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00:00She asked for a loan.
00:02You gave her the loan.
00:04That's correct.
00:05And did you pay him back?
00:07It's either a yes or a no.
00:09No.
00:09He does make significantly more money than I do.
00:14Who cares?
00:14Do you understand that?
00:16This is Judy Justice.
00:43The court comes to order.
00:45All rise.
00:48Have a seat, please.
00:51Judge case 4069.
00:53Kam versus Dunn.
00:54You're welcome.
00:56Mr. Kam, you and Ms. Dunn have a child together.
00:59That's correct.
01:00And it's a girl?
01:01Correct.
01:02How old?
01:02Three.
01:03Where do you live and what state?
01:05Oregon.
01:06And where do you live?
01:07I just moved to New York City.
01:09When did you move to New York?
01:10I moved there in June of 2024.
01:13And tell me why you moved from Oregon to New York City.
01:16I moved there to pursue a career in the NYPD.
01:19And how did that work out?
01:21Right now it's on hold due to him having this lawsuit.
01:26You can't go into the academy with an active lawsuit.
01:29Who do you live with in New York?
01:31I currently have three roommates, Your Honor.
01:34And where in New York City do you live?
01:36I live in Upper Manhattan.
01:38And since June, I gather from the papers,
01:41that you've had physical custody of your daughter?
01:44Correct. Technically since May, but she moved in June.
01:48Okay. So she's been with you since May of this year?
01:51That's correct.
01:51Your Honor, that's incorrect.
01:53Just, well, it's either May or June. She's with him now?
01:56Yeah, since June, not May.
01:58Okay. June.
01:59June, July, August, September, October, November.
02:02Almost six months.
02:03Correct.
02:03How are you supporting yourself in New York?
02:05I have a job.
02:06With whom?
02:07I have a job with Starbucks,
02:09and then a job with a TV production company.
02:12Did you take the test for police officer?
02:14I did.
02:15And you passed?
02:16Yes.
02:16Okay. Did you take that in 2024?
02:19Correct. Yes, in March of 2024.
02:21Okay.
02:22This is what your case is about, sir.
02:24It is your claim that the defendant owes you for a loan
02:27that you made to her last year when she was in some financial difficulty
02:31and she needed money for rent.
02:33That's correct.
02:34And it's Miss Dunn's claim that you were behind in child support
02:39and you didn't want to see either Miss Dunn or your daughter on the street,
02:43so you gave her the money.
02:45That's incorrect.
02:46Just a second.
02:46That's what your response is.
02:48Is that correct?
02:49Correct.
02:50Okay.
02:50Now, just so that I'm totally clear.
02:52For the first two and a half years of your daughter's life, she lived with you?
02:56Primarily, he had visitation on the weekends.
02:58So she lived with you Monday through Friday?
03:00Mm-hmm.
03:01And with him on the weekends?
03:03Correct.
03:03Is that court ordered or was it an agreement that the two of you made?
03:08We did it in mediation through the court.
03:11Who filed that lawsuit?
03:13The custody? I did.
03:15Was the child with him?
03:16When we split or when I had moved out of his place, I filed for custody.
03:21Okay.
03:22When you moved out of his home, how old was your daughter?
03:27That was June of 2022.
03:29So she was a year old.
03:31Okay.
03:32So for the first year, you all lived together?
03:34Correct.
03:34And then you moved out and she was with you for a year and a half?
03:37Sorry, yes.
03:38And now she's been with him for six months?
03:41Correct.
03:41For the year and a half that you weren't together,
03:44had you come to an agreement with regard to child support?
03:48So...
03:48That's not a so.
03:49That's either a yes or a no.
03:51We came to an agreement where he paid a certain amount up front
03:55and then after that, he was supposed to pay $100 a month.
03:59And then he never did that.
04:00That would have only been one month until I had moved to New York.
04:04So I never said anything because, I mean, I had been living with him.
04:08So he never said anything after that.
04:09So it had only been the month.
04:11Well, now you've been to New York for six months and you have two jobs.
04:14Your daughter is with the plaintiff.
04:16Do you send him any money?
