Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is a case
of <i> Boyd v. Walker.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Boyd, you are
here today with your son, a semi-pro football player who you say is being taken
advantage of by the defendant. You argue,
she's told your son and another man that they are her
three-year-old
daughter's biological father. (AUDIENCE GROANING) Ms. Walker, you admit that another man
was at the hospital
when your daughter was born. You admit he cut the umbilical cord. You even admit he's on the child's
birth certificate. But now you say