We The People with Judge Lauren Lake - Pranks Gone Wrong & Furry Fury

Good day everyone. I was born and raised in Detroit. Growing up there, I saw people like me running things.

This is a courtroom, not a circus. So, we going to calm down. >> I'm sorry.

>> What I found there was a passion that I didn't know existed. This is the bottom line. I'm excited to freef fall into the limitless possibilities with we the people.

So many are fearful of the law. They think it's something that works against them. I think you need to begin to accept responsibility for your mistakes.

We are the people. >> Wesley Chan and Alan Lee claim they were injured by the defendant's over-the-top reaction to one of their pranks. Curtis Franklin says he was caught off guard by the prank and all of his actions were in self-defense.

>> All right. Court is now in session. The Honorable Judge Lauren Lake presiding.

>> You may be seated. >> Hello, your honor. >> Thank you, Sean.

Good day, everyone. >> This is the case of Chan and Lee versus Franklin. Uh, Mr Chan and Mr Lee, you are suing Mr Franklin for $4500 for assault.

Is that correct? >> Yes, your honor. >> And Mr Franklin, you say it was self-defense.

>> That is correct, your honor. >> All right. What happened?

and I'll start with the plaintiffs. >> Hello, your honor. Uh my name is Alan Lee and this is my best friend Wesley Chan.

Um we are uh uh social media influencers and um we were just at the supermarket and we decided to pull a prank on um Mr Franklin and he assaulted us and we ended up we both ended up in the hospital. And >> what type of prank was this? Uh it was one of those pranks where we get a reaction out of him and um so we pretty much took his groceries.

We did not touch him. We did not harm him. There was no physical violence.

>> And then what happened? >> So I was taping for our channel. Um basically what the gist was is that we were going to act like we were stealing his groceries, but we weren't actually stealing his groceries.

Um, as I was filming the video, um, the defendant, uh, then as we were acting like we were stealing his groceries, uh, grabbed the phone, threw it down. >> Show me how you were acting like you were stealing the groceries. So, you come up just did you have like masks on or was it menacing?

What were you doing? >> Menacing? >> No, your honor, it was not menacing at all.

Uh, for So, before every prank, we always record a pre- video in case of situations like this. We go up with a smile, with joy. It's not menacing at all.

We um have a video actually of it. >> I'd like to see it. >> Yes, your honor.

>> What's up, guys? This is Wes. >> This is Alan.

>> And you're back on Wes and Allen's channel. >> So, today we're about to prank somebody. Okay.

We're going to find the most annoying type of customer that asks where the milk's at at the grocery store. Like, bro, the milk is in the back. All right.

>> What the hell? They're going to be a little bit older. Hopefully, a little bit more naive.

We're going to see how they react. >> We're going to find a Karen. Let's go.

>> All right. Let's go. >> Hey, my groceries.

Eight. >> Stop shooting him. It's just a prank.

>> Oh, >> yes, your honor. >> That's what I think. >> He attacks us before um takes violates our property, violates us >> and we didn't even touch him.

We simply approached him and that's to get the reaction, but then he then touched us, punched us, kicked us to the floor and that's when things went really out of tangent. >> And so, Mr Franklin, I do want to hear from you. >> I'm just walking back to my car with the groceries and out of nowhere these whe the one guy comes and takes takes the groceries without my permission and then somebody else >> You think you're getting punched?

I mean I mean did did you think someone was coming at you to also harm you or did you just immediately punch them? >> Well, when I see out of the corner of my eye somebody else holding something up in the in the air, I have no idea what is going on. and then knowing what's going on in life with people carrying weapons and guns and knives, God knows.

So, I'm not there to go, just a second. Is that a telephone? What is you?

I'm not I'm just protecting myself, >> right? >> And my initial reaction is knock whatever it is, which turned out to be a phone out of the the >> the What did you do to Mr Lee and Mr Chan? >> I hit one and I kicked the other.

And I and I I feel bad. I really do. I after reacting and I >> But we told you it was a prank.

So after telling you if it was a prank, why did you keep doing it if you felt so bad? >> Well, wait a minute. After you said it was a prank, he kept hitting you.

>> He kept kicking us. >> I I was in another state of mind at that point. I'm not listening to them say it's a prank.

It's like, how do you know it's a prank? You said that like, oh, I'm going to believe two pranks. I mean, come on.

>> And so at this happen, you were like, hey, hey, it's a prank. It's a prank. >> But then what did he keep doing?

He kicked me in the head and he wouldn't stop. And then uh Wesley came back, >> kicked you in the head. >> Yes.

And um police came, the security guard first came and um uh Mr Franklin said something about he doesn't know if it was a gun or not. The camera was held up in the in the air and it was pointed towards himself. We we didn't attack him.