04:18She said, that's a question.
04:20That doesn't require a long answer.
04:22You've been in New York for six months.
04:24You have, according to you, two jobs.
04:26Do you send him any money for your daughter's support?
04:30That's either a yes or a no.
04:32No, Your Honor.
04:33OK.
04:34Your Honor, I think it's important that you know that he does make significantly more money than I do.
04:41Who cares?
04:43So...
04:43Who cares?
04:44That's meaningless.
04:45A parent is entitled to the child.
04:47When it comes to the child support, it is meaningful because...
04:50No, it's not meaningful.
04:51It is because his amount he would have paid would have been totally different because the way he makes the
04:56money, like, the state doesn't know because he makes it under the table and it's not in a way that...
05:02Just a second.
05:02Is the child receiving welfare of any kind?
05:05Does the child receive aid of any kind?
05:07Yes.
05:07That's a yes or a no?
05:08Yes.
05:09Sure.
05:10The child receives aid.
05:12What kind of aid does the child receive?
05:14Any with you?
05:15Plenty with me, Your Honor.
05:17You're not following my question.
05:18The child has been with you for six months.
05:21Does the child receive any assistance, financial assistance from the state?
05:26Not from the state, Your Honor.
05:28From anywhere other than parents?
05:30From myself and the family, correct.
05:32What family?
05:33My family, my immediate family.
05:35OK.
05:35But not from the state?
05:37That's correct.
05:38When the child was...
05:39Shh!
05:39Just a second.
05:40When the child was living with you, was the child receiving welfare?
05:43Yes.
05:43OK.
05:44Well, that's who the child support order was made against.
05:48It was made against him because the state...
05:50I was supporting your daughter.
05:52Well, the people in the state where you live were supporting your daughter.
05:55So that's why the child support order was made.
05:57Now, are you telling me that somebody is still receiving aid for this child?
06:03That's a question.
06:04That's either a yes or a no.
06:06Is somebody still receiving aid from the government for this child?
06:11It's not me, Your Honor.
06:12Not you.
06:13Are you still receiving...
06:15No, Amina...
06:15Amina receives Medicaid.
06:17Judd!
06:17In Oregon.
06:18I have a question.
06:19This has been my business for almost 50 years.
06:25Custody and parenting time are two different things.
06:27Just a second.
06:28Madam, you have to understand, I'm a family court judge.
06:31I know.
06:31I know.
06:31He has sole...
06:33No, he does not.
06:34He has...
06:34You have to listen.
06:36You have to listen before you say no.
06:48Prokopi Kam claims his ex-girlfriend, Daniel Dunn, owes for an unpaid loan and the costs of painting services.
06:56Okay.
06:57Are you receiving any money?
07:01No.
07:01From the state, from your daughter?
07:02No.
07:03I never received, like, just...
07:05Amina has Medicaid.
07:06And that's the only assistance that you received?
07:09No financial assistance?
07:11No.
07:11I never received financial, just Medicaid.
07:13When she was living with you for the year and a half, were you working?
07:17Yes.
07:17So the only financial support, no food stamps, nothing else. Is that correct?
07:23I had food stamps.
07:24Well, so in addition to the Medicaid, you had food stamps.
07:27Yes, not now, back in Oregon.
07:29I'm talking about then.
07:31Okay, yes, then, yes.
07:32So then, you were working.
07:34Yes.
07:34Who was watching her when you were working for that year and a half?
07:38I had a babysitter through, also through government assistance.
07:44So, in addition to that, the government paid for childcare?
07:48Yes.
07:48Were you living in a place where you had a housing subsidy?
07:52No.
07:53So just food stamps, Medicaid, and childcare?
07:56Yes.
07:56Okay.
07:57Now, tell me about this loan, sir.
07:59We're gonna make it very fast.
08:00Okay.
08:00Tell me what day, date she called you and told you she was in financial trouble.
08:04So, last year, I got a text message from her asking for assistance.
08:09Do you have that text message?
08:10I do.
08:11Can I see it, please?
08:12Sure.
08:14I have several, if I may bring those off.
