The People's Court - General Discussion

[Rick Kitchen]

He claimed he was "Baron of Normandy".  There is no such title.  "Duke of Normandy" was a royal title belonging to the monarch.

[teebax]

That so-called baron was such a freaking blowhard. I can't imagine anyone wanting to spend any length of time with him. There's a jackass like him at my favorite watering hole. We call him the one-up man. Anything you've done, he's done previously and better. And none of the regulars like him, but he has his head too far up his own ass to notice.

Mr. Baron doesn't want to do any of the work required to become impressive; he'll just pay someone to put in a book that he's impressive. Esquire my ass. I feel for his kids, who are probably pressured to achieve great things so good old dad can brag about them to anyone who'll listen.

ETA: One thing I learned today that I didn't know before is that people dry clean sneakers. MM didn't know it, either. I know some people collect sneakers, but I had no idea that dry cleaning them was a thing. I will say that i liked the way the plaintiff was dressed. I've never had the energy to put that much effort into my clothes!

Edited October 28, 2014 by teebax

[Bazinga]

I think he won because he was crazy and didn't have the capacity to contract.  It is not a positive thing.  Plaintiff, though, thinks MM sided with him; she did not.

 

So much there:

 

He was bragging that his children took the SAT at 11, but they only did average for the year, not like they scored 1600 (I don't want to make light of the accomplishment but doesn't sound like it is as impressive as he thinks).

 

He was so impressed by some artist putting him on his website in his costume, like it mattered.  The artist called him the Baron of Normandy and he thinks he earned the title.

 

Jews were not treated well in England at that time.  I sincerely doubt that his ancestors were actually the "royal bankers" in such a way as to be an honor that he believes it is.  More like they were forced to provide the King's ransom with no possibility of repayment. 

 

The Cunard upgrade story was great, too.

 

The defendant came off nasty and the book might be legit but it is still a pointless scam and she seemed overly defensive about that.  Also, the plaintiff never actually claimed the book was a scam, just that they didn't put in what he wanted-the Esquire title.  He fudged the difference between Squire and Esquire by the way.  Also, they wont print children and spouse info as it doesn't fit their format except when you pay more.  They invited this guy and he is a nut, so their invitations are not all that discriminating.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Bazinga

[Oinky Boinky]

Dry cleaning sneakers?? I thought the chemicals would do a number on the rubbers and adhesives. 

 

As a very active Hash House Harrier (drinkers with a running problem) we do a lot of running in muck.   

 

We wash sneakers, you can just dunk the topsides or throw them in the washing machine and after one filthy run in Las Vegas we put them in the condo dishwasher.

[SoapDoc]

 

I think he won because he was crazy and didn't have the capacity to contract.  It is not a positive thing.  Plaintiff, though, thinks MM sided with him; she did not.

 

Yeah, this guy did not seem to get that MM thought he was insane. I know she was trying to be polite but I thought she should have told him that she was ruling that way because he was not competent, I know he would not have believed him but he is going to run this crazy on some other Who's Who group and be back in court.

 

These Who's Who organizations are really marketing opportunities to try to attract more clients and opportunities. I guess everyone does not understand that.

[Oinky Boinky]

The Baron, Esquire guy just proved how much people will pay to have someone blow air up their own skirts. 

 

I thought those coat of arms things were always scams.   

 

I want so bad for him to find out his great titled ancestor was the 'groom of the stool'.

[knitorpurl]

The Who's Who lady cannot be shocked that her product, that is designed to appeal to the self-important and pompous, attracted "The Baron". He's obviously living in his own dream world and once she couldn't please him with his multiple demands she should have given his money back just to get rid of him. But then again, she was probably thinking he was going to keep upgrading to feed his ego and thought she had a hot sale in the works. Have to feel bad for his daughter. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Yeah, this guy did not seem to get that MM thought he was insane. I know she was trying to be polite but I thought she should have told him that she was ruling that way because he was not competent, I know he would not have believed him but he is going to run this crazy on some other Who's Who group and be back in court.

 

These Who's Who organizations are really marketing opportunities to try to attract more clients and opportunities. I guess everyone does not understand that.

Yes, people don't understand that it's a book that is not respected by people who are looking to find notable professionals.  The defendant was quite defensive about it, but that's because she has to maintain on the air that is legit.  She was choosing her words very carefully.  Surprised she actually went on TV at all. While I can agree that JM thought plaintiff was a little crazy, I think she also felt that the defendant hadn't adhered to the contract or perhaps that the contract was unenforceable because of unconscionability (although she didn't discuss that issue).  Rough justice!

