Your mother told the police that you stole the car.
The car was registered in my name. I had all the paperwork.
Eleven police officers pulling guns on you.
-Yes. -And you're in handcuffs.
When people get the police called on them for no good reason,
that is wrong.
[narrator] Today on Tribunal Justice...
This case was filed in Los Angeles, California.
[Byrd] Your Honor, this is case #1113 on the calendar
on the matter of Williams vs. Millage.
Parties have been sworn in. You may be seated. Have a seat, please.
Thank you, Byrd. Ms. Williams, You're suing the Defendant for $10,000
because you claim she made a false police report against you.
That false report pertained to a vehicle you were driving.
She'd reported the vehicle stolen. As a result of her report,
you were put in handcuffs, the police took you out of the car,
-pulled guns on you. -Yeah.
[Tanya] And as it turns out, the Defendant is your mother.
-Correct. -And the car you were driving
belonged to your late grandmother. And it's your position in this court
that your late grandmother intended for you to have the car.
Your mother knew this,
and that your mother filed this police report
against you maliciously,
causing you a great deal of emotional distress.
Hence your $10,000 claim against her. Ms. Millage, you maintain
that your daughter did, in fact, steal your late mother's car.
And that, once you got it back, you say that she falsely had you arrested.
And you maintain that you do not owe her any money,
-you have the car, the car belongs to you. -Correct.
I'm sorry for the loss of your mother and your grandmother.
I understand that she died in February, 2022?
-Yes. -Yes.
-[Tanya] She died without a will, correct? -Yes.
When did you first know that the car was missing?
When I went over there, bring the trash cans in the yard.
[Tanya] Which was when?
-June. -[Tanya] Your mother dies in February.
So, in or around June is when you first noticed the car was missing?
-Correct. -Who has access to the house?
Somebody had to be in the house between February and June.
Oh, I have the key.
[Tanya] But you weren't there, clearly, because if mom died in February,
and you didn't know that the car was missing until June,
there's a big gap of time where either you weren't going to the house...
Please don't talk over me. This case is a mother and a daughter
at odds with each other,
claiming all sorts of false police reports.
-Are we clear? -Yes.
Thank you. So, between February, when your mother died,
and July, which is when you were arrested in the car,
-Yeah. -You weren't using the car, correct?
-No. -And you weren't making regular visits
-to the house. -No.
What was going on with the car between February and July?
Um, it was just sitting there in the yard.
So, I was having conversations with my auntie about me getting the car.
In the absence of a will, you sort of have to look at how the law works.
And property goes to the nearest relative, which would not be you.
However, this case is not about whether or not she owns the car.
This case is about whether or not you had her falsely arrested.
So, I wouldn't get too sanguine in the fact that it's your car.
So, you go to your aunt and you say, I want to have this, can I drive the car?
I cannot take what your aunt said for its truth.
-Right. -[Tanya] She's not here.
So, if you want to testify that your aunt said to you, you can have the car,
that doesn't mean you can have the car.
But what I can take that for is your understanding, or your belief
of what you thought your rights were. You go to a lot of trouble
in your complaint to say that you and your mother are not close.
She didn't really raise you and that you were instead raised by your grandmother.
And again, not for the truth of it, but why is it you believe your grandmother
wanted you to have this car? There's no will.
So far, you said that you go to an aunt and your aunt says, okay.
But was there anything else? Like any writings? Anything at all?
No, there's nothing in writing. It was just like brief conversations
that I would have with my granny.
You're driving the car in July. Tell me what happens.
I was out there getting my nails done 'cause it was time for my birthday.
So, after I left the nail shop, I end up going to my friend house.
So, she was like, well, can you take me to go get a cup?
So, I was sitting in front of the store waiting for her to get the cup.
I was looking down, 'cause I had found a bracelet inside the nail shop.
I didn't hear them behind me. I heard the sirens.
But when they got on the speaker thing, they was like,
get out the car! Get out the car!
And I was confused 'cause I didn't know if they was talking to me or not.
They was like, raise the window down! Get out the car!
[Tanya] You got out of the car. Did they put you in handcuffs?
