<i> This is</i> Couples Court
with the Cutlers. [Judge Dana] This is the case
of Fisher versus Fisher. You all have known each other
for over 40 years. -You've known each other
since you were teenagers.
-Yes. [Judge Dana] You've been
married eight years but you, Mr. Fisher, believe that
your bride is cheating. What is at stake
if that is true? [Tommie]
Well, Your Honor, I took care of this woman
from head to toe. And if I find out today that this woman
has cheated on me, after me being so good to her,
if I find out today that she cheated on me,
this marriage is over. -[Judge Dana] You done?
-I'm done. [Judge Dana] Well, tha--
That's pretty clear, Mr. Cutler. -He is done.
-I know. Ms. Fisher, you got a man
who says he takes care of you. How do you respond to that? No, sir. This man is crazy. I never cheated on him. I've loved him
since I was 15 years old. I'm very faithful,
I'm very honest, and I'm submissive to this man. -Oh.
-[Patricia] And have been. [Judge Dana] All right.
Now, you all keep talking about all these years that you've
known each other. Tell me, how did you all meet? Well, Your Honor,
we met when, um, we was kids. I used to live on the street
where I grew up on. -Uh-huh.
-[Tommie] And I used
to be hanging out with my little partners
on the street. I'd be like, "Man, that's
a bad little baby right there. -Man, I'm gonna get that."
-[laughing] And so, man, I just watched her
and then I went over to her one day when they was
going to church and I said, "Man, why don't you go-- Why
don't you go out with me?" She like, "Man, I'm not
going out with you unless you go to church." -[Judge Dana] So then...
-[Tommie] So then, one day I seen 'em going
into church and I was dressed kinda
nice that day, so I went up
in the church and, um, I sat where she can see me,
and she seen me. Her eyes got kinda big
and she smiled. I said, "Yeah, I'm in now.
I'm getting this today." She went out with me, man. I was in love ever since, man. We was just inseparable, man. -[Judge Dana] So...
-[Judge Keith] So Ms. Fisher, were you bluffing
when you said that? -[Patricia] No.
-Were you thinking, "There's no way in the world
he's gonna show up in church"? I knew he wasn't gonna come
because he was a bad boy. And, um, this man was my first. I lost my virginity to him. [Judge Dana] Oh, all right. And, um, I fell in love
with his intelligence. [Judge Dana] All right.
So, we got this beautiful thing. You get him to go to church. You all have been together
since then. All right, what happened? [Tommie] No, actually,
Your Honor, we had a twenty-year, um,
breakup between then because when I was younger,
she cheated on me. -[Judge Dana] Oh.
-We had a baby. We was living life,
we was living good. And this woman broke my heart,
man, and cheated on me, man. I could never forgive her,
and I left her. [Judge Dana]
And your heart was tore up? [Tommie] Still tore up over it. [Judge Dana]
Tears come to your eyes. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. [Judge Dana] The hurt and the--
And the wound was that deep? It's still there. [Judge Keith] You know, you talk
about time healing all wounds, -this wound is still fresh.
-[Tommie] Twenty years you love somebody like
I loved her, man, it's like-- It cuts your heart
in half, man. You get somebody
you just think a queen. She was a church girl
and the nice-- You know, I just was
in love with her, man, and when she cheated on me, man,
it just tore me apart. [Judge Keith] So Ms. Fisher,
how does it make you feel to see that it still hurts him that
you cheated on him in the past? [Patricia]
It breaks my heart. I mean, it was a mistake
that I made and I've been regretting it
since-- From then until now and I try to ease that pain
and I try to ease his heart by letting him know
that I love him and I will never cheat on him. Uh, it's been over
30-something years ago and he still has that
same pain and I've been faithful. I've been loyal. -So you say.
-He still don't believe me. So, that's why we're here. [Judge Dana] All right, so you
had this horrible breakup,
it sounds like, -for over 20 years.
-Yes, ma'am. [Judge Dana]
How did you reconnect? I mean, because I'm thinking
the way you welling up, you would be like, "I don't ever
wanna see her again." So, how did that--
How did you get back together? Well, Your Honor,
it was out the blue. She just called me
one night, man. I was like, "Who is this?" She say, "Patricia."
I say, "What?" And then my heart
started beating, you know, because this is
the girl that I -messed up with.
-This is the one? [Tommie] And she called me
and I was like, "I got to have her back." -[Judge Dana] Really?
