In a courtroom that often rumbled and ended with a quick gavel, Joseph Wilke walked in with a long list of complaints against his former employer, Alanna Partin. He sued for unpaid wages, the cost of tools he felt he was “forced” to buy, and a damaged coat of paint caused by a mischievous dog.

By the time Judge Judy finished, his enormous pile of lawsuits had been reduced to a small heap—but a small heap worth exactly $244.43.

The Tool Trap

The first point of contention was a classic case of “taking from one to pay another.” Alanna Partin admitted she owed Joseph $244 in wages, but she had a reason for not paying: she had used the money to pay off Joseph’s debt to a tool supplier.

“You can’t do that,” Judge Judy interrupted. By law, an employer cannot unilaterally decide to use an employee’s wages to pay off debts without their consent. If she paid the supplier to keep her credit good, that was her choice—and her loss.

“Did she pull out your fingernails?”

Then came the most dramatic part of Joseph’s complaint: he wanted reimbursement for tools he had to buy to get the job. He felt he had been “forced” to buy them as a condition of employment.

Judge Judy wasn’t impressed with his definition of “forced.”

“Did she use a stun gun?” she asked sarcastically. When Joseph admitted she hadn’t, the judge lectured him about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Her point was simple: in a free country, if you don’t like the terms of a job—including the requirement to provide your own tools—you can say “Goodbye.” Because Joseph chose to buy them, the cost was his own responsibility.

The Dog, the Car, and the Physics of a Scratch

Finally, Joseph pointed to his car. He claimed that while trying to get the last check, Alanna’s dog jumped onto the driver’s side panel and “scratched it.”

But this evidence didn’t hold up under forensic examination. Looking at the photos, Judge Judy noticed the direction of the scratches didn’t match the vertical movement of a dog jumping. “Dogs don’t scratch like that, sir,” she remarked, completely rejecting the claim for car damage.

The Final Verdict

Alanna tried to counterattack, citing threats to call the police to her business and Joseph’s alleged refusal to accept the check. But for the judge, the calculation was simple. Joseph had worked the required hours, and Alanna was withholding the money.

Therefore, the ruling was in favor of the plaintiff; the employer had to pay $244.43 (original unpaid wages), and the counterclaim was dismissed.