Yeah, they told me to walk backwards and put my hands behind my back.
Did they pull guns on you?
Yes, they had... it was eleven of them out there and they had rifles...
Eleven police officers pulling rifles and guns on you.
-Yes. -[Tanya] And you're in handcuffs.
How do you convince them that you are not, in fact, a thief?
Well, I asked them who reported the car stolen?
And they said, a Christine Millage. I said, well, that can't be true,
'cause my granny has passed away.
So, let me stop you right there. They said that Christine Millage
who was the owner of the vehicle and your late grandmother,
had reported the car stolen. And this is five months
-after Christine Millage has died. -Yes.
So, you show the police her death certificate?
Not me. My friend had to show the obituary
and go through the paper... 'Cause I was in the back of the car.
The only thing they was asking me was, well, who number is this?
I said, well, that's Debbie Millage.
I said the only thing you have to do is call her and say Debbie Millage.
So, Ms. Millage, when you called to report the car stolen,
let's talk about what you told the police. You called the police.
[Debbie] No, I went up there, your Honor.
After the gate... The lock was broke off of the gate.
-When was that? -I have evidence...
When did you notice the lock broken?
In June.
[Tanya] Why did you give the police your late mother's name?
Why didn't you say, I am Debbie Millage.
That's what I did in the report.
Ms. Williams, in the report, was there evidence that your mother
actually identified herself as your grandmother in making the report?
Um, that's what they told me.
I didn't see that your mother actually said
that she was your grandmother...
'Cause they had the names mixed up in the report.
Like, they didn't actually take the report 'cause I wasn't arrested.
How do you know that she used your late grandmother's name?
'Cause they kept saying it's a Christine Millage,
- it's not a Debbie Millage. -And at the time, in July,
the car wasn't in your name, correct?
-Yes, it was. -[Tanya] No, it was not.
When did you register the car?
-Um... -Let me help you. Your exhibit one...
You registered the car in October of 2022.
There was a hold on it at the time. 'Mesha filed a false report
and registered the car in her name.
-[Tanya] We're not there yet. -[Debbie] Okay, I'm sorry.
And I ask you, in July, the car was not in your name
-[Debbie] Right. Okay. -when you reported it stolen.
So, you couldn't have given them your name.
You had to give them your mother's name in July,
because the only registered owner of the vehicle in July
was your dead mother.
And part of why your daughter is suing you, is her position is,
you knew the car wasn't stolen. You knew she had the car.
And my question for you is, if you were so concerned
about the whereabouts of the car, where were you between February,
when your mother passed away,
and July, when your daughter was driving the car?
So, I'm going to move on
How did you get the car back in your possession?
-How did I get the car in my possession? -How did you
ultimately get the car in your possession?
How did your mother end up with the car back in her possession?
She went to the DMV and just had them put like, her name on the registration
because they said, the DMV said that my granny had a lien sale holder on it.
So, there was no way for me to even put the car in my name.
-So, she went and had it falsely done. -[Tanya] So, she puts the car in her name.
And I read your answer, Ms. Millage.
She goes to a probate attorney and I'm gonna assume right now,
just as a matter of law because she's the closest relative,
at least as between her and you. The car may very well be her property.
But that's not what your case is about. You're not trying to get the car,
you're saying that when mom had you arrested,
she did that for no good reason.
Now, let's flip to August.
She files a complaint with the DMV about your trying to register the car.
You file a complaint with the DMV against her shortly thereafter.
You, Ms. Millage are driving the car and you get arrested or detained.
What happens to you when you're detained?
[sobs]
-[Tanya] Was your witness with you? -[witness] Yes.
I believe I saw your statement. Do you want to take the stand?
-[witness] Yes. -[Byrd] You don't want one?
-I'll take it for her, thank you. -[sniffles]
Can you please state your name for the record?
Namisha Logan.
On or around July 27th, were you riding with the Defendant
in the vehicle in question?
Yeah, we were on our way
to her attorney's office to turn in some papers.
And by the time we got in the parking lot, they drew guns out on us. It was about...
[Tanya] Forced you to get out of the car.