-I got to. And I-- And we hooked back up and then I married her
like 30 days after we got back together. -[Judge Keith] Wow.
-[Judge Dana] Wow. Thirty days later,
you all were married. -Married.
-Whoa. I already knew she was
the girl for me, but... I just believe she doing
the same thing she did to me when she was a kid. [Judge Keith]
So-- So Ms. Fisher, after 20 years,
what made you decide to-- To pick up the phone
and start dialing and how did that
come about? Well, I got tired. I was in
a lot of bad relationships. And I got to thinking, I said, "My-- My first love was
always good to me." And I called him, and ever since
then we-- We've been together. [Judge Dana]
So, you knew? It's like swans. You know, swans have
one mate. -That's it.
-[Patricia] Yes, ma'am. I don't care what--
Even if the other swan dies, that swan will never get
with another swan. -Yes, ma'am.
-[Judge Dana] So he's your swan? He is my swan.
He is my everything. He's-- He's my protector. He's-- He's everything to me. [Judge Keith]
Everything should be happily ever after,
but it's not. Why? What happened? Well, Your Honor, as we-- We--
Our marriage carried on, I'm working hard
taking care of her. You know, I trusted her
for a while, like I mean, I guess
I had a little trust for her. One night, we laying in the bed
because we sleep, you know, close cuddled up and everything. So one night,
the phone call ring. I'm going, "Who calling my house
at two o'clock in the morning
on my wife's phone?" -Right.
-[Tommie] Well, you know,
I got my ear open. I hear his voice. I say,
"Who is that on the phone?" So when she described
who was on the phone, it's the same ex on the phone
that she cheated with-- Cheated on me with
when we was kids. He don't-- -From over 20 years ago?
-[Tommie] Check this out,
Your Honor. Listen to this. It ain't just a phone number
on the phone. The dude's name is in the phone, so you got to program
that in your phone for him to talk to you. And she said she don't have
no communication with her exes. Oh. What he did was he called
in regards to a family member that had
gotten into some trouble. And I explained that
to my husband. I even put him on the phone
with the man. And he still didn't believe me. Did you actually talk
to the ex? Yeah. I told him don't call her
phone no more. [Judge Dana] Oh, yeah.
Well, I understand that. [applause] [Judge Keith] Look...
It was easy enough for you -and Mr. Fisher to rekindle.
-[Patricia] Yes. It would be equally easy
enough for you and this ex to rekindle what you had. -No, because me and--
-Yes, sir. What me and Mr. Fisher have
were totally different. This guy was just one time
and that's it. -Yeah, right.
-Where his insecurities
are coming from is he cheated
the whole marriage, is what he's not telling you. That's where his insecurities
are coming from. [Judge Dana] Before
we start deflecting, I wanna know, do you have
any other concerns about this ex or any other ex? I got some more concerns-- Another reason why
I think she's cheating. [Judge Dana]
Okay. Tell me about it. Can I go to the board
and show you? -Sure.
-Yes, sir. Step over, please. [Patricia]
Go on over there. -[Tommie] So I'm gonna lie
on this?
-[Judge Dana] What we got? Go on. [Tommie]
Okay, Your Honor. She's sitting on the side
of the bed. [Judge Dana]
Uh-huh. Putting on her high jeans
or whatever. I look on her back,
there's scratches on her back. How you get scratches
on your back? She's like, "I don't know. What scratches
you talking about?" So, I take her to the mirror. I tell her to turn around
and look in the mirror. She look in the mirror, "Oh,
them scratches probably got there when I was
in the shower or something." Watch this, Your Honor. The scratches is in this area,
up and down. That's where
your scratches should be... [Judge Keith] If you're
scratching-- ...if you're scratching
your own back.
-[Judge Dana] Right, because -you're reaching back here,
doing this.
-[Tommie] Right. Watch this, Your Honor. The scratches
that was on her back... [Judge Dana] Uh-huh. ...was going like this, indicating it all was
in some passionate pulling when these scratches
got up in my back. [Judge Dana]
Oh... [Judge Keith] So they were
horizontal like somebody was reaching around and-- [Tommie] They on her back like
somebody had been, you know, -embracing her. Yes.
-[Judge Dana] Pulling her in. [Judge Dana] Huh? -Okay. You can step back.
-When Mr. Fisher-- Thank you, sir. -[Judge Dana] Mrs. Fisher?
