Have You Been Drinking Today?

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Plaintiff Wendelyn Christian claims she got a call one night from the defendant who was drunk at a [music] bar and begging to be picked up. Gwendalyn says she wishes she'd never responded [music] to the call because the defendant drove off with her car while drunk and crashed it into a gas station. She's suing [music] a former friend for the cost of her car and impound fees. defended.

[00:00:21]Shantel Parker claims [music] Gwendalyn called her that night because she wanted to turn a trick. And when she found one, Gwendalyn handed Shantel her keys. So Shantel had no choice but to drive home.

[00:00:32]>> All rise. This court is now in [music] session. The honorable judge. Greg Mthis presided.

[00:00:40]You may now [music] be seated.

[00:00:42]>> Start with you.

[00:00:43]>> Um, your honor Shantel Parker and I were childhood friends. We just recently ran in contact with each other about a month and a half ago. I received a phone call from Shantel stating that she was stranded at a bar and that she needed to be picked up.

[00:00:55]>> That's not true, your honor.

[00:00:57]>> You all been in touch or not? What's your version of being in touch?

[00:01:00]>> Um, she called me while me and my um god sister was at a bar.

[00:01:04]>> That's a lie.

[00:01:05]>> All right.

[00:01:06]>> I I was already out. She called me. She told me that she was stranded. She needed to be picked up. I wasn't going to go get her at first, but she sounded desperate, so I went anyway. I live on the west side of Detroit. She was on the east side. When I pulled up to the bar, she was outside the bar. She was drunk.

[00:01:21]She could hardly stand up.

[00:01:26]>> Some bar. It's like off of seven miles.

[00:01:28]>> That's not true.

[00:01:29]>> She was drunk. She could hardly stand up.

[00:01:32]>> Me and her version.

[00:01:33]>> Um Gwindelyn had called me and asked me that I know where she can go and hook up with a guy for a couple of dollars.

[00:01:40]>> Oh lord, she crazy. Um she was calling me inside the bar knowing I was a ex stripper. She called me. Y'all did not call her. I needed to have her number right now.

[00:01:50]>> She is lying.

[00:01:51]>> Did y'all file this in court in Detroit?

[00:01:54]>> Yes.

[00:01:54]>> Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

[00:01:55]>> Yes, she did.

[00:01:56]>> I did.

[00:01:56]>> At 36th district.

[00:01:58]>> Yes.

[00:01:59]>> Where I was a judge?

[00:02:01]>> Yes.

[00:02:02]>> So, clearly my former colleagues are trying to punish me.

[00:02:08]>> You're laughing right now.

[00:02:11]>> No.

[00:02:12]>> Send them straight to me.

[00:02:14]>> Let me send this.

[00:02:15]>> Yeah. YEAH. YEAH. LOOK, Y'ALL go to the church.

[00:02:18]>> No, I told her I was at the bar and she can come up here. Somebody will hook up with her. And when she got my number from the store, she said my real name.

[00:02:26]People don't even call me Shantel in Detroit. I don't know what they call her.

[00:02:30]>> She noticed me and she was like, I'm trying to go out tonight. When she first got my number like I'm trying to call you, Tang.

[00:02:39][laughter] >> Exactly.

[00:02:41]My point. Exactly. Dropped. Have you been drinking the day Tanganger?

[00:02:47]>> Exactly. That's where she got this story from.

[00:02:52]>> Lord have mercy.

[00:02:54]>> Your honor, I helped. She came to the vehicle, her and her friend. As we left maybe 10, 15 minutes. Her and her friend started fighting in the car, arguing.

[00:03:03]>> Why were they arguing between >> they were drunk. They was talking about each other mother and she was heard about the loss of her child, I guess.

[00:03:10]and they were just making alter, you know, just >> I I was not expecting it.

[00:03:16]>> And so I pulled over because they were about to cause me to have an accident. I couldn't see in the mirrors or nothing.

[00:03:20]A police officer seen what was happening. He stopped.

[00:03:24]>> He told me the only reason why he didn't take nobody to jail cuz I was the only one sober. He told me to get them home and, you know, get to where we going.