...They about 16 of 'em with lasers on us.
They told us to get down on our knees...
-Did they handcuff you? -Yeah, both of us.
They had us both in the car. They wanted to look over her paperwork.
And then, how did the situation deescalate?
-'Cause nobody was arrested and charged. -Yeah, once they got her information
and what she told them added up, they let us go.
[narrator] Coming up on Tribunal Justice...
Between the date of your mother's death in February and June
-you never really went to the house. -Yes, I did, your honor.
-I kept going there just to... -[Tanya] That is not...
-[Patricia] Did I misunderstand? -No, you did not misunderstand.
-She just changed her testimony. -Thank you.
[narrator] Timesha Williams claims her mother, Debbie Millage,
reported her car stolen and had her falsely arrested.
Debbie says she owns the car
and her daughter stole it from her late grandmother.
Why did you make this complaint that resulted in your mother getting arrested?
Because you did the same thing she did and maintained that the car was stolen.
No, I was just inquiring how was she able just to put the car in her name
without having the lien sale holder title, like I did.
So, you maintained it was stolen,
or that she was doing something improper by driving it,
when you knew that you guys had a civil dispute.
You, I believe,
knew that your daughter was driving it when you had her arrested.
-No, I didn't. -So, I'm gonna pass the case.
But right now, what it seems to me
is that two people in the middle of a horrible family dispute
used the legal system
and law enforcement penalties to try to get an advantage on the other.
That's how this is shaking out to me right now. Judge DiMango?
That's a pretty accurate shake. Because they're each calling the police.
They each know the situation. They each know that there's no will.
They each know that there's a dispute. And rather than do it like two adults,
they did this like two people who
have no interest in the loss of the grandmother or the mother,
which I find extremely troubling. So now, let me talk to you.
You made this police report and you lied in the police report.
-Correct? -I didn't technically lie,
-'cause the car... -[Patricia] What's a technical lie?
'Cause the car was registered in my name. I had all of the paperwork,
me and my auntie, to have the car registered.
[Patricia] No, no, no. No, no, no, no.
Timesha, that's you, stated her grandma Christine
gave her possession of the vehicle sometime in April.
You didn't have possession of the vehicle.
-That's not what I say, your honor. -Oh, so, the police are lying now, too?
No, they not lying, they just did not take the time
-to write the statement out correctly. -[Patricia] It's only three sentences.
Second sentence...
Timesha advised that Christine, your grandmother,
recently passed away and was unable to transfer title to her name.
So, what you're telling the cop is,
she gave you the car but because she passed away
before she could transfer it,
-she didn't transfer title to you. -They actually did not get that from me,
they got that from my friend. They wasn't really asking me no questions.
They said right here,
"Statement of Timesha Williams." So, let me continue.
"Timesha indicated that Christine
placed her and Timesha's aunt on the will...
There was no will.
...for the property, and that included the Honda."
So, these are the lies in every sentence here.
So, you mean to tell me that these cops took the time
to concoct lies for every sentence?
-I didn't say they concoct the lies... -[Patricia] They had to!
Because you're saying this isn't true, you didn't say it.
They have it mixed up.
[Patricia] Now, we go to you.
How many children did your mother have, Christine have?
Five, but one is deceased.
Okay. So, four of you who are alive.
So, do you have a decent relationship with any of your siblings?
I'm still grieving from my mom.
What does that have to do with your relationship
with the people in your family?
Um, no.
For two people who are grieving, I have to say,
you spend a lot of time on the phone with the police department.
When my mom died in the house, I had put a lock on the gate.
Yeah, and you showed us pictures of the lock.
I didn't see a broken lock.
-It's broke right here, your honor. -[Patricia] So, where is it broken?
The first lock, your honor, that I bought. Then I added the other two on there.
So, this is not a picture of the broken lock.
This is the picture of two locks that you put on 'cause these locks are closed.
They're not open, they're not broken, they're not cut.
I don't know which one of you... You know what, they say,
the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Did you ever hear that expression?
[Timesha] Yes.
Well, I got to tell you, you two are both right under the same tree branch.
