371
00:16:39,367 --> 00:16:40,633
Not the basketball goal.
372
00:16:40,700 --> 00:16:42,467
[Judy] No, I asked you where you were.
373
00:16:42,533 --> 00:16:43,934
- Yes, that's where--
- [Judy] And you said here,
374
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,867
And then you said just said to me--
please read it back.
375
00:16:45,934 --> 00:16:49,867
Where were you? And you said I
believe he said he was in the driveway.
376
00:16:49,934 --> 00:16:51,333
Correct. It was in the driveway.
377
00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:52,600
- [Judy] Right.
- I apologize. Excuse me
378
00:16:52,667 --> 00:16:54,633
Just a second. Driveway.
379
00:16:54,700 --> 00:16:55,567
[Kevin] Okay.
380
00:16:55,633 --> 00:16:57,533
- [Judy] Understand?
- I do.
381
00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,233
Eventually, it noodles its way out, sir.
382
00:17:01,300 --> 00:17:03,900
The same way it noodles its way out to...
383
00:17:03,967 --> 00:17:08,367
{\an8}If my memory is correct,
in your answer you wrote down
384
00:17:08,433 --> 00:17:11,000
you saw them
for the first time in the street.
385
00:17:11,066 --> 00:17:13,200
On the-- what we call a curve.
386
00:17:13,266 --> 00:17:14,767
It's a small slope that comes up and down.
387
00:17:14,834 --> 00:17:16,200
Not all the way in the street, no.
388
00:17:16,266 --> 00:17:18,800
No. Here.
You see what happens, Mr. Free?
389
00:17:18,867 --> 00:17:21,066
- Yeah.
- [Judy] What you just said to me
390
00:17:21,133 --> 00:17:22,734
belies credulity.
391
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:24,533
- Well, I'm trying to give a precise--
- Just a second.
392
00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:26,100
- Excuse me.
- [Judy] But not because, you know,
393
00:17:26,166 --> 00:17:28,734
- I've lived on this planet
- Mm-hmm.
394
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:30,433
[Judy] almost 80 years.
395
00:17:30,500 --> 00:17:31,567
Mm-hmm. True that.
396
00:17:31,633 --> 00:17:35,600
And if I have a choice
between walking in the street
397
00:17:35,667 --> 00:17:41,133
and walking in that little dip
that's designed to take rainwater away,
398
00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,433
I don't walk in that thing
because I'll get killed.
399
00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:44,967
I'll break my legs.
400
00:17:45,033 --> 00:17:47,834
And you certainly
don't walk in this little thing.
401
00:17:47,900 --> 00:17:50,200
If you're walking two dogs and a child,
402
00:17:50,266 --> 00:17:53,000
you don't walk in that little drain
403
00:17:53,066 --> 00:17:55,667
that's carved out here
to take rainwater away.
404
00:17:55,734 --> 00:17:58,200
You walk either on the grass,
on everybody's grass--
405
00:17:58,266 --> 00:18:00,133
- Correct.
- Or you walk in the street.
406
00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:01,867
- Okay.
- And you, sir,
407
00:18:01,934 --> 00:18:04,333
would have me believe that the plaintiff
408
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:09,400
walked all the way around
the block, walking on people's grass.
409
00:18:09,467 --> 00:18:11,667
Other than that, she would
have to be in the street and decide,
410
00:18:11,734 --> 00:18:14,000
"Well, I think I'm gonna
go up on the grass
411
00:18:14,066 --> 00:18:15,100
- on this guy's house."
- I wouldn't say that.
412
00:18:15,166 --> 00:18:16,734
- [Judy] What?
- Sometimes it's unavoidable,
413
00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:18,133
so I'm not saying that at all.
414
00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:19,734
- [Judy] Sir, I have to tell you something.
- [Kevin] Yeah.
415
00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:21,367
[Judy]
You're going to pay her vet bills.