[00:03:32]>> Let me get back to her. Get her version.

[00:03:34]>> What she said about me and my god sister um fighting in the back of the car. That was true. We went to the after at the hour and I paid their way in. She left with a man money and she gave me her car keys. She came in the bar almost 1:00 in the morning with a bikini top on and jeans, no purse or nothing. Gave me her keys. Her friend was with her. Her friend get her instead of her giving me her key. Last I heard you all went to the afterour joint.

[00:04:02]>> Right.

[00:04:02]>> Yes.

[00:04:02]>> On the east side.

[00:04:04]>> No, on the west side.

[00:04:05]>> All right. What area? playing with the um Southfield service drive.

[00:04:09]>> That's where I grew up.

[00:04:11]>> I don't remember no after joints over there though.

[00:04:14]>> She club.

[00:04:16]>> There's a lot of dope out of there. They be kicking in the door, don't they?

[00:04:19]>> Oh, they don't play that. A >> lot of alcohol for sure. [laughter] >> I know. You know, >> let's get back.

[00:04:26]>> And yes, I was intoxicated. Like she stated, she knew this and she gave me her car key.

[00:04:31]>> Why would I give her my key?

[00:04:32]>> I haven't gotten that far. Uh, she says you gave her the keys. What were you about?

[00:04:37]>> Why would I give her my keys? On the the second row, they began fighting again.

[00:04:41]Shantio used the bathroom in my car. At this point, I pulled over to the gas station. I told them to get out my car.

[00:04:47]I had had enough. I went in the gas station to get paper towel to clean my car out.

[00:04:53]>> Right. Should have pulled over and got some pull-ups.

[00:04:56]>> Pass.

[00:04:59]>> Pass to clean my car out. When I came back, they were gone. her and her friends and the other girl that was in the car. I seen the police, so I figured they stopped fighting, got scared, maybe seen the police and went around the corner, was going to come back and get me or something. I waited in the same spot for 45 minutes to at least an hour.

[00:05:16]They never came. I had to find somebody to take me home. My friend car was still in my driveway, so I knew they had to come back to my house to bring her to her car. I'm sitting on the porch using my neighbor phone, calling my phone like at least 20 times in hopes one of them would answer my phone. Shhatiel answer my phone finally. I start cussing her out. She said, "We 5 minutes away from your house. We'll be there in a minute."

[00:05:40]She never made it. I waited up maybe 7 8 hours. I couldn't even get in my house. I had to sleep at my neighbor's house. So, I called my friend up, Natasha, my witness. She came and got me. We rolled up her street. This is the next day. I'm thinking maybe they just passed out, fell asleep, and couldn't drive because I knew they were highly intoxicated, which I would have accepted that.

[00:06:04]>> What happened? What did you discover?

[00:06:06]>> Her nephew was coming out of the building where she live in. I said, "You know what's her number?" He I told him what happened. He called her up. She got right on the phone. She said, "Girl, you didn't find out what happened." She said, "Somebody hit us. We got into a real bad car accident. Everybody had to be rushed to the hospital." I hung up on her, called the hospital. They said they did have my friend, but they never had her or her friend. They never went to the hospital. They left the scene of the accident. How >> did your friend get there?

[00:06:32]>> The MS. >> Thank you.

[00:06:34]>> The MS got there before the police.

[00:06:36]>> So, there was an accident.

[00:06:37]>> Yeah, there was a real bad accident. She was doing 90 down Dexter and she tried to stop at a red light and she ran into the bus stop. The car spent around and she slid into the gas station and then the car caught on fire. They left my friend in the backseat of the car to fend for herself. Her and her friend hopped in and left the scene of the accident.

[00:06:57]>> And the the bystanders, the people on the street had to pull her from the vehicle because they were telling her it was going to blow up. At this point, she was worried about criminal charges being brought up against her. Not this. Her mother and them was calling me telling me they was sorry.

[00:07:11]>> Get back to her. You tell me your version of what happened to the car.

[00:07:14]>> That's true about the accident. But she went into the after hour with me and I don't believe that she lying here. I paid everybody way in. I got a statement right here. Your honor saying you can call my God says what happened.