Edited October 28, 2014 by GussieK

[teebax]

Regarding yesterday's episode, it amazes me that people just sign contracts willy-nilly. Did the plaintiff really think there weren't going to be any consequences to backing out? And who signs a contract before they know whether or not they can get the loan to pay for the work? That's like buying new rims and stereo for a car before you get approved for the car loan! This woman is a business owner and doesn't know to get your financing BEFORE you sign the freaking contract? She also doesn't believe in restocking fees but not to the point where she'd make the effort to find out of the contractor was being honest about the fees or not.

 

I love, love, love these types of cases. The plaintiff is completely in the wrong and actually ends up screwed because they brought a lawsuit. She should have settled for the $700 or so the contractor offered or, barring that, she should have left well enough alone and just kissed her deposit goodbye. The contractor seemed like a nice guy who was trying to work with the plaintiff. I have no doubt that if she'd just asked to delay the project instead of asking for a refund, he'd have been fine with that.

[maya1959]

JM almost called him incompetent but stopped herself. The defendant having to repay the money should be seen as a win for them as this sad delusional man will hound them if all his information is not correct. He started out as an esq and announced his title as Baron. These delusions of grandeur are the reason for his daughter's alienation. In Australia there was a scam in the 2000's that involved payment of $$$$$$ to get your family coat of arms. I wonder if this is how this plaintiff discovered his lineage and the DNA was a delusion.

Edited October 30, 2014 by maya1959

[Oinky Boinky]

A very good example of why we love Judge Milian was the lady with the water damage from condo air conditioning. 

 

She listened so patiently to the ladies story, realized she didn't have the answer and then researched the issue. Genuine caring about the plaintiff's problem. 

 

The other thought on this case is when the lady went to the Rabbi and said she had damage from his AC water he made no attempt to help her. 

He said he used to be on the Condo board. He very well could have told the lady her options.  He was probably afraid a judgement would come out of the condo owners funds.

Kind of an uncaring attitude for a Rabbi. 

[teebax]

 

A very good example of why we love Judge Milian was the lady with the water damage from condo air conditioning.

Yep - she's the best of the TV court judges, IMO, for many reasons. The fact that she actually hears the testimony and at least attempts to accurately apply the law is one of them. I also like that she's not afraid to give a smackdown when needed. JJ has the rep for doing so, but I think Milian's are much more effective since she comes off as being so nice and understanding until (BAM!) smackdown.

[Brattinella]

I love MM's smackdowns!

[sleekandchic]

I seldom. -- no, rarely-- get to see this show. But I did watch today.

It was a tenant/landlord case, and the defendant/landlord was a bit obsequious, telling the judge she was "charming," and so fair and sweet (paraphrasing).

In the end, Judge Milian said, no, I'm a realist, and the people who come to court here have a right to have a judge who decides on the law, and not whether she woke up in a good mood or feels bad about something....(I am paraphrasing, but that was her gist). I really really liked her and her stance.

[teebax]

 

In the end, Judge Milian said, no, I'm a realist, and the people who come to court here have a right to have a judge who decides on the law, and not whether she woke up in a good mood or feels bad about something....(I am paraphrasing, but that was her gist). I really really liked her and her stance.

I liked that she said that. I don't think it was directed at a certain other TV judge, but I'm going to pretend to myself that it was. These litigants come to court and, usually, believe they're correct in their position. They deserve to have their cases heard by an impartial judge.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

A very good example of why we love Judge Milian was the lady with the water damage from condo air conditioning.

I could have listened to that lady's voice all day. . . it was like she was channeling Emily Litella. . . can you imagine her reading stories to preschoolers? 

 

I knew exactly what A/C Lady was talking about - I have a two story townhouse with an upstairs A/C handler and an outside unit (with the freon). There's a little tube that leads from the air handler and drains outside - if that tube gets plugged up with gunk or debris, it will back up and water will leak under the upstairs A/C unit and stain my downstairs kitchen ceiling. I have to pour bleach in that little tube every month or so to keep it running free and clear (obviously the back up happened to me and my downstairs ceiling has water leak marks on it) And since I live in Broward County just like the litigants, the A/C is on here all the time (even in the winter due to excess humidity) 

 

I'm glad Judge Marilyn has the rabbi helping this lady out. She was a bit confuzzled in her explanation and perhaps the condo board just dismissed her (and condo boards are extremely clannish down here). Sounded like an eventual win for the A/C lady and good vibes from the Rabbi. You go Judge Marilyn!

