Restauranteur wins on Judge Judy

What started as a Facebook feud escalated into a lawsuit and ended Tuesday with a verdict handed down by Judith Susan Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy.

Mo’s Catering and Restaurant owner Mone-Shay Platt was being sued by Coleen Fuller for $5,000 for defamation and the case was brought before Judge Judy on her national-syndicated courtroom television show.

“It came about in December,” Platt said. “There was an altercation on the Madera To Go Facebook Group. The producers called me and asked about the case. They asked if I would be a participant in the Judge Judy show. They said the case had a lot of uniqueness with the COVID and asked if I would like to come. I was hesitant because I had a business and it could be good for you or bad for you.”

In the end, Judge Judy sided with Platt and dismissed the lawsuit. However, Judge Judy also dismissed Platt’s countersuit to Fuller for defamation and harassment.

“We filmed in early January,” she said. “I had to sign a contract and keep it under wraps. I was pretty respectful. It looked like I was talking too much. I think they portrayed me okay. It was good, but not too bad. I never got an opportunity to present contracts that were signed and documented by customers that I had an event with. I didn’t get to present some stuff I would like.”

Despite Platt not getting the chance to plead her case for her countersuit, she was happy with the end result.

“The end result is don’t be a hypocrite,” she said. “I don’t have a problem with people that don’t have their certificates and are tying to get their side hustle on. I support people like that all the time. It’s about being a hypocrite. You’re talking about calling these people if they see dine in. But, you’re cooking out of your home illegally and selling it.”

One of the controversies in the show was the relationship between Fuller and Platt. Although Fuller claims to not know Platt, Fuller’s ex-boyfriend and boss is Platt’s uncle, a claim Fuller denied. During the show, Judge Judy tried to call the uncle to get his side of the story, but the call never connected.

“That is my uncle,” Platt said. “That was a lie in itself. You could see it was my uncle. I wanted her to call my uncle.

“It was just sad that it had to come to that. It bring awareness of someone that was inappropriate and was caught.”