416
00:18:21,433 --> 00:18:25,233
Your dog was out of your control
and was in the street, not on your grass.
417
00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:28,967
In the street. You had no control
over your dog, an 80-pound puppy.
418
00:18:29,033 --> 00:18:31,100
- [scoffs]
- [Judy] Now, the dog could have
419
00:18:31,166 --> 00:18:32,600
just playfully knocked over
420
00:18:32,667 --> 00:18:35,233
the three-year-old
and hurt the three-year-old.
421
00:18:35,300 --> 00:18:36,600
Could have, didn't.
422
00:18:36,667 --> 00:18:40,266
Got into a scuffle with a dog
approximately the same size.
423
00:18:40,333 --> 00:18:43,567
Her dog was leashed within her control.
424
00:18:43,633 --> 00:18:47,533
Your dog, you had to run from
where you were putting this together
425
00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:48,934
and come and get your dog.
426
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:49,934
- [Kevin] Your Honor--
- That's what you--
427
00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,900
- That's what you said.
- A dog under control
428
00:18:51,967 --> 00:18:53,967
doesn't manage
to do two jump kicks
429
00:18:54,033 --> 00:18:55,500
- and a bite.
- It's not a jump kick, sir.
430
00:18:55,567 --> 00:18:56,800
[Judy] No, just a second, sir.
431
00:18:56,867 --> 00:18:59,300
You can do that
if you're on a leash.
432
00:18:59,367 --> 00:19:01,467
Her dog never left her hand.
433
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,467
Your Honor, injuries was to
the hind feet of the dog.
434
00:19:04,533 --> 00:19:06,834
- This isn't-- Mr. Free-- this is--
- Okay.
435
00:19:06,900 --> 00:19:09,133
[Judy] Maybe your wife
lets you get away with that, sir.
436
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,900
I don't. This is not a tap dance.
437
00:19:11,967 --> 00:19:14,367
This is not a recital or a rehearsal.
438
00:19:14,433 --> 00:19:16,233
You made a picture of where you
said this happened.
439
00:19:16,300 --> 00:19:17,667
I don't believe you.
440
00:19:17,734 --> 00:19:19,000
That's what it's about.
441
00:19:19,066 --> 00:19:21,734
I believe that this occurred
on a public street.
442
00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,100
And on the public street,
you had no control of your dog.
443
00:19:25,166 --> 00:19:27,600
You decided to let your dog stay outside.
444
00:19:27,667 --> 00:19:29,533
You haven't had
any trouble with your dog before,
445
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:31,166
so you wouldn't have anticipated
446
00:19:31,233 --> 00:19:33,400
that your dog would
run out into the street.
447
00:19:33,467 --> 00:19:35,967
Because if your dog ran
out into the street,
448
00:19:36,033 --> 00:19:39,000
and the car hit it and killed it,
whose fault would that be?
449
00:19:39,066 --> 00:19:40,066
That would definitely be mine.
450
00:19:40,133 --> 00:19:42,333
- That would definitely be yours, right?
- [Kevin] Yes.
451
00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,500
Do you think that you might
sue the person who hit your dog?
452
00:19:45,567 --> 00:19:47,500
- You might try. You might try.
- Well--
453
00:19:47,567 --> 00:19:49,934
You might say, "Oh, my God,
they should have been going slower.
454
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,400
Oh my God, they--"
Do you understand?
455
00:19:52,467 --> 00:19:55,066
You're the owner. Dogs are animals.
456
00:19:55,133 --> 00:19:56,700
They're not as smart as you are.
457
00:19:56,767 --> 00:19:58,900
But when your
dog charged out into the street,
458
00:19:58,967 --> 00:20:01,734
it could just as
easily have gotten hit by a car.
459
00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:03,100
That would have been your fault.
460
00:20:03,166 --> 00:20:04,767
But under those circumstances,
461
00:20:04,834 --> 00:20:06,233
you would have said it's the car's fault.