[NYGirl]

I just watched the Bonneville car case and all I have to say is why the hell did Judge Marilyn allow that defendant guy to talk over her for so long?  I really have a headache now and I have no idea what either of them said.

[Brooklynista]

I think Curts time in the hallway may be coming to an end because seriously,

"It is what it is" {shrug}

[AZChristian]

Found this on Wikipedia about the use of "Esquire" . . . since the Baron was so insistent on using it.  I love the part I bolded.  In other words, IT MEANS NOTHING.  It used to mean you were an assistant to a knight.  Now, the title "Sir" (as a knight would have) DOES mean something.  So an "Esquire" is an insignificant person who cleans the boots of someone important.

 

"In the United Kingdom, it was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, but later came to be used as a general courtesy title for any man in a formal context, usually appended to the name as in "John Smith, Esq.", with no precise significance. Esquire is cognate with the word squire, which originally meant an apprentice to, or assistant to, a knight. The title "Esquire" has been used continuously since it was created in the late 14th century, and remains in use today."

[DebbieW]

The thing I love most about MM is that she hasn't lost touch with regular working people.  I can picture her dealing with contractors and shopping and taking care of her family.  The other day, JJ told someone that she understood that a gas smell could come from a pilot light being out, even though she hadn't used an oven in 27 years. I have no trouble believing that.  MM just seems real.

[WhitneyWhit]

The defendant in today's first case was creepy as hell. WTH was wrong with him? He leaves some creepy ass message on a girl's phone, scares her half to death, and then tries to blame her? MM was right, he needs some serious help.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

The defendant in today's first case was creepy as hell. WTH was wrong with him? He leaves some creepy ass message on a girl's phone, scares her half to death, and then tries to blame her? MM was right, he needs some serious help.

Kumar def had some issues. . . I was watching his behavior in the hallterview and he reminded me of my autistic niece who has trouble processing emotions at times - his affect was very strange. I imagine him torturing small animals and setting fires. 

[DoctorK]

 

He leaves some creepy ass message on a girl's phone, scares her half to death, and then tries to blame her?

The plaintiff needs to gear up to protect herself from this psycho, as does anyone else who knows him. Clean up the gene pool.

[Pepper the Cat]

Not only does he leave creepy messages, but he does this to multiple people! And does nor see that this is wrong"

[Oinky Boinky]

I believe that girl should have filed criminal charges otherwise this guy is just never going to get it. 

 

His sentence -a few days in jail, probation and make him work on a crisis hotline with supervision of course!

[momtoall]

I couldn't concentrate on the defamation case with the contractor today because the defendant's toupee was so detracting.  It wasn't really a toupee it was a flat out wig!!  His lack of hair couldn't have looked worse.  In the next case, the plaintiff's rainbow eyeshadow was a sight to behold.  LOL

Edited November 4, 2014 by momtoall

[Brattinella]

The judge even commented on the eyeshadow, hilarious!  "Who does your makeup?"  "Me, your honor!"  Hahaha!

[Brooklynista]

The judge even commented on the eyeshadow, hilarious!  "Who does your makeup?"  "Me, your honor!"  Hahaha!

She looked like someone slapped her in the eyes with a bag of Skittles.

[Pepper the Cat]

Pain and suffering because I couldn't watch myTV! The suffering she must have gone through!

[Rick Kitchen]

The worst thing about makeup lady was the dinner plate sized earrings that kept clanking against her cheap-ass necklace.

[teebax]

The worst thing about makeup lady was the dinner plate sized earrings that kept clanking against her cheap-ass necklace.

Instead of a TV in every room of her house, she should consider having one TV with a treadmill in front of it. I tend to avoid fat-shaming because we don't always know why people have weight problems, but her bragging about having a TV in every room makes me comfortable with saying she needs another hobby. Her arms were bigger than my freaking thighs! If she can't be without TV for a little while, she could at least get some exercise while watching it.

And her makeup was atrocious. I don't think MM commented on it; that might have been the hallway dude who asked her about it.

I do like that MM took the time to research her claim, though, I've had a plasma TV break In a similar manner during a move. You don't know it until you turn it on. My brother broke mine. I didn't have to sue him because he did the right thing and replaced it, even though I didn't ask him to. How reasonable and boring we are in my family.