We didn't assault him. We're just we're just trying to get compensated for our medical bills. >> Right.

But what he thought it was was a robbery, right? He thought in that moment he was getting robbed. >> We told him it was a prank.

>> But no, you didn't tell him it was a prank before the prank started. You told him it was a prank after he responded in a violent way. Your honor, the reason why we came to court is we know it was a prank and we acknowledged that we had the intent of the prank and the reaction, but we were sent to the hospital after um I was in we were both in a really bad condition.

Luckily, and thank God Allan had the insurance to cover all the medical expenses. Uh but for me, it was very severe because I don't have any medical insurance. So, there was an outstanding amount of $4,500 that we still have to pay off.

And that is why we are suing the defendant for assault in order to get the $4,500 paid off. >> Coming up, >> the bigger the reaction, the bigger the likes and the follows, and then your show grows and you make money, right? So you are not when I'm talking, you're not.

>> And later, >> what happened? >> He deemed my costume inappropriate. He basically sexualized me and said that I was a fetishist.

I believe is the word he used. >> If you'll be in the Los Angeles area and want to bring your case to court, call 1888552-6878. You're watching We the People with Judge Lauren Lake.

We're back with the case of Wesley Chan and Alan Lee, who brought Curtis Franklin to court over a prank gone wrong. You all think that what you're doing is funny. You live in a generation that's all about shock culture.

What you can do to shock people to get a reaction to be on the internet. The bigger the reaction, the bigger the likes and the follows and then your show grows and you make money, >> right? So you are not when I'm talking, you're not.

And so you wanted to shock everyone with this prank and this show and you did that. You really did shock >> Mr Franklin because he's coming out of the grocery store very unassuming and not thinking that this is going to happen and then not one person comes up, two people come up. Now you have two young people come up to you coming in to grab your groceries to rob you of your groceries.

Remember he is holding the cart which the groceries are in. Technically that cart is what we say is attached to his person. He has it.

You're up on him. His reaction is I'm getting robbed. And to be very clear that is a reasonable reaction given the the the times we live in.

He is correct. >> Yes. And now when you start grabbing the groceries where you put yourself in a disadvantage is now you got stuff in your hand.

Your hands aren't free. And it gives him a chance to get y'all all the way together. By the time you say it's a prank, it's a prank.

At that time, he's seeing red already. And he's decided that it is either, you know, fight or flight. How do I get away?

If not, I got to fight because I don't know what's happening. And I can I can see under those circumstances, you may not hear the word prank. And I don't mean this disrespectfully, Mr Franklin, but he is a man of a certain age.

You don't even know whether he could hear you clearly because when you do something like this, you take the person that you are pranking just as you find them. Under the circumstances, I realize that Mr Franklin may have gotten the best of you two, but I think this is what you call play silly games, win silly prizes. And I think this is a hazard that you all should foresee that everybody is not going to see your behavior as funny or welcoming.

And everybody doesn't run around living their life that what happens to them needs to be on a video on YouTube. Some people are very offended by that. No one respects privacy anymore.

And I realize you would have him sign off on it, but he may not even want a video like that in your phone. You had no permission to record him. There's a lot going on here.

And every time I get to the end of an issue, it's you two there not making good choices. Now you ended up facing a very harsh consequence for those choices. Now if you said that he had gone down and knocked you all to the ground and then punched you till you were so bloody in the face and the ambulance had to come and carry you out and all of that.

Maybe his reaction was unreasonable. But for a man who's trying who thinks he might be getting robbed him trying to get you all both to the ground punch and a kick. Hey, y'all got lucky that day cuz don't run up on me.

Your generation is of course very different than when he grew up. But you have to respect that as well. Do you understand?

>> Yes, sir. >> All right. I'm so sorry that you don't have the health insurance, but this is a job.

This is an occupational hazard. And if you going to be pranksters, y'all need some insurance. And if you can't afford insurance, you may not be able to afford to be doing this show.

Come up with something else ingenious that's funny that doesn't require you pretending that you are robbing people. That's not okay on any day in any way. Do you hear me?

>> Yes, your honor. >> With that said, the plaintiff's case is dismissed. Judgment for the defendant.

Court is ajourned. >> Yes. >> All right.

Judge Lake has ruled in favor of the defendant. The co-plaintiff's case is dismissed. >> Final thoughts?

>> Uh, yeah. No, I'm glad you guys need to understand life and take responsibility for stupid actions. >> We don't need our grandpa telling us anything.

>> You know, of course, >> grab your things. Follow me this way. Coming up, >> Miss Farmer, when you think about 5 to 12 year olds, I can't say at CJ's birthday parties when he was six, I want my fox dressed up like that.