462
00:20:06,300 --> 00:20:08,500
Your dog was out on a public street
463
00:20:08,567 --> 00:20:11,200
outside of your control and it's a big dog
464
00:20:11,266 --> 00:20:12,700
and you should be more careful.
465
00:20:12,767 --> 00:20:14,567
If you want to keep
your dog outside while
466
00:20:14,633 --> 00:20:15,600
you're putting something together
467
00:20:15,667 --> 00:20:17,500
and keep the dog on your property,
468
00:20:17,567 --> 00:20:19,967
put down a stake, put the dog on a lead
469
00:20:20,033 --> 00:20:21,700
and let the dog stay outside with you.
470
00:20:21,767 --> 00:20:25,467
But if you let a twelve-month-old
80-pound dog run loose
471
00:20:25,533 --> 00:20:27,433
and it runs into the street, you, sir,
472
00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:29,333
are responsible for the consequences.
473
00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,967
- What was your vet bill?
- It was $1,832.64.
474
00:20:34,033 --> 00:20:35,567
Judgment for the plaintiff.
We're finished. Thank you.
475
00:20:35,633 --> 00:20:36,934
[bailiff] This court is adjourned.
476
00:20:37,633 --> 00:20:40,400
{\an8}I don't think that I was,
uh, 100% responsible.
477
00:20:40,467 --> 00:20:42,333
{\an8}I'm glad it was swift and easy, honestly.
478
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,700
{\an8}From my perspective,
it lasted for about three seconds.
479
00:20:44,767 --> 00:20:46,600
{\an8}I was trying to
fight with this man for a while.
480
00:20:46,667 --> 00:20:47,533
{\an8}I'm glad it's over.
481
00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:48,800
{\an8}Might have happened
in that three seconds,
482
00:20:48,867 --> 00:20:50,200
{\an8}but it was too fast for my eyes.
483
00:20:50,266 --> 00:20:51,867
{\an8}Honestly, it was kind of traumatizing.
484
00:20:51,934 --> 00:20:53,467
{\an8}Especially since I had
a three-year-old with me
485
00:20:53,533 --> 00:20:55,867
{\an8}and I had to quickly think
and just pick him up
486
00:20:55,934 --> 00:20:57,133
{\an8}before the dog got him.
487
00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,233
{\an8}I think they just fought and my dog won.
488
00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:00,567
{\an8}Bring the Judy Justice, baby.
489
00:21:00,633 --> 00:21:03,033
{\an8}I watch the show.
I know how she gets down, you know?
490
00:21:04,133 --> 00:21:06,533
So, as you know,
we have two large,
491
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,133
pretty docile
golden retrievers at home
492
00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,567
that are now
eight and twelve years old.
493
00:21:11,633 --> 00:21:13,734
But even when we have
family that comes over
494
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,266
or friends with little children
that are curious
495
00:21:16,333 --> 00:21:19,166
that like to come up and pull
on the ears a little or play with them,
496
00:21:19,233 --> 00:21:21,600
you have to be careful.
They're 80 and 90-pound dogs.
497
00:21:21,667 --> 00:21:24,066
We've never once had
a problem with either of them.
498
00:21:24,133 --> 00:21:25,000
But you just never know.
499
00:21:25,066 --> 00:21:27,367
You can't control a dog that's 90 pounds.
500
00:21:27,433 --> 00:21:29,633
But they're just big. They could
knock 'em over by accident
501
00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:31,200
with their tail just so excited.
502
00:21:31,266 --> 00:21:32,166
[Judy]
So you have to be careful.
503
00:21:32,233 --> 00:21:34,600
You have a responsibility
when you have a big dog.
504
00:21:34,667 --> 00:21:35,667
100%.
505
00:21:37,266 --> 00:21:38,500
[narrator] Want justice?
506
00:21:38,567 --> 00:21:40,700
{\an8}Go to JudyJustice TV.