[00:07:27]>> I did not I didn't even when she first met you can you start driving because she left >> she left us at the after hour stranded.

[00:07:35]>> All right. But you jumped behind the wheel at some point >> after the after hour closed. She may not her and her friend way in >> all that about me um crashing all that peeing in a car and all that. That's a lie. She did not step in no gas station.

[00:07:50]Remember when I first seen her, she said my real name inside the store talking about she wanted to go out and get a couple dollars. And I was like, "Me too, girl." And she called me. SHE CALLED ME.

[00:08:01]>> So I do not know why she here like she do not be going out having sex with men for money. Y'all know why she call me and her on the phone every day and we had a verbal agreement. I was giving her some hundreds and then somebody called me and said you getting sued and then she going to call me that afternoon talking about you got that money for me.

[00:08:19]I was like yeah girl you knew I was going to give you that money. I've been talking to you every day but you suing me. I don't know why she up there like she don't do nothing when she do how we get from the east side all the way from >> I just ran back into her. This is my dad.

[00:08:33]>> So you say both y'all be tricking with men?

[00:08:36]>> No, I guess SHE DON'T EVEN KNOW she maintainly.

[00:08:42]>> Your witness want to speak? Come on now.

[00:08:43]>> Our witness was not there. Your honor, >> state your name.

[00:08:46]>> Natasha Mitchell.

[00:08:47]>> Who do you want to tell me?

[00:08:49]>> Gwen was at a party with me.

[00:08:51]>> Gwen left the party to go get her. And I didn't see Gwen until the next day. And then that's when I started taking her around, look for her car and stuff.

[00:09:01]I took her to the police station and at the >> She admits to crashing the car. I left the party to go estimate. You admit to crashing the car, right?

[00:09:10]>> Yes, I do. And we had a verbal agreement.

[00:09:12]>> Gotcha. Your counter claim for 1,500 is for harassment. How so, ma'am?

[00:09:17]>> Um, from them riding up and down my She knew I had got a new home. So, she riding up and down my street with the girl.

[00:09:23]>> I ride up and down her best friend.

[00:09:25]Please let her finish >> with her best friend. And they saying knocking on neighbors doors thinking it's mine.

[00:09:31]>> They just want to see your new house.

[00:09:33]>> NO, SHE DIDN'T.

[00:09:34]>> Where's the car now?

[00:09:36]>> It's in the impound.

[00:09:37]>> And it's total, correct?

[00:09:38]>> It's total.

[00:09:38]>> All right. And you haven't paid impound fees, have you?

[00:09:41]>> No, I don't have any money. She promised to pay the fees.

[00:09:43]>> So, if the car if the impound has kept the car, how do you >> The fees is going up every day right now. Yeah.

[00:09:50]>> Even though they keep the car.

[00:09:52]>> Yeah. They charge you. Once the payment is made, then they stop. That's all she did is roll by your house, ma'am.

[00:09:58]>> And knocking on neighbors door knowing I just moved over there.

[00:10:02]>> You stopped drinking yet? [laughter] >> Yeah. Yeah. I've been talking to her after that.

[00:10:07]>> I said, "Have you stopped?"

[00:10:08]>> I said, "Yes."

[00:10:10]>> Yes, I have.

[00:10:11]>> You have stopped drinking?

[00:10:12]>> Yes.

[00:10:13]>> All right. Good.

[00:10:16]So, we don't want you to risk anybody else's life drinking like that. I'm going to grant her judgment. Ma'am, you admit to causing the accident based on what you said. It was negligence and also you owe for the impound fees cuz you caused her car to be impounded.

[00:10:36]>> $2,775 and your counter claim for $1,500 is dismissed. Coming by looking for her car is not harassment. That's what I believe she was doing. Please, the next case you have, don't let my colleagues convince you to come here.

[00:10:54]Seriously, keep it there at 36th District Court. They'll do you justice.

[00:10:58]All right.

[00:10:59]>> Yeah.

[00:10:59]>> Good enough. You saved me a headache.

[00:11:02]Have a good day. Judge me for the