Video of Judge Judy ripping into a defendant who claimed to be an animal activist has gone viral.
In the video, the former family court judge who went onto find huge success with her televised reality court show tried a case involving a woman who had been housesitting a pet.
The plaintiff, Susan, explained she had gone away on vacation for two weeks, leaving her four small beloved dogs in the care of the defendant, Kerry.
While she was away, one of the four was killed when it burrowed under a fence and was hit by a car as it ran across the street.
Susan took the case to Judge Judy to seek $5,000 from the pet sitter, for wrongful death of the animal as well as harassment.
Video of famed courtroom TV personality Judge Judy ripping an animal activist defendant has gone viral
A woman, named Kerry, had been dog sitting another woman’s pet when it escaped and was killed by a car
Kerry admitted that the dog’s escape and subsequent death happened right in front of her, claiming she was in the backyard of the home where she was staying when it happened, but did not believe she was responsible for costs.
‘You are so stupid! You are so stupid,’ Judge Judy said to Kerry, as she summed up the case.
Throughout their exchanges, Kerry continued to interrupt Judge Judy and didn’t appear to understand the gravity of the situation.
‘Let’s say, instead of watching her Shih Tzu-Poodle mix, that you were watching four of her children while she was on vacation,’ Judge Judy tried to explain.
‘And you let the four children go and play in the backyard – and one of the children, who was four, managed to open up the gate and get out, ran across the street, was hit and killed by a car.
Judge Judge found in the dog owner, Susan’s favor, and ordered that she be paid $1,500 for the loss of her beloved pet
‘There is a course of action for that in the law for human beings. She could sue you negligence in failing to supervise her four-year-old.
‘So, I don’t know what it is. I can’t tell you, but you’re no animal activist. Because an animal activist would understand that if you’re responsible for a four-year-old child, even though it was an accident, it happened under your watch.’
Judge Judy and Kerry had a number of heated back and fourths, with the defendant trying to argue her point of view.
In one moment, Judge Judy snapped and said: ‘You know sometimes the judgement has to reflect the stupidity of a litigant – and while there is no course of action, I’m going to hear her evidence with regard to your harassment – because you’re harassing me and I’m not easily harassed,’ appearing to reference a countersuit filed by Kerry for harassment.
The pair clashed again over whether the dog was considered property.
‘But animals are considered property?’, Kerry interjected.
‘Shut up and listen!’ Judge Judy responded, growing increasingly impatient.
‘Animals are considered property, in the state of California’, Kerry interrupted once again.
The dog’s owner, Susan, left, and animal activist dog sitter, Kerry, right, battled it out in court
‘Just a second!’ Judy replies. ‘Well that’s what I said to you. I said if you were a real animal rights activist, you would not consider animals property.’
‘I don’t, but the law does’, Kerry responds.
‘That’s what I just said to you. If you weren’t so high on something then perhaps you’d understand,’ Judy says increasingly frustrated.
Ultimately, Kerry was ordered to pay the dog’s owner, Susan, $1,500 in damages for the loss of her pet.