08:16Well, I want to see when she initially asks you for financial assistance.
08:21Sure.
08:29Do you remember sending this to him?
08:32You know how, with the child support stuff, you advanced me money?
08:36Mm-hmm.
08:37Would you be able or willing to do that one more time, and you can type up whatever document that
08:43I will sign again?
08:44I just need help one last time to try to get ahead so I cannot stop asking for help.
08:50Do you remember saying that?
08:52And do you remember what he responded to you?
08:54You have the response to her?
08:56May I just give you all these, since they're all concurrent?
08:59Sure.
09:06Your text message to him proceeds, I may be able to pay back some during tax season.
09:12If you are able to help this one last time, I will not ask again.
09:16You remember that?
09:18Yes, Your Honor.
09:19You needed $2,142, and I can give you a minimum of $500 by the 8th of December.
09:26And then the remaining balance can be either paid back by tax return or added to the child support, which
09:33add a year and a half.
09:35Okay, and it was clear from these emails that you were having difficulty.
09:38Couldn't pay all your bills, your hours got cut.
09:40And then you say, please, I need help if you want me to take Amina more time, or if there's
09:46something I can do in return, I'll paint your place on my days off.
09:50Anything, please.
09:51And he does give you the money?
09:52Mm-hmm.
09:53Yes, Your Honor.
09:53$2,142.
09:55Is that what you needed for rent?
09:57Yes, Your Honor.
09:58And did you pay him back?
09:59I did not.
10:00Did you paint his house?
10:02I painted partial.
10:04Which part did you paint?
10:05His bathroom.
10:07And then I had returned multiple times, and on those other times, he had me do other things that he
10:15felt were more important.
10:16I mowed his lawn and his farm, so I didn't have time to do the rest of the painting.
10:21And then I also have FaceTimed my daughter multiple times.
10:26Recently, within the last few weeks, and the painting has not been done.
10:31I'm not worried about the painting, madam, being done.
10:34And I'm not considering that as part of his lawsuit, although he adds that in.
10:39Well, that's what I was saying.
10:40I'm talking about the $2,142.
10:42You did not return that.
10:43I made it very clear within the time that I have limited time, because then in December, I had picked
10:51up another job, and I was making it very clear to him I had limited time to come paint.
10:56Okay.
10:58And I have the message.
10:59I have messages of that.
11:00Forget paint.
11:01So he's entitled to his $2,142.
11:05The question that I have for you, Miss Dunn, first of all, let me tell you that I really have
11:10respect for the fact that you're trying to move yourself forward career-wise.
11:14And I think that you are a hard worker.
11:16But it's also clear to me that the plaintiff has substantial input in his daughter's life.
11:22She's lived with him for more than half of her life, together with you for a period of time, and
11:28then for the last six months with him exclusively while you've been in New York.
11:32Your Honor, that wasn't supposed to happen that way, though, because the initial agreement was, and I have the paperwork
11:40right here, that I have full custody and plans to move Amina to New York.
11:45He didn't even show up to the last hearing to move her.
11:48What I'm telling you is, what I'm telling you is.
11:50He's just using this as control.
11:53This is not a matter of control, Miss Dunn.
11:55This is a matter of us treating fathers the same way as we treat mothers.
12:03And Mr. Cam has had physical custody of this child in the child's home state, which is where you both
12:10lived, which is where the child lived.
12:13You decided to move and explore a career in another jurisdiction.
12:19No family court judge in your home state, which is where the child is now, unless he agrees with it,
12:26is going to let this child move out of the jurisdiction.
12:29I already have proof that they did.
12:31Your Honor.
12:31I have the paperwork right here that they have agreed to let Amina move with me.
12:36Just a second.
12:36I'm just curious.
12:37I would like to see.
12:38You have a court order that says she's allowed to move you to New York?
12:42The only reason why that happened, that was a fluke, because I never got noticed, because it went to spam
12:50via email.
12:51Just a second.
12:52And there's actually a hearing pending.
12:54That's why I'm granted a new hearing, because I never got noticed for that.
12:58So the results will differ.