[DoctorK]

 

the plaintiff's rainbow eyeshadow was a sight to behold.

Plus the clashing colors of the necklace. Made me nostalgic for the pre-color TV days, shades of gray could never be as painful.

[Rick Kitchen]

"Who's the Italian meatball?"  Racist much?

[JBC344]

Instead of a TV in every room of her house, she should consider having one TV with a treadmill in front of it. I tend to avoid fat-shaming because we don't always know why people have weight problems, but her bragging about having a TV in every room makes me comfortable with saying she needs another hobby. Her arms were bigger than my freaking thighs! If she can't be without TV for a little while, she could at least get some exercise while watching it.

And her makeup was atrocious. I don't think MM commented on it; that might have been the hallway dude who asked her about it.

I do like that MM took the time to research her claim, though, I've had a plasma TV break In a similar manner during a move. You don't know it until you turn it on. My brother broke mine. I didn't have to sue him because he did the right thing and replaced it, even though I didn't ask him to. How reasonable and boring we are in my family.

This is why I prefer her show to so many others.  This was a classic example, even though the Plaintiff was getting frustrated and really wasn't articulating herself correctly Judge M didn't get an attitude and quickly dismiss her claims because she didn't understand her or because she had no knowledge of the issue at hand.  I love that she will either leave the bench to get an expert opinion, look up said law in the guests jurisdiction, or allow the guests to retrieve information.  I love the fact that she recognizes that this is a tv show as well and if she needs to break to help get the correct/fair judgment she will do that.

[teebax]

I was completely lost during yesterday's case of the Volkswagen with the light indicator problem. So, this is an indicator on the dashboard that tells you which light is out. Did they ever explain why they couldn't just look at the car and tell which light was out? Even in the daytime, I can tell the difference between a headlight that is shining and one that isn't. I feel like I missed something there.

[JBC344]

For some strange reason they just didn't look initially to see which light it was.  I think that was more about that the light indicator came on during a test drive and before she bought the car.  So when the car company said that they would replace "the" light and they did it wasn't specified. 

 

First I was confused why the judge didn't rule in her favor, but the more I thought about it the more I understood.  The car was as is but before she bought the car she had them replace "a" light.  The specific light wasn't talked about.  The dealership actually ended up replacing two lights and she was sent on her way with the indicator light not blinking.  It wasn't until a few days later that the indicator light came back on.  Now the problem the plaintiff had was that she had to prove that second indicator light which read, "headlight is out"  was connected to the first one and not just a second light that went out on her car since it was a used car "as is".  The dealerships stance was we replaced the lights initially because it was before she bought it, but the second "indicator light" is on her and there was no proof that they were connected. 

[teebax]

For some strange reason they just didn't look initially to see which light it was.  I think that was more about that the light indicator came on during a test drive and before she bought the car.  So when the car company said that they would replace "the" light and they did it wasn't specified. 

 

First I was confused why the judge didn't rule in her favor, but the more I thought about it the more I understood.  The car was as is but before she bought the car she had them replace "a" light.  The specific light wasn't talked about.  The dealership actually ended up replacing two lights and she was sent on her way with the indicator light not blinking.  It wasn't until a few days later that the indicator light came back on.  Now the problem the plaintiff had was that she had to prove that second indicator light which read, "headlight is out"  was connected to the first one and not just a second light that went out on her car since it was a used car "as is".  The dealerships stance was we replaced the lights initially because it was before she bought it, but the second "indicator light" is on her and there was no proof that they were connected. 

I just don't understand why nobody thought to get out of the car and look at which light was out! Those HID headlights are not cheap to replace. She probably could have gotten them to replace it if she'd made the deal contingent on it.

[Pepper the Cat]

Wow! Not one but many smack downs in the first case today! MM was on fire! What a pair of creeps. I'm not sure which guy was worse.

[teebax]

Wow! Not one but many smack downs in the first case today! MM was on fire! What a pair of creeps. I'm not sure which guy was worse.

The defendant was worse, but only by a small margin and only because he vandalized the plaintiff's car,especially in front of his son. But I thought the plaintiff was going to get himself thrown out in the beginning by being a douchebag to MM.

[AngelaHunter]

"Kumar?" One of the best beatdowns I've seen JM give in awhile, and it was very well placed. There's nothing I can add to her conclusion that he's an amoral POS who needs professional help. I might have made allowances had Kumar been 14, but he's a grown man in college. Wow..

