That's Not My Cat! & Hiccup In The Plan | We the People with Judge Lauren Lake

Indexed: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]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.

[00:00:10]>> I'm sorry.

[00:00:10]>> 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.

[00:00:23]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.

[00:00:35]>> Margaret Lewis claims she paid the defendant to freeze dry and preserve her deceased cat, but the pet she got back isn't hers.

[00:00:44]>> All right.

[00:00:45]>> Timothy Caldwell says the process may alter an animal's appearance, but the cat is the plaintiff's deceased pet.

[00:00:54]Court is now in session. The honorable judge Lauren Lake presiding.

[00:00:57]>> You may be seated.

[00:00:58]>> Hello, your honor.

[00:00:59]>> Hello. Good day, everyone.

[00:01:01]>> Good day, your honor.

[00:01:02]>> This is the case of Lewis versus Caldwell. Miss Lewis, you are suing Mr. Caldwell for $2,520 for breach of contract. You say you received the wrong cat after preservation services were completed. Is that correct?

[00:01:17]>> That is correct, your honor.

[00:01:18]>> And Mr. Cwell, you say the process can cause physical alterations. Is that correct?

[00:01:24]>> Yes, your honor.

[00:01:24]>> I'll start with you, plain. Tell the court what happened.

[00:01:27]>> Your honor, I got Willow from my friend Emily eight years ago as a kitten, and she's been with me every single day since. I love her, and she and I have a very special bond. Uh she is always always coming up to me, sits next to me, sleeps with me, and two years ago, my husband died in a terrible unexpected accident, a motorcycle accident.

[00:01:49]>> I'm sorry to hear that.

[00:01:50]>> Thank you, your honor. Uh Willow helped me through that. She felt my grieving.

[00:01:55]Every time I cried, she would jump onto my lap. We slept together every single day. And just about a year after his passing, um she was diagnosed with kidney cancer.

[00:02:06]>> I um once she passed, I started to look into a way to preserve her, to keep her close to me. And I found the company Infinite Companion and spoke to Mr. Timothy Caldwell and he uh told me it was going to take a year to get her back.

[00:02:24]>> I'm going to stop you right there, Miss Lewis, because I would like Mr. Caldwell to uh be able to respond. Yes, ma'am.

[00:02:30]>> Um Mr. Calwell, you own the company, what is it called?

[00:02:33]>> Infinite Companion Freeze Dried Preservation >> Companion.

[00:02:37]>> Yes.

[00:02:38]>> And you preserve pets.

[00:02:40]>> Yes, your honor.

[00:02:42]>> How long have you been in business?

[00:02:43]>> I've been owner of this company for 10 years, your honor.

[00:02:46]>> Okay. Can you tell the court a little bit about the process?

[00:02:50]>> Yes. The first part is to immediately as quickly as possible within 48 hours to freeze the pet and then there is a vacuuming to begin the demourizing process and then after that is the removal of moisture which can take several months in in itself. So it's a it's an extensive process. It's more elaborate than is and it's more delicate than a typical taxiderermy which is another process that's used.

[00:03:13]>> I've actually never heard of it. Have you heard of it? I have not.

[00:03:17]>> And I've lost two pets. I didn't even consider that it was a possibility. So, Miss Lewis, it's obvious that you've had consecutive traumatic losses. That's right.

[00:03:27]>> And so, when you heard about the service, you decided this is what I want to do.

[00:03:33]>> Yes. I uh spoke at length to Mr. Caldwell and he told me that we could even position her in the position that she slept next to me on the bed so that I could lay her next to me and I would still have her close to me.

[00:03:46]>> Okay. How much did the service cost?

[00:03:48]>> $2,520, your honor.

[00:03:52]>> And that's the amount you're suing for?

[00:03:53]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:03:54]>> Was there a contract you submitted evidence to the court today?

[00:03:58]>> Yes, ma'am. It's uh my exhibit B. So, you have the paid receipt, $2,520 from Infinite Companion.

[00:04:07]>> Yes, your honor.

[00:04:08]>> So, tell the court why you're here today. Why are you suing for breach of contract? What went wrong?