12:59Okay, so this order was granted on default.
13:02Was there a hearing?
13:03I just want to know.
13:04Yes, there's a hearing in July.
13:05What?
13:06Yes, there is a hearing.
13:07May I see it, please?
13:15This was in July.
13:17Yes, that's correct.
13:18But the order is wrong.
13:20In July, the child was with him, and this order was made without him being present, because there's no way
13:27a court would enter this kind of an order unless there was a default with you having physical custody of
13:34the child, because it says petitioner, that's Danielle Dunn, already has custody of the child.
13:40I had, I have sole, in Oregon, I have sole custody and parenting time are two different things.
13:46Just a second.
13:47Madam, you have to understand, I'm a family court judge.
13:50I know, I know.
13:50I'm a family court judge.
13:52I know, I know you are.
13:52Right now, he has sole physical.
13:55No, he does not.
13:56He has physical, he has physical.
13:58You have to listen, you have to listen before you say no.
14:04They knew I was in, not in the state of Oregon, and they knew I did not have Amina with
14:09me physically.
14:10They did not.
14:10They knew that.
14:11Just a second.
14:12They knew that.
14:13Just a second.
14:13Don't tell me what they knew.
14:15Show me that in this document.
14:26Prokopi Kam has accused his ex-girlfriend, Danielle Dunn, of refusing to pay back a loan.
14:33Prokopi also claims Danielle agreed to paint their home, but never did.
14:39Okay, right now, he has sole physical custody, and he has had sole physical custody of this child since June.
14:48So when the court issued this order in July, which was on default because he didn't appear, he said he
14:54didn't receive notice,
14:56you appeared, the court asked you questions, and wrote in that you had custody.
15:03Don't tell me no, that's what it says here, the box is checked.
15:07I'm trying to explain to you that their custody doesn't mean I had, they knew I was in, not in
15:14the state of Oregon,
15:14and they knew I did not have Amina with me physically.
15:17They did not.
15:18They knew that.
15:19Just a second.
15:20They knew that.
15:20Just a second.
15:21Don't tell me what they knew.
15:22Show me that in this document.
15:24I'm telling you.
15:25You can't tell me what they knew.
15:27They did, because the whole point of that was because he was threatening me, because we had, before I moved,
15:35he agreed with me, we were coming up with a plan of how we were going to parent Amini.
15:40Coming up with a plan?
15:42What plan?
15:42And then he switched up.
15:44I never agreed.
15:44Shh, shh, shh.
15:45And then he was like, taking it all back.
15:47So I had petitioned the court, saying I'm moving, this is what I would like.
15:52So when I had shown up to court, he did not show up.
15:55I told the court, I am not in Oregon, I do not have Amina, Amina is in Oregon with her
16:01dad.
16:01That's not what it says.
16:02This is what I told the court.
16:03Judge a second.
16:04That's not what this says.
16:05And what I'm telling you, madam, is if he's going to, just so that you know, if he's going
16:11to revisit that, nobody is going to let you leave Oregon with this child.
16:15It's not going to happen.
16:16Not if he doesn't consent to it.
16:18No judge is going to let you take a child from the home state, move to another state, and
16:23I totally respect that you want to create a career for yourself.
16:26You should have done it in Oregon.
16:28Once you have a child with somebody, unless they agree to let you take the child out of
16:32their home state, and unless there's some overriding condition, not because you want
16:38a career in another state, but you have a child together.
16:40You know, if you're a non-custodial parent, and you decide to move out of the jurisdiction,
16:45and you forfeit your parenting time, that's one thing.
16:48But they're not going to let you take this child from the child's home state, any place
16:53else, unless he consents to whatever time frame.
16:58And I don't see how that's going to happen.
17:00Well, he did that first, and then he changed his mind the day I moved.
17:03And she did write to the court.
17:05Anyway, that's actually beyond...
17:06She told the court she's moving in August, and she actually moved in June.
17:10Just a second.
17:11It's actually...
17:11I'm just trying to explain to you that I respect the fact that you're a hardworking gal,
17:16that you took the test in New York, passed the test in New York, that you're waiting
17:20for something to happen for you in New York, that that's where you want to live.