 

Arrogant Pompous Douchebag vs. No-Neck Smirking Cretin in car vandalism case. The fact that both of these individuals have wives stunned me more than anything else did. And yes, a fine example set for the unfortunate offspring of both of these repulsive creeps. I sympathized with JM's desire for a shower after hearing this stuff.

[Brattinella]

God what a sad episode!  Horse rushes over to see dead horse and falls into the 12-ft hole they dug for the first one and breaks its neck!  Man, I was crying through this one. SO sad.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Brattinella

[Brattinella]

I just can't get over this.  How do you euthanize an animal IN FRONT OF OTHER ANIMALS?  They aren't stupid; they know what death is!  How heartless can you be?

[teebax]

God what a sad episode!  Horse rushes over to see dead horse and falls into the 12-ft hole they dug for the first one and breaks its neck!  Man, I was crying through this one. SO sad.

I guess I can be relieved that my favorite NFL team, is playing tonight for MNF. So I won't see this episode for a while. That's good, because I don't feel like crying.

[Rick Kitchen]

The fire engine red-haired Mother From Hell really got MM emotional.  She was really on the verge of tears.

[NYGirl]

My goodness today's episode!  That red haired lady was so damned stubborn.  I felt so bad for her daughter.  I was practically in tears along with Judge Marilyn.  She didn't even care if she saw her beautiful granddaughters.

 

And then the horse...that put me over the top.  I believe the plaintiff about the other horse knowing her friend was gone.  I took my daughter horseback riding on a ranch a couple of years ago.  There was a horse in the paddock neighing loud and another horse answering in the stable.  I asked the rancher about it and she told me the one in the stable is usually out in the paddock with the other horse at that time every day but was in the stable waiting for her owner that specific day.  The other horse was calling for her.

 

I have to say I was amazed at the horses actually talking to each other like that.

[teebax]

Both cases were really sad to me. I can't even imagine having a mother who is that petty and vindictive. You don't get to thrust your religious beliefs on your grown children and their children. She's a ridiculous, sad, stubborn woman. I hope upon viewing the episode she rethinks her position, but I doubt it.

MM was spot on. She'd rather be right in her own mind than have time with her daughter and grandkids. And then she countersues for gifts she bought in the past?

Today is my mom's 75th birthday. I don't know how many more she's going to have, although she's in good health. There's no way we'd let our religious differences come between us. She's a born-again and I'm an agnostic and a lesbian. And she's never once tried to force her beliefs on me during my adulthood.

I just can't imagine how her daughter feels. But I'm glad she stood her ground. That mother is a bully.

Then we had the horse case. It was as sad as I expected. It's one of those rare cases in which I liked both sides. That was such a freak thing to happen. I agreed with the verdict, but felt bad for the plaintiff and the defendants.

[Brattinella]

You are so lucky, teebax!  Happy Birthday, Mom!

[EtheltoTillie]

It was such a sad episode I stopped wanting to snark about the red hair. But that was crazy hair. She went to the same stylist as Bozo-haired fortune teller from Judge Judy a couple of weeks ago.

[WhitneyWhit]

Has MM ever been brought to tears over a case before? I know she takes family arguments pretty hard, but I don't think I've ever seen her that emotional before. What a horrible excuse for a mother and human she was. She actually sued over clothes she purchased for her own grandchildren, how petty can you be?

[teebax]

Has MM ever been brought to tears over a case before? I know she takes family arguments pretty hard, but I don't think I've ever seen her that emotional before. What a horrible excuse for a mother and human she was. She actually sued over clothes she purchased for her own grandchildren, how petty can you be?

I love me some MM. That she got emotional (and it looked very real to me) is a testament to the fact that she's a great person who hasn't let fame cloud her judgment. JJ would have been SCREAMING at that mother. And, not that she wouldn't have deserved a tongue-lashing, screaming wouldn't have spoken to the core of her. Screaming at her would have just let her tell herself the judge just didn't like her or understand her. MM talked to her mother-to-mother.  MM made sure to tell her that she's also a Catholic who believes in baptism but would never let that come between her and her children, once they're grown.

 

I also liked when MM said no God that she can think of would want the mother to be behaving the way she was. And that no God would condemn children to burn in hell simply because their parents chose not to baptize them. Like I said, I hope upon re-watch she gets a clue, but based on what the daughter said in her hallterview, she probably won't.