[00:04:13]>> I feel in my heart that this isn't Willow. I believe that they've made a mistake and gave me somebody else's cat.

[00:04:19]>> Oh, no.

[00:04:20]>> Willow had a very significant scar on her belly from removing the kidney. And there is no scarring on this cat. And I I even performed some DNA tests of my own. I had some cat hair on a brush that was willows and this hair on this cat came back inconclusive which only makes me more sure that this isn't my willow.

[00:04:40]>> So Mr. Calwell, how do you respond to that? Miss Lewis is saying this is not willow.

[00:04:46]>> Right. I stress to u Miss Margaret that the uh immediate freezing within a 48 hour postmortem period is essential because beyond that point it can compromise the effectiveness. uh significantly of the process and because uh Miss Margaret actually uh brought her pet to us after that period uh basically there there >> was frozen your honor she was already frozen in a ziplockc bag because I read it online that I was supposed to do that it was it was very close it was >> so immediately upon Willow's passing you froze >> not immediately upon but >> would that be just in a residential freezer or commercial freezer what did you >> just at home my freezer home freezer.

[00:05:30]>> Yes, your honor.

[00:05:31]>> Is that typically, your honor, in our in-house equipment, we have subzero degree temperature freezers that maximize the effectiveness of the process. In the typical residential freezing system, it's is probably is not definitely not going to be as cold. But I did let Miss U Margaret know that after that 48 hour postmortem period, the skin can shift and close, fur can shift, and things can move around within that period of time. And so that's why it's essential to do it in such a quick period of time. And I informed her that.

[00:06:02]>> May I ask you this?

[00:06:04]>> What is your identification process? How do you manage intake? How do you tell which animal is which and keep track of that?

[00:06:13]>> We actually have a chip that we implant to the to the uh animal in order to electronically track it in addition to a tag that we put on the paw of the pet.

[00:06:22]>> Have you ever had issues before with someone getting the wrong pet returned?

[00:06:26]>> No, your honor. in the 10 years that we've been doing this and and again, we do this because we realize this is important to the pet owners.

[00:06:33]>> What measures were taken to prove to her that she in fact did have the correct pet?

[00:06:40]>> Well, I did explain to Miss Lewis our uh intensive process of tracking from from start to finish of making sure that the uh pets are are marked and and identified.

[00:06:49]>> He offered a DNA test, but it's a it's people that he knows that are going to say whatever he wants them to say, your honor. So, I don't feel that I would be confident that a a positive result that he gives to me really changes anything for me.

[00:07:00]>> Coming up, >> we did get DNA test results. In the case of Lewis versus Caldwell, well, two separate hair samples were collected and sampled and the results are as follows.

[00:07:13]>> And later, >> I was dealing with the hiccups 4 days straight. So, I asked my roommates if they could scare me.

[00:07:19]>> I come running in, I got TO RE LIKE THIS. YOU KNOW, that's how you got to do it, right? I mean that and it it works.

[00:07:25]>> If you'll be in the Los Angeles area and want to bring your case to court, call 1888-552-6878.

[00:07:37]>> You're watching Emmy nominated We the People with Judge Lauren Lake.

[00:07:42]We're back with a dispute between Margaret Lewis and Timothy Caldwell over her deceased cat.

[00:07:50]Your honor, uh, Miss Lewis did, um, indicate that she did some online inexpensive DNA tests, and I refused to accept that because for one thing, I couldn't verify the validity of it or the authenticity. I didn't know what company she dealt with, and I couldn't verify that the samples were even of her cat, Willow. Uh, she got it from her brush, she said. But, uh, I did offer to do, uh, with a reputable company, a professional DNA testing, and she, uh, told me she didn't trust me. This is uh the evidence you presented, Mr. Cwell.

[00:08:21]Yes. Which you also included the receipt >> and my business license should be there as well, ma'am. And your honor, if I may say, um 15 years ago, I had a dog that that passed away and I started looking into how I could do something of this type for my own personal well-being and um for my own, you know, social emotional uh health. And uh this is why I started this business in the first place because I understand how it is for a grieving pet owner in a loss like this. And I empathize with Miss Lewis.