17:25What I'm telling you is you're young, and maybe you don't understand it, or maybe you
17:30do understand and got whatever advice that you got.
17:32I'm just suggesting to you that you might want to rethink leaving the jurisdiction, because
17:38leaving the jurisdiction, which is the child's home state, might in fact involve your leaving
17:43her with her father.
17:44Do you understand that?
17:45Because this default judgment is going to be opened.
17:48It would be opened for me if I had a litigant who said I didn't receive notification, and
17:52I actually knew that that parent had physical custody of the child at the time I made the
17:57order, I would open up this default judgment.
18:00I just want you to know that that's a possibility.
18:03OK.
18:03Judgment for the plaintiff and the amount requested, the amount of the loan only, sir,
18:07not the cost of painting your house.
18:09Why is that?
18:10Not the cost of painting your house.
18:12The loan was $2,100.
18:15Well, she did lie about that.
18:16She never painted anything.
18:17Just a second.
18:18That was previously, but good.
18:19Sir, I'm granting your petition, which was the amount of the loan, not the amount that
18:27it cost you to repaint your house.
18:30That was the condition, though.
18:31That was the condition.
18:32If I bail her out of that eviction, then she'll paint my house.
18:35I want you to understand what I just said to you.
18:38You get it?
18:39So you're getting back, sir, exactly what you gave to her, which was $2,142.
18:45Judgment for the plaintiff.
18:47We're done.
18:47This court is adjourned.
18:52It's fair.
18:53It's disappointing, but fair.
18:54I think even if the judge had ruled zero in my favor, ultimately, to me, the biggest
18:59incentive is the fact that the judge solidified that, in the end, it's all about our daughter,
19:06and our daughter gets to stay with me.
19:08It's very hard to work with him.
19:09I just want to move forward, get to a place where we can just co-parent.
19:13Living in a digital age, I think it's really important to keep good records and just have
19:19everything backed up if you follow this predicament.
19:23You know, for a young woman, and she was a young woman, there's a big age gap between
19:29those two people.
19:30I was impressed by the fact that she really wants to create a different kind of a life
19:34for herself.
19:35And that would be wonderful.
19:36But I think it's going to take yet another generation for people to understand that once you have
19:42a child, you can't decide where you want to move.
19:45Yeah.
19:46I think people take that for granted, thinking that just because I'm the mother, I can create
19:51a life for myself anywhere I want.
19:53Right.
19:53And you can't.
19:54But there is also very little doubt in my mind that in July, when she petitioned the
20:00court for custody, she was already in New York.
20:04And there's no question that if he had been served with that, he would have appeared because
20:11he actually had physical custody of his daughter.
20:14Yeah.
20:14And she's making a request to be able to move and have full physical custody and legal custody
20:21of the child.
20:22There's no question he did not have notice.
20:24Yeah.
20:24But it's interesting.
20:25I thought she was a reasonable young woman.
20:28Yeah, it's hard because on one hand, you want to applaud her for trying to better her life
20:34and get herself, instead of working three jobs, to have a real career, especially as
20:38somewhere as prestigious as the NYPD.
20:39So you can appreciate that.
20:42But also, before that comes your child.
20:44And you don't get to make those types of decisions when, unfortunately, now courts are
20:48involved in the custody of your child.
20:50And if he makes more money than she does, and that child seems, from what we heard, happy
20:55where she is.
20:57Not that money is the end all be all, but just meaning that she's well cared for.
21:01If you want to make that decision to move and go to the NYPD and put in your time there
21:05and do that, that's your choice, but you're going to be leaving your child behind.
21:08Right.
21:09And I don't think that that's what she would do.
21:11I don't think so either.
21:12I think she was misinformed as to her options.
21:14But she took the exam, she said passed it, which means that she's got a certain amount
21:20of savvy.
21:21Yeah.
21:21Well, I wish them both luck.
21:24Are you having a family dispute?
21:26Go to judyjustice.tv.
21:28Go.
21:29Go.
21:30Go.
21:42Go.
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