First of all, what made you go to the house that day?
'Cause I was going to put
-the trash cans back in the yard, -Can I say something?
on a Friday.
So... but you never went to the house, really.
I have been going to the house. Yes, I have, 'cause I have the key.
I know, you said that you had the key. But you told Judge Acker
that between the date of your mother's death in Febru...
Have a seat.
Between the date of your mother's death in February and June,
you never really went to the house.
Yes, I did, your honor. I kept going there just to...
[Patricia] Judge Acker, did I misunderstand?
No, you did not misunderstand.
-She just changed her testimony. -Thank you.
So now, now you suddenly go to the house.
And what were you doing at the house that you were moving garbage pails?
I was showing the house to the probate attorneys.
-On that day? -Yeah, real estate, yes.
So, you get there and you say, oh, my God, they broke into the lock!
I called one of my siblings and told him that the gate was broke
and the car was stolen out the yard.
So, my sibling told me to call the police.
So, how do I know you didn't break the gate,
just to make it look like it was her?
I wouldn't do that, your honor. I wouldn't do that to my mother.
Not your mother, you'd do it to your daughter.
Listen, you two would do anything to anybody.
To see a mother and daughter in here
over property belonging to a deceased grandmother.
I have not seen anything, in this courtroom, that really amounts
to this type of disregard for family, love, friendship, people.
Me either, your honor.
So now, you got this car missing, according to you,
according to you, you would never do to your mother by cutting the lock.
That's what Timesha did. She admitted it.
[Patricia] Did you admit to cutting the lock?
No, I didn't. The gate was already broke
-when I went over there. -[Debbie] No, it wasn't.
How do you know? You don't even know when she went.
-[Patricia] Anyway... -'Cause I went there.
-Please stop talking. -Okay.
'Cause you know what? My head's tired of hearing lies.
[Patricia] Let me try to talk to you.
So now, you go... You go into the backyard, the car's there.
It's not whether you had a right to the car or not.
But I think the fact that you have a right to the car, if you do,
goes to me how much more malicious your mom may have been in the situation,
knowing that you had the permission from someone to have the car.
Because truthfully speaking,
the law would provide that if somebody dies in testate,
that their property passes to each of their children.
Per... what they call, per stirpes, which means that if she had $100
and you were five kids, you'd all get $20.
So, that's what the law would presume unless there were some other...
But we don't have any of that. We just have an aunt
who has the Power of Attorney who's not here.
And we don't have you reporting to your mother that you had the car.
Well, let me ask you one other thing. Tell me exactly what you said
when you called the police to report the car stolen.
I went down to the 'cinct. Once...
[Patricia] You went down to the precinct. What did you say?
I said, my mom car was stolen out the yard,
and the lock has been broken on the gate.
And what'd they say to you?
They asked me for my I.D. and I filed a police report.
Did you have to give the name of anybody that you thought took the vehicle?
I didn't know at the time, your honor. I didn't know. I didn't know.
Until they stopped Timesha and called me July the 12th
and told me that your daughter was in the car.
And that's kind of what I wanted to hear 'cause I'm not so sure
because she called the police
that she said, and my daughter stole the vehicle.
Because I think, based... if you're telling the truth that 20 cops
got out of the car with rifles and guns,
it doesn't sound to me
like a mom saying, my daughter took the vehicle.
Because they never would've approached you under any circumstances
with so many police in it. So, I'm not so sure,
when your mother reported the car stolen,
though, I don't necessarily trust everything she says,
that the report that she made named you. Because if it did,
your name would be in the report. She says, my daughter stole the vehicle.
Now, do we have a police report that you made out that day
with an indication as to what you said when you reported it?
I'd like to see it. Because if you didn't give her name,
I didn't give her name, your honor.
And I... For some crazy reason, I almost believe you.
[narrator] Coming up on Tribunal Justice...
You described a moment ago, your relationship with your aunt is good.
-Yes. -One would expect her to
corroborate and support what you say
-and contradict what the defendant says. -Yes.
Where is she?