I'm being very honest. You're watching We the People with Judge Lauren Lake. Holly Farmer claims she was insultingly sent home early from the children's event she was hired to perform at after she was objectified by the defendant.

Jeff Anderson says Miss Farmer's costume was too sexually suggestive for kids. >> Good day everyone. >> Good day.

>> This is the case of Farmer versus Anderson. Miss Farmer, you are suing Mr Anderson for $300. You say you were not allowed to perform.

Is that correct? >> That is correct. >> All right.

And the defendant says that your costume was inappropriate. >> Yes, that's correct. >> All right.

Tell me what happened, please. >> I signed a contract. Mr Anderson and I both signed a contract that I would be paid $600 total to perform as an animal at a children's event.

The plan was that he would pay me $300 as a deposit and then $300 after the performance. And did he specify what kind of costume you were to wear? >> Yes.

So, we settled on a fox. >> On a fox. Do you have an agreement?

>> Yes, I do. >> May I see it, please? >> Absolutely.

>> Thank you. >> So, did you have a fox costume or you had to go out and get one? >> I did.

I had one already. >> All right. So, what's the problem?

>> What happened? >> He deemed my costume inappropriate. He basically sexualized me and said that I was a fetishist, I believe, is the word he used.

What was wrong with it, Mr Anderson? >> It was It was sexually suggestive and um I don't think it was appropriate for kids to be around that type of >> Did you bring a picture? >> Yes, absolutely.

>> I'd like to see it, please. >> Do you have it in your file? Thank you.

>> Yes. Thank you. >> So, when you asked her which kind of costumes and you guys decided on a fox, you never asked her, "Do you have a picture of you in the fox costume?

What does it look like? " >> No, I don't. >> All right.

And so when she shows up at the event, she has on this. You submitted these pictures to the court as well. >> Yes.

>> So this is what she had on when she came. >> That's correct. >> And in your opinion, this was a little bit too sexual for kids how old?

>> Between 5 and 12. >> Is this the type of costume you thought she was going to be in? >> Something comparable to that.

>> So that's what she said or that's what you thought? That's what Well, I I thought >> that she >> She said she was coming as a fox. >> All right.

And so she arrives, she has on this costume, and what do you say to her? >> Told her to get out. I didn't have I didn't want the kids to be exposed any more than what they'd seen.

And it was I thought it was absurd >> coming up. >> In your opinion, this wasn't inappropriate for kids. >> The kids don't sexualize the costume.

It was just Mr Anderson sexualizing it. You're watching We the People with Judge Lauren Lake. >> We're back with a dispute between Holly Farmer and Jeff Anderson over payment to perform at a children's event.

>> And in your opinion, this wasn't inappropriate for kids? >> No, I don't feel that way. I've never had problems with parents or the kids in the past.

The kids don't sexualize the costume. It was just Mr Anderson sexualizing it. So, Mr Anderson, when Miss Farmer felt comfortable, did you think to say, "Maybe I'm overreacting.

Let me get a thought. " >> I was concerned about the kids. I didn't have time to think about communicating with anyone else or talking to anyone.

>> And so, you basically said, "Not going to use you. " >> Absolutely. >> All right.

And you had already given her a $300 deposit. >> That's correct. >> And so, Ms.

Farmer, you were saying, "I'm here. I'm available available to perform. I need to make the rest of my money.

" Yes. >> And that's why you're here suing for that. >> Absolutely.

>> So, just a question. Why a costume that fits more like a uniard versus another type of costume? >> Honestly, I didn't see anything wrong with it since I have done this before.

>> How often do you perform for children? >> I would say about 50 to 60 times a year. >> And if you're a fox, you're always wearing this costume.

>> Yes. >> Do you wear any other costumes? Any other animal costumes that are also form fitting this way?

>> Yes. >> And they're all that way. >> Yes, they are.

>> All right. So, audience, gallery, if you went to a children's party and Miss Farmer the Fox came out in that costume, raise your hand if you'd object. Just three.

Four. Okay. >> Judge Lakes's verdict when We the People returns.

You're watching We the People with Judge Lauren Lake. >> The contract simply says Holly Farmer will perform as a costumed character to entertain the children. Performer will provide her own costume.

There is nothing there that suggests that the costumes should not be form fitting or revealing in any way. Just simply that she'd be in her own costume. With that said, Miss Farmer, when you think about 5 to 12 year olds, I can't say at CJ's birthday parties when he was six, I want my fox dressed up like that.

I think in this instance, you both had a part to play in this miscommunication. And for that reason, I'm going to award the plaint of $150. Court is adjourned.

>> Judge Lake has ruled in favor of the plaintiff. The defendant owes $150. >> I'm sorry that it went this way, but I really hope that you educate yourself in the future.

>> It's preposterous. It really is. >> Please exit this way.

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