Top 10 Most Dramatic Moments on The People's Court

They’re not the first family on “The People’s Court,” but they are one of the messiest. While plaintiff Jeresa Taylor’s story about cousin Rahshonda Vick is compelling, it turns out the defendant might be the real victim. In light of problems with her teenage son, the plaintiff seems to have launched an assault of defamation on Vick, including allegations of drug use, child abuse, and human trafficking. But she and her mother are the true instigators here, abusing child services for their personal vendetta. That the plaintiff and her mother thought it was a good idea to bring this one to court, let alone to national TV, just shows how warped their minds are. If anything, their outrageous behavior vindicated the defendant.

It’s not everyday someone has a violent tantrum in the courtroom. According to plaintiff Devin Johnson, he was just an innocent consumer who was led astray by defendant Joseph Moretti. All he wanted was some copper pipes installed. But when the defendant determined he didn’t need those copper pipes, Johnson wanted all his money back. When he didn’t get what he wanted, Moretti alleges he kicked his car. Well, when the judge ruled that he’d only get half of his money back, Johnson kicked the court door open and stormed out, effectively proving the defendant’s story. Judge Milian was not having it. She rescinded her verdict in his favor, and berated the man until he left.

Plaintiff Lilani Cooper may have some ulterior motives in suing her mother for money borrowed. It might just be the only way her mother will see her. Defendant Teresita Landry has all but shut her daughter out of her life because she is not raising her children in the church. Even when Cooper holds up a picture of the woman’s grandchildren, her mother can’t get past her disappointment about them not being baptized. Judge Milian levels with her as a religious person herself. Even though her daughter is clearly devastated, Landry is unable to hear reason.

A series of miscommunications and misunderstandings over a rental car led to an all-out brawl in the street between the plaintiff, the defendant, and the defendant’s teenage daughter. Defendant Kyndra Lewis is clearly upset by the whole event. She can barely keep from getting upset with the judge when she talks about it. However, when the judge starts grilling her daughter, she realizes just how involved the young girl was in the fight. The judge has feelings about the defendant letting her daughter get into adults’ business, but Lewis puts all the blame on the plaintiffs. The kicker is the defendant literally just storming out of the courtroom when she loses, leaving her daughter behind.

Sarah Mako has fallen on hard times when she takes her cousin, Christopher Colgan, to court over a dog she felt belonged to her. However, the fact that the rest of her family is on the other side of the courtroom leads to some probing questions about their tense family dynamic. Colgan presents himself as a good-natured aspiring cop in court. However, his vicious and vindictive private messages reveal a whole other side to him. The judge rightfully describes him as the last person who should be behind a badge. Although Mako seems to be the outcast in her family, given her cousin’s true nature and her grandmother’s equally vindictive tirade outside the courtroom, maybe that’s not a bad thing.

Suing a family member is a sticky situation, but so is loaning money to them. Plaintiff Timothy MacDonald is suing his brother-in-law Darin McCormick, Jr, who is a recovering addict, for the return of a loan. The judge is shocked when the plaintiff lies about his wife, the defendant’s sister, not being in the room, when she is in the gallery. She just didn’t want to be in the middle of it. From the jump, it’s clear that there’s less resentment here than just genuine care and compassion. Instead of playing arbitrator, Judge Milian starts playing mediator. It’s one of the rare family cases where it seems like there’s a way forward.

Co-plaintiffs Zaul and Christina Vazquez’s unruly and emotionally unstable teenage daughter went missing for six days. A full-blown investigation led police to her boyfriend’s house, where co-defendant Melinda McManus was helping her son hide the girl. But even more disturbing is the emotional state of the teenagers involved. Violent texts between the girl and the defendants’ son spell a disastrous and dangerous situation in the making. The defendants more than earn the judge’s ire, with Christopher McManus actually questioning her credentials right in front of her. It’s the judge’s plea to the plaintiffs to not give up on their daughter that really hits home.

The grown son of two ex-spouses passed away, and the father sues the mother because she kept both of the urns containing their son’s ashes. Judge Milian’s courtroom becomes a family therapy session as the two unearth years of resentment and regret. Stories of drug addiction, crime, and neglect come to light. The defendant can barely keep it together as she tells the story of her ex’s history with drug abuse and how their son headed down the same road. By the end, little has been resolved. Instead, the two have resorted to blaming each other for their son’s death.

This case took a shocking and devastating turn halfway through. Judge Milian became frustrated because no one in this case between a grown son and his mother was being specific about the events that led up to his moving out. It’s not just a case about missing property. She gets to the bottom of the family strife, and it’s absolutely heart wrenching. The plaintiff paints a picture of himself as an outcast and a victim, but that’s all blown apart when his mother reveals that he preyed on his sister years before. It’s clear there’s more to this family’s pain than can be settled in court.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Must Be the Sexuality Thing
A Litigant Accuses Judge Milian of Homophobia & It Does Not Go Over Well

Hold Up That Pillow
Things Threaten to Get Out of Hand Over a Butt Print On a Pillow

Uninvited Guest
It’s Not Everyday You Find a Dead Man In Your Apartment

So Much Church, So Little Religion
A Fight Between an Aspiring Pastor & His Cousin Gets Violent

Defamation & No Character
A Website Developer Posts Outrageous Lies for Money

Judge Milian had her hands full with 21-year-old Anthony Geno Martinson, who secreted a teenager away from her parents under the guise of protecting her from their abuse. He’s suing them for ruining his name and for filing a false restraining order. Martinson’s audacity in thinking he could care for a minor is bad enough. However, when the parents allege he has been having a relationship with their daughter, the judge begins to see it all more clearly. His unmitigated hubris leads him to sue for the motel and travel expenses he used with their daughter, which gives way to a classic Judge Milian tirade.

Which of these cases had you on the edge of your seat? Tell us in the comments.