[00:08:51]Uh I just unfortunately realized that we we did not make this mistake. This is the only cat of this color and type that we've had in months around the time that she presented it to us in October of 2024.

[00:09:02]>> Well, this court knows that the only way to resolve this matter is to find out if in fact the cat that Ms. Lewis is in possession of preserved pet uh is in fact her beloved Willow. So we did get DNA test results and these results you will be able to trust and believe are factual. Is there anything anyone else would like to say before the reading of the results?

[00:09:32]>> Thank you your honor. This is all this is what I was hoping we could get.

[00:09:35]>> Yeah.

[00:09:45]In the case of Lewis versus Caldwell, as it relates to Willow and the pet owner, Margaret Lewis, two separate hair samples were collected and sampled and the results are as follows.

[00:10:03]The probability of DNA match is 95.999%.

[00:10:10]Based on the DNA analysis, the freeze dried specimen is in fact willow.

[00:10:20]>> Thank you, your honor.

[00:10:22]>> We got your answer for you.

[00:10:25]>> Thank you very much, your honor.

[00:10:26]>> And I hope you can take some solace in knowing that you haven't been without Willow. the service you paid for was in fact the service you got and I hope that having her will bring you comfort. So I wish you the best. And Mr. Cwell, one thing I will say to you because I'm in this courtroom often and there are many times when I'm asking the defendant for information >> uh and they are unprepared. I would like to commend you today for not only being prepared for court, being patient.

[00:11:02]>> Thank you. I appreciate that.

[00:11:04]>> And uh in helping me understand your process, but also with Miss Lewis >> because even though there was an issue that you know here in the court, you remained very very patient walking through the process and I think that that really shows your intentions behind this business.

[00:11:26]Thank you. I understand and I appreciate it.

[00:11:27]>> It is a very difficult time for a pet owner and I and I do I empathize with that. So, thank you Y.

[00:11:33]>> Good luck in your business. Good luck to you, Miss Lewis. With that said, judgment for the defendant. Court is adjourned.

[00:11:39]>> All right.

[00:11:40]>> Judge Lake has ruled in favor of the defendant. The plaintiff's case is dismissed.

[00:11:47]>> I'm sorry. I expected to feel something and and it wasn't there.

[00:11:51]>> Mr. Lewis, I empathize with you. I know, you know, after losing your husband and then Willow, I know it's very traumatic for you. I wish you the best and I'm sorry that you went through that.

[00:11:59]>> Thank you very much.

[00:12:00]>> Coming up, >> when you run around and ask everybody to scare you, is it reasonable that another roommate in the kitchen could overhear the same conversation and say, "Oh, he's trying to get the hiccups scared out of him."

[00:12:14]>> Yes, your honor. He could hear, but it it's not his conversation.

[00:12:16]>> No, that's not how living with four roommates works.

[00:12:23]You're watching Emmy nominated We the People with Judge Lauren Lake.

[00:12:29]>> Doug Peters claims his apartment carpet was ruined when his roommate intentionally startled him and caused him to spill paint. Elon Hayes says the plaintiff wanted to be scared to get rid of his chronic hiccups.

[00:12:45]>> Mr. Peters, you are suing Mr. Hayes for $800 in property damage. You say the defendant scared you during a paint job and damaged the carpet. Is that correct?

[00:12:55]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:12:56]>> All right, defendant. You say it was just a misunderstanding. Is that correct?

[00:13:00]>> Yes, ma'am.

[00:13:00]>> All right. I'd like to start with you, Mr. Peters. What happened?

[00:13:05]>> Um, I was dealing with the hiccups for 4 days straight and it was really taking a toll on me. I was kind of going crazy. I tried every remedy I could. One thing that I did notice that helped was when people would scare me. Uh, so I would ask uh certain co-workers if they could uh uh give me a little fright. You know, I was just trying to >> So, how do you know Mr. Hayes?

[00:13:26]>> We went to college together.

[00:13:27]>> And was he with you on a day that you had the hiccups?

[00:13:32]>> Yeah. Uh, so I asked my other roommates, Jake and Dante, if they could uh help scare me. And I wanted to do this when Elon was not in the room because I don't really trust him with things like that.