-Yes, ma'am? [Judge Dana] When he asked
you and suggested that this had happened,
what was your response? [Patricia] I looked at him
like he was crazy... -because I'm double-jointed.
-See? So, I have a-- I have
a medical condition so my skin is always itching. So, I can reach my own back. -Here, here, here.
-[Tommie] No, you don't
scratch-- Don't nobody scratch
their back coming across like this way up in the middle.
Come on. Are you serious? -[Judge Dana] Now, Mrs. Fisher?
-Yes, ma'am? You said that you think that the reason he's throwing
all these accusations, you deflected, and you said it's him? It's him. It's been him. [Judge Dana]
Tell me about that. Well, the first time, I noticed that Mr. Fisher
had been cheating on me is a young lady had came
in my driveway honking her horn. Oh, she just kept honking
like she was crazy. She just kept honk,
honk, honk, honk, honk. -[Judge Dana] At your home?
-Yes. In my driveway. So I'm looking out the window
like, "Who is this?" He's like, "Oh, I'll go out
there and see who it is." I looked, they was gone. I looked across the walkway,
they was back in the-- On the side of the road, I guess he was arguing with her
about coming to my house. [Tommie] I got an explanation
for my cheating, though,
Your Honor. -[Judge Dana] Huh?
-Okay. So it was cheating? [Tommie]
Yeah, I have cheated. I cheated on her
a bunch of times. [Judge Keith] Wait. You cheated
on her a bunch of times? Yes, sir. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Are you telling me you have
brought your wife here... -[Tommie] Mm-hmm. Yes, ma'am.
-...accusing her of cheating. -[Patricia] Mm-hmm.
-...and this entire marriage, -you have been cheating?
-[Patricia] Yes, ma'am. Look at my-- Look what
she done to me, Your Honor. [Judge Dana] Is that a yes -or a no?
-[Tommie] Yes, ma'am. -You got some real gall...
-[Patricia] Thank you. ...coming up in my courtroom... [applause] ...crying and everything, and accusing her
and you knew what you-- You're doing dirt on your own! [Tommie] Because
she done did me like she done did me, Your Honor. I got to have somebody if she--
If, you know, -we don't end up like...
-Whoo! I gotta faint. So Mr. Fisher,
is that the only reason... -Hold on.
-...you got back with her -so you could get back at her?
-Yes. Probably. It probably is,
Your Honor. -[Judge Keith] Really?
-You right. It could be.
-[Judge Dana] So love ain't got -nothing to do with this?
-But I love her though. But if she prove to me
that she ain't cheating, she ain't hurting me like
she hurt me when I was a kid, it's gonna be fixed. But right now,
I have my insecurities -got me doing what I do.
-So you don't love this woman? You're just assuming
that if she passes the test, she's gonna have you after this? -[Tommie] Yes, ma'am.
-If I was her, I'd be like,
"Deuces." Your Honor... But see, you don't
understand, Your Honor. [Patricia]
I got proof right here. Did you-- Okay.
Let me-- Let me ask this. Did you know
about this beforehand? Well, after I got in his phone,
I found those. -Okay. So, this--
-[Patricia] And that was
last month. This is from his phone. It's a text message
from another woman. And it reads,
"I don't want to lose you but always remember
that I do love you." -And this is last month?
-Yes, ma'am. [Judge Keith] And this is from
some woman he's been seeing? -Yes.
-[Tommie] Yes. I ain't gonna lie, Your Honor.
I've been cheating. [Judge Keith] How many
different women? Uh, I can't count 'em. Can you give me a ballpark? Probably about 10, 15. [Judge Keith]
Ten to fifteen women? -Yes, sir.
-I... And you don't feel any remorse
about this? [Tommie] Not at all. [Judge Dana] I mean,
this is-- This is... [Judge Keith] It sounds
like the whole purpose for him
getting back with her is so he can take
the superior position and it's like, "Well,
I took you back, so I get to do what I wanna do." I took you back.
I provide for you, so I can do
whatever I wanna do, but you can't do
what you wanna do. [Judge Keith] That's what it
sounds like. [Judge Dana] This is the
pinnacle of petty. I mean, I ain't never seen
more petty than this. I mean, I'm a truthful man,
Your Honor. Every person that I had ever
cheated on her with, if she asked me,
I told the truth. -I told her about 'em.