If you did give her name, I think, they would've been a little different
with when they pulled her over. I'm not sure how then,
if she didn't give your name and say specifically it was you,
that you could be so angry with her that the police stopped you.
Because what she really reported was almost a residential burglary,
for all they knew. There was no key, there was a broken lock,
you were in the yard, it was on the other side of enclosed property.
So, the police could've used force for a stop,
but I don't know. Judge Levy? You keep looking for that.
That's gonna be your whole case for me.
-[Adam] Miss Williams. -Yes.
I want you to tell me what your interest, if any, was in your grandmother's Honda
prior to her passing.
-Did she put you on the title? -No, she didn't, your honor.
You would agree with me, would you not,
that if she wanted you to have a possessory interest in that vehicle
should something happen to her, nothing prevented her
from filling out a DMV document that listed you as a co-owner.
-Correct. No, she didn't, your honor. -[Adam] But she didn't.
And that that 2008 Honda was one of the largest possessions
and most valuable possessions that your grandmother owned.
Besides her house, yes.
And you knew that if something should, God forbid, happen to her,
that the way the law worked is that the car wouldn't go to you,
it would go to one of her children,
which included your mother and the siblings.
-You knew that. -Correct.
And so, you would agree with me, would you not,
that prior to your grandmother passing, you could have taken her down to the DMV
and gotten this done the right way by having her include your name.
-But you just never did that. -Correct.
So, what I'm interested in is,
you provided us with exhibit seven,
which was a letter dated July 26th, 2022 to you.
This letter is to verify that continuous liability coverage
has been in effect for Timesha Denise Williams
effective May 23rd, 2021 to the present without lapse.
Vehicle covered: 2008 Honda Accord
with the same VIN number of your grandmother's car.
How is it that you present
-a forged document to this court? -That's from proof
from when I called and asked them can they send me something
stating that I had insurance on the car.
So, are you saying that you had insurance, separate and apart
from your grandmother on the Honda?
I added her car into my policy.
How is that you can add a car onto a policy
that you don't have a possessory interest in?
'Cause the car was registered in my name.
Show me your grandmother's car was registered in your name.
I couldn't get it registered 'cause we have to wait
for the lien sell paperwork.
-'Cause they said that her car was... -[Adam laughs]
All right. You described a moment ago, your relationship with your aunt,
who is the one who allegedly gave you permission to the car,
-is good. Do you stand by that? -Yes.
Based upon your good relationship that you have with her...
-Right? One would expect her to -Yes.
corroborate and support what you say and contradict what the defendant says
-Yes. -Where is she?
She don't want to be involved.
And what do you think that does for you?
So, the way that we can view that, we don't have to,
but the law allows us to look at that scenario
based upon the answers that you gave,
is to assume, that had she come in
and testified, she would've testified inconsistently
with what you had to say
and consistently with what your mother had to say.
That's what the law provides. I'm just telling you.
Do you have any document, in which she, your mother
told the police that you stole the car?
I wasn't able to have it.
I have nothing further.
In July, ma'am, when the plaintiff was arrested
as a result of your reporting the car stolen,
prior to your making that report
you called your brother, you said, the car is not here.
Did you call any of the other siblings who might've had an interest in the car?
-No. -Did it occur to you
that maybe you should call some other relatives,
'cause your mother has died. And you know, when something happens
people are all over property and all in the house,
and in fact, you even said
that you knew your daughter had been in the house
to retrieve some of her things.
You said that in your answer.
If you knew that she'd been in the house at some point
between the time you reported the car stolen
and the time your mother died...
-The car was... -Why not call some of the other people
who you knew had access to your late mother's home?
Including your daughter? You knew she had access to the home.
Because you knew she had taken some other items.
That, you don't have any problem with 'cause you say she bought those things.
I was hurt 'cause of my mother, so I wasn't thinking like that, you know?
Okay. Thank you. Judge...
While we were doing this, I looked at your phone
and you showed me the police report that you made out.
And there was nothing from you saying that she stole the vehicle.
So, I think at this point, we're gonna retire to deliberate.
Thank you all.
[Byrd] Court stands in recess. Parties are excused.