[00:13:44]His social cues are kind of off. Uh, a day later I was painting my room and he runs in flailing his arms, screaming at the top of his lungs and it made me drop the paint all over the carpet and there's a huge stain and it costed me $800 to fix it.

[00:13:59]>> And so, Mr. Hayes, why did you run in the room like that?

[00:14:02]>> I'm just trying to help. You know, we live in a small apartment, the four of us, and I'm there in the kitchen. I can see him in the living room and they're talking and I overhear what's going on.

[00:14:13]>> Tell me what you did. Well, I went out into the hallway when I when I thought that this would be a good opportunity, you know, I psyched myself up. So, I think big have a big voice and I COME RUNNING IN GOT LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW.

[00:14:27]YEAH. SO, I that's how you got to do it, right? I mean that and it it worked. It worked. It was >> I don't KNOW. IS THAT HOW YOU DO IT, SEAN? We used to just go boom, >> BUT LIKE NO ONE ASKED US TO DO it first.

[00:14:41]Coming up.

[00:14:42]>> You did not want to make him spill the paint, right? But your action did cause property damage.

[00:14:54]>> You're watching Emmy nominated We the People with Judge Lauren Lake.

[00:14:59]We're back with the case of Doug Peters who brought Elon Hayes to court for property damage.

[00:15:07]>> So now you want to sue him for the total charge to fix the carpet? Yes. I feel that if he was trying to be a good friend that he would at least try to help pay for this situation. I I don't feel that I should be paying for this by myself.

[00:15:17]>> Okay. When you run around and ask everybody to scare you, is it reasonable that another roommate in the kitchen could overhear the same conversation and say, "Oh, he's trying to get the hiccups scared out of him."

[00:15:30]>> Yes, your honor. He could hear, but it it's not his conversation to listen to.

[00:15:34]That's >> No, that's not how living with four roommates works. At the end of the day, it is reasonable that if you're speaking to roommates and you haven't gone and shut yourself up in the bathroom and whispering, you guys please scare me.

[00:15:47]That it's reasonable that he could overhear it. Now, the question becomes, did he have the right when he weren't speaking to them to interpret, ah, I want to be in on this, too. I want to go try to scare him. That's debatable. The end result though is you do an action, Mr. Hayes, that leads to a result. You with intent wanted to scare him. You did not want to make him spill the paint, right? But your action did cause property damage. However, you were inviting that same action. And this court does not find it's reasonable for you to say that I want these two people to scare me, but I don't want the third roommate to scare me because what you've already said to the court is you were willing to be scared, which dropping or spilling paint is a reasonable result of being scared.

[00:16:45]>> Judge Lakes's verdict when we the people returns.

[00:16:54]You're watching Emmy nominated We the People with Judge Lauren Lake.

[00:16:59]>> What I'm trying to figure out is why would a person ever set this up while they were painting? Why not just paint the whole room and then hatch your plan to be scared?

[00:17:11]>> Like I said, I didn't express my feelings. You keep saying the same thing over and over again and it is nonsensical. And I am trying to tell you that and you are showing me that as much as you want to condemn Mr. Hayes for bad social cues, you are the one that has the bad social cues cuz you're not reading the room right now. The point you're making is not persuasive enough.

[00:17:36]Okay.

[00:17:37]>> Do you have another one?

[00:17:39]>> Yes.

[00:17:39]>> What is it? I have been to many events that I have invited Elon to and every time there is weirder and weirder situation. I felt that for this specific mission that I wanted my two friends TO ACCOMPLISH.

[00:17:53]>> JUDGMENT FOR THE DEFENDANT. COURT IS ADJOURNED.

[00:17:56]>> All right.

[00:17:58]>> Judge Lake has ruled in favor of the defendant.

[00:18:03]>> The plaintiff's case is dismissed.

[00:18:07]>> Do you have any final thoughts with each other? Uh, I feel justice has not been served.

[00:18:13]>> I You think you know someone until they take you to court?

[00:18:18]>> All right. Please gather your things.

[00:18:20]Follow me this way.

[00:18:51]This has been a production of Allen Media Group.