In the quiet, high-stakes atmosphere of Judge Judy’s courtroom, Joseph Young stood firm. He wasn’t there for a simple debt; he was there because of a breach of trust that could potentially land him in hot water with the IRS. He was suing his ex-wife, Debbara Gipson, for the fraudulent use of his healthcare debit card.

The Setup

Joseph explained the mechanics of the dispute with the precision of a man who watches his finances closely. Through his employer, he maintained a Health Savings Account (HSA). This account allowed him to set aside pre-tax dollars for medical and dental expenses—but there was a catch. The funds could strictly only be used for himself or his legal dependents.

At the time of the incident, Joseph had four children, but only one—his 17-year-old—remained a legal dependent. To ensure his youngest was cared for, Joseph had provided his ex-wife with the digital details of the card. It was a bridge of cooperation between former spouses, built for the sake of their child. Or so he thought.

The Violation

The conflict erupted when Joseph discovered a charge for $561 for laboratory expenses. The problem? The patient wasn’t his 17-year-old dependent. It was his oldest daughter, Dominique, who was 28 years old at the time.

By using pre-tax HSA funds for an adult child who was no longer a dependent, Debbara and Dominique hadn’t just spent Joseph’s money—they had potentially triggered a tax violation. Joseph was adamant: he had never authorized the use of the card for Dominique, and he certainly hadn’t been consulted.

The Defense

When Judge Judy turned her piercing gaze toward the defense, a different story emerged. Debbara Gipson didn’t deny the card was used for Dominique. Instead, she argued that it was a desperate measure for a daughter “in between” insurance coverage after aging out of her father’s plan at 26.

Then, Dominique Young herself took the stand. At 28, she stood before the court to defend her mother. Her testimony was simple: “I sent him a text message. I asked him for the three numbers on the back of the card, and he sent them to me… for my lab expenses.”

The Missing Evidence

The case pivoted on a single piece of digital evidence: The Text Message.

If Joseph had truly texted those three security digits to Dominique after she explained she needed them for her labs, his claim of “fraud” would vanish. It would mean he gave consent. However, when Judge Judy asked for the proof, Dominique had nothing to show.

“I didn’t think it was going to come to this,” Dominique whispered, her voice trailing off.

Joseph, on the other hand, maintained his stance. He had provided thousands of dollars in financial help to his daughter in the past, but this specific transaction was unauthorized. Without the text message to prove Joseph’s consent, the defense began to crumble under the weight of the law.