So, what's interesting is that in her testimony today,
the Defendant kept suggesting, oh, I had no idea.
I had no idea who allegedly stole the car.
When you look at her answer, she immediately points the finger
at the Plaintiff, because she says that at some point
the Plaintiff was at her late mother's house getting some things
and that's when she noticed the car keys were gone.
The timing was suspicious.
I think that she had a very good reason to believe
that her daughter was in the car when she reported it stolen.
However, I want to dismiss because I think that the Plaintiff
did exactly the same thing as the Defendant.
I think that there are a lot of nasty things people do in litigation.
I think that calling the police on one another in order to get an advantage
is about the nastiest.
So, I do think that the Defendant had good reason to believe
that it was Plaintiff in the car, but I find the Plaintiff's unclean hands,
for me, make me unwilling to rule in her favor.
Oh, I think not only were her hands just unclean, they were filthy.
She said that her grandmother gave her the car in April.
The grandmother died in February. She said that the grandmother left a will.
The grandmother never left a will.
She said that in the will it named her and her aunt
the rightful owners of all the grandmother's property.
So, the bottom line here is, she lied outright to the police.
She knew darn well what she was saying wasn't true.
And the reality is that she is not entitled to $10,000
for any report made by her mother for any reason,
false or not, at this point.
She failed to meet her burden. It's plain and simple.
That's the way I see it. She understood what was at stake
with respect to her grandmother's property.
She testified she understands what happens,
that the children of her grandmother would be the ones to get the property.
And she did absolutely nothing to secure herself
a place in that line
for ownership interest in the vehicle, period.
There is no evidence that she has, that her mother acted maliciously.
-Number one, when she filed the report. -Right, 'cause she didn't name her.
Number two... Didn't name her.
...the one person who possibly could've corroborated her claim
was her aunt.
And we all know what the missing witness charge is.
We're not required to... Right?
...assume that she came in, she would've testified.
But we're allowed to.
That's not the reason why I'm ruling the way I am.
She just failed to meet her burden.
For me, a big part of the dismissal is that you're both engaged
-in the same improper conduct. -Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, the way you said it was perfectly fine
Yeah, and the fact that she lied to the police on top of that.
-Great. We're unanimous. -Thank you.
[Byrd] Court is back in session.
Parties are reminded you're still under oath.
We've deliberated and we've reached an unanimous verdict.
Miss Williams, again, to be clear, your claim at issue in this case
is not for the car. But it's based on your belief,
your position,
that your mother acted in bad faith when she reported the car stolen.
As was revealed in the course of the case, there's nothing in the police report
that indicates that she named you as a suspect in the theft.
But I think you did. Regardless of what you said to the police,
you had it in the back of your mind that she may have had it.
However, that does not end the analysis. Because Miss Williams,
you came to court and made a number of material misstatements.
You submitted evidence that we believe was forged.
You also submitted evidence that indicates that you were not truthful
in prior statements with respect to the ownership of the car.
But you know what, I'm gonna even take the bird's eye view.
Because we are all unanimous in believing this.
People come to court, they fight with one another
and they use everything they can to get an advantage.
And when you start calling the police on one another...
'Cause you're suing your mom for calling the police on you.
You did exactly the same thing when you certainly knew she had the car.
So, whatever pain, whatever embarrassment, whatever fear you had,
by looking down the barrel of many police officer's guns, being handcuffed,
which I believe was humiliating. Had you not done that,
I would have gone back into that deliberation room
and fought like hell to get you money.
Because when people get the police called on them for no good reason,
that is wrong!
You did exactly the same thing to your mother.
You gave as good as you got. You get no remedy here.
Your case is dismissed.
[Byrd] This case is concluded. Parties are excused.
You may step out.
I have nothing to say.
I feel wonderful and excited. I'm happy.
I don't have a mother...
I'm a sweet mother.
...'Cause she's a envy jealous person.
Her mother raised her to be a nice, good young lady,
but she just shows up to be a devil.
Her action shows it.
It's my mom, Christine.
She just said, Debbie, I'm happy you won. Amen.
[narrator] Having a family dispute? Let Tribunal Justice decide your case.
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