-I'm a good woman, though. I've-- I've-- I've never
done nothing-- Anything to you. I gotta ask, Mr. Fisher. When was the last time you were
with another woman sexually? [Tommie scoffs] Probably about two
or three weeks ago. [audience exclaims] [Patricia] I had no idea. [Tommie] It's the same
woman I told you that this is my side piece, if she don't pass this test,
who I'mma be with. [Judge Dana]
I don't need you to tell me that you are
just openly cheating because of something
that happened 20 years ago. [Judge Keith] It was well over
20 years ago. [Patricia] Yes. [Tommie]
Your Honor, one... Hold on, hold on, hold on.
I just wanna-- You know, and Ms. Fisher, I'm not saying
that two wrongs make a right. And so we're here today to find
out if you have cheated. -Yes, sir.
-That's what we're here for. [Patricia] That's what I want
him to see. And look at the evidence
that we have... -[Patricia] Yes, sir.
-[Judge Keith] ...about whether
you cheated or not. [Judge Keith] We got the fact
that you cheated in the past, -which you admitted to.
-Right. Right. [Judge Keith] We've got the
2:00 a.m. call from your ex, and we've got the scratches
on your back. And for all of those reasons, Mr. Fisher believes
you're cheating. No, sir. He'll see today. [Judge Dana] This court
has done a full and complete investigation. At this time, the court would
like to call Tommy Platt, licensed polygraph examiner,
to determine, is she cheating? Ron, escort him in. [applause] -How are you, sir?
-Good, Your Honors. Could you share for the court
record your credentials? [Tommy] Yes, ma'am. I have over
30 years experience in the United States Military
and in law enforcement. I have been a licensed polygraph
examiner for over 11 years and conducted
nearly 3,000 exams. [Judge Dana] Not your first day. [Tommy] No, ma'am. You conducted a polygraph
examination of Mrs. Fisher. -Yes, ma'am.
-[Judge Dana] She was asked
a series of questions? -Yes, ma'am.
-[Judge Keith] You asked
Ms. Fisher, "Since being married
to your husband, have you had sexual intercourse
with any other man?" What was her response
to that question? She stated "no". [Judge Keith] What did the lie
detector determine? [Tommy]
The lie detector determined that she was telling
the truth. [applause] [Judge Keith] Ms. Fisher,
you know, you described yourself
as a good woman and, you know, I don't know
if I agree with that. -I am a good woman.
-[Judge Keith] I don't know
if you're a good woman. -You are an incredible woman...
-[Patricia] Thank you. ...if you have stayed with him
through all this. [applause] I've been through hell. [Judge Keith]
Uh, you've been vindicated. Do you have anything that
you wanna say to Mr. Fisher? -[Patricia] Yes, sir, I do.
-[Judge Dana] Oh. She got a statement. [Patricia] Can I approach him? -[Judge Dana] Okay.
-[Patricia] These are for you. [man in audience]
Divorce papers! Yes! For all the cheating,
all the hurt, all the lies that you've
done to me, all the breakdown
that you've done to me. I'm done. I'm good. [cheering] That's for you. And I wanna thank you guys
very much for clearing my name, and he had a good woman. [Judge Dana]
I need to say this to you, I'm glad that you had
enough sense of self to say, "I ain't gotta put up
with this." -No, ma'am, I don't. Exactly.
-[Judge Dana] "I know who I am
and I know whose I am." Godspeed to your new life. [Patricia] Thank you. Thank you. [applause] [cheering] -[Judge Keith] So Mr. Fisher...
-[Judge Dana] Mr. Fisher-- [Judge Keith] You should be
ashamed of yourself. -[Tommie] I am, Your Honor.
-You really should. I mean dee-- I mean, seriously,
not just lip service. You should actually be
ashamed of yourself and should not even be able to
look at yourself in the mirror. I don't know how you do it
every morning. I don't know. I know now it was just my
craziness, man. I know, you know,
I know I was wrong, but, um, I don't know. I feel sorry for what I did. Well, when you leave here,
you need to go talk to our counselor, Dr. Jeff,
because you need some help. You need some counseling. You need to figure out
how to be a better person, and he can help you do that. So I'm ordering you to go
see Dr. Jeff when you leave here today. All right, Your Honor. [Judge Keith] As we say
in this courtroom, don't cheat yourself
out of a chance for a happy and a healthy
relationship. Court is adjourned.
