Top 10 The People's Court Cases That Escalated Quickly

These former friends ended up in “The People’s Court” over a number of disputes, including some about money, a ransacked home, and missing medication. Other causes for tension are a little more personal but oh-so entertaining. There’s clearly enough drama for six seasons and a movie here. Even the plaintiff couldn’t keep it together through the opening voiceover. How these two came to be friends, how they fell out, and the petty shots they throw at each other despite being in a courtroom are more interesting than the case itself. Judge Milian, we need a sequel.

Two weeks before prom is not the best time to commission a dress, but the defendant knew there was a deadline and accepted the commission. This case went from zero to a hundred when it turned out that the plaintiff’s mother posted pictures of her in the unfinished dress, and it immediately became a laughing stock online. Everyone from Wendy Williams to “Good Morning America” to people in Greece were dunking on this dress. Who knew that a mere garment of clothing could transcend international borders? The defendant countersued for defamation but the judge ultimately couldn’t rule in her favor. It’s got to hurt knowing her work had become famous for all the wrong reasons.

Plaintiff Theresia Harpster sues the landscaping company that weed whacked her Asiatic lilies. To hear the plaintiff tell this story, she is just a harmless woman trying to protect delicate flowers from careless, vicious landscapers. To hear the landscaper tell it, she’s got a mouth like a sailor and a short temper. By the time this case ends, we have to agree with him. She can’t even stop mean-mugging him as he testifies about her abusive behavior. She even invokes God’s wrath when she loses. A hobby is one thing, but when an accident leads you to endlessly berate the company, it might be time to choose something lower stakes.

A mutually beneficial roommate situation turned out to be a complete disaster. The plaintiff was unhoused when the defendant invited her to live in her place, but personality clashes and hygiene issues made it a negative experience, to say the least. The facts of the case are bizarre from the start, but the details get increasingly more shocking in ways that have to be seen to be believed. This is a level of anger and dysfunction on display that’s truly unique for this show, but it’s also sad. It’s clear there’s a lot more context and nuance here than the court show format allows.

A case that begins with a devastating fire is sure to be wild. When babysitter Dejonae awoke to her apartment in flames, she was shocked to learn the defendant’s daughter had started it. The defendant insists that the plaintiff didn’t do her job as a caretaker but the twist comes when it turns out the daughter had a prior habit of setting things ablaze and the defendant neglected to mention it. The judge tries to reason with them, but when he and his daughter aren’t concerned with anything but escaping responsibility, she lets them have it. They don’t seem to really get it, but it sure is entertaining.

It’s not the usual dog biting case, that’s for sure. Plaintiff Mike Loy confesses that he shot the defendant’s dog because it kept attacking his cattle. Loy even proudly says he would’ve done the same to her other two dogs if he had caught them. While it seems harsh, the judge (and the law) is on his side. Threats to livestock and property are taken very seriously and the defendant’s negligence is what led to the incident in the first place. He’d already asked her once before to corral her dogs after one of them killed his cow, and she didn’t heed his warnings. It’s not the funnest case to listen to, but it feels like an important one.

Life moves pretty fast, but rarely this fast. The judge said it herself: this plaintiff had a rough week. She began dating a woman, took on her daughter and son-in-law as tenants, then broke up with that woman, and had heart surgery all in the same week. Police escorts, seized and damaged property, an ignored court order, and arrests make this one of the “The People’s Court’s” twistiest cases ever. No one here was making the best of choices, but the plaintiff’s suggestion that the judge is homophobic was about as ill-advised as anything she’d done up to that point. And that was a high bar.

Figurative wires got crossed during a pipe installation, and it turned out the plaintiff didn’t need to spend as much money as he thought. Where the rest of us would be grateful to get off easy, he decided he wanted a full refund on the job despite the work the defendant’s company did. While the judge does rule that the plaintiff is owed some money back, when he doesn’t get the full amount he sued for, he storms out, kicking the judge’s door on the way. That’s a lot of anger for winning the case. And it cost him. The judge reversed her ruling and threw him out.

When the plaintiff arrived in court with a cast, you knew this case was going to be something else. They say everyone grieves differently. Some cry, some laugh, and some fight their relatives right in the office of a funeral home. Bad blood clearly existed long before the death of this family’s matriarch, but conflict over the price of funeral expenses erupted into a brawl between this aunt and niece. This one’s so bad that the defendant believes the dead relative is haunting her house… which gives us an idea for a new spin-off! Judge Milian: Paranormal Investigator.

“The People’s Court” generally deals with unpaid loans and petty squabbles over rent and property lines. Rarely does the judge oversee a case where the literal SWAT team was involved. Defendants Christopher and Melinda McManus are being sued for pain and suffering because Melinda hid the plaintiffs’ underage daughter in their house for several days, under the impression she was being abused at home. And that’s just where this case starts. As Judge Milian wades through deeply disturbing text messages, the details just get more frustrating and heartbreaking. It’s an emotional, complicated, and frustrating case. Even if you’re not a parent, this one is going to leave you stunned.

Which “People’s Court” case left you speechless? Tell us in the comments.