FULL VIDEO AT THE END OF THE POST
Family Ties and Financial Woes
Ms. Brotherton appeared before Judge Judy.
She was suing Destiny Roseberry.
Destiny was the ex-girlfriend of Ms. Brotherton's nephew.
Judge Judy clarified the relationship.
Ms. Brotherton initially called him her nephew.
She then stated he was actually her third cousin.
Ms. Brotherton explained they were a close family.
She also mentioned his mother was her best friend.
Judge Judy accepted the close relationship.
The core issue was an apartment lease.
Ms. Brotherton had co-signed for her cousin, Zack.
Zack was the father of Destiny's child.
Destiny and Zack needed help to rent an apartment.
They did not have enough money to qualify on their own.
A New Baby and a New Apartment
Destiny gave birth on June 30, 2015.
She lived at home while pregnant.
About six months after the baby, she moved in with Zack.
They moved into the apartment on January 25, 2016.
Ms. Brotherton co-signed the lease for them.
The agreement was that Zack and Destiny would split the rent.
Ms. Brotherton was seeking Destiny's half of the rent.
This included November, December, and a prorated part of January.
Ms. Brotherton claimed Destiny never truly left the apartment.
She stated Destiny left her belongings there.
Ms. Brotherton also said Destiny refused to pay rent.
Conflicting Accounts of Moving Out
Destiny stated she moved out in November 2016.
She moved back home with her mother.
Ms. Brotherton's complaint stated Destiny left her belongings.
It also said Destiny refused to pay rent in November 2016.
This implied Destiny had left the apartment.
However, Ms. Brotherton's testimony contradicted this.
She claimed Destiny "never did leave the apartment."
She also said Destiny "comes and goes still."
This created an early inconsistency in the plaintiff's account.
The Young Parents' Financial Situation
Judge Judy questioned Destiny about her age.
Destiny was 21 years old.
Zack stated he was 23 years old.
Judge Judy gave them a stern lecture.
She told them they were "too young and too stupid to make a baby."
She also advised Destiny that life is not a "50/50 proposition."
Destiny had claimed she paid for everything.
She stated Zack "didn't have a job" in her written answer.
She said she paid for everything after they moved in.
Zack's testimony contradicted this claim.
He stated he worked detailing cars from January to June 2016.
He made approximately $400 per week during that time.
He then started working for a landscaping company in June 2016.
He continued with the landscaping company until January 2017.
This showed Zack was working consistently.
Destiny later acknowledged Zack was working.
She claimed he was always $100-$200 short on his rent share.
She said she had to cover his portion.
Destiny stated she worked two jobs.
She worked bartending and at a nursing home.
November Rent Dispute
Destiny claimed she moved out at the end of November.
She stated Zack was being violent towards her.
She therefore refused to pay her half of November's rent.
The full rent was $615.
Her half would have been $307.50.
Judge Judy asked if she was still in the apartment.
Destiny confirmed she was not.
She stated she moved out right before the court trip.
This meant she stayed in the apartment through January.
Zack's Employment and Rent Contributions
Zack claimed he was laid off in January 2017.
He stated he was working full-time in November and December 2016.
He said he was doing odd jobs "under the table" now.
These odd jobs included mowing yards, unloading trucks, and painting houses.
Judge Judy questioned his tax payments.
She also questioned his child support payments.
Zack claimed he had paid child support.
He stated he paid $300 towards December's rent.
This amount was half of the rent.
However, he had claimed to be working full-time.
He also stated he made $400 per week for part of the year.
This income would suggest he could pay his full half.
Judge Judy questioned the $400 per week claim.
Zack admitted "each one of those checks weren't always at that" amount.
This indicated his income was not consistently $400 per week.
Custody Arrangements
Judge Judy asked about custody arrangements.
Zack stated he had joint custody of their son.
He said it was already "squared away."
He explained the arrangement was an agreement, not a court order.
Zack was supposed to have their son three days a week.
He also had him every other weekend.
Destiny had the son four days a week and every other weekend.
Judge Judy noted Destiny had one day more.
The Discussion About Moving Out
Destiny claimed she had a discussion with Zack about moving out.
She said this happened at the end of November.
Specifically, around the 28th or 29th.
She stated they discussed him getting a roommate.
She claimed Zack had friends who would "love to take my place."
Destiny described the relationship as unhealthy for their child.
She said they could not be in the same household.
She confirmed the situation had become volatile.
Zack, however, denied this discussion.
He stated, "I didn't."
When Judge Judy pressed him, he said, "I don't recall."
This directly contradicted Destiny's testimony.
Zack's Continued Occupancy
Judge Judy asked Zack if he stayed in the apartment.
She asked if he stayed through December and January.
Zack confirmed he did.
This meant he occupied the apartment after Destiny claimed to have moved out.
The Verdict
Judge Judy made her decision.
She dismissed the case against Destiny Roseberry.
She instructed Ms. Brotherton to get the rent from Zack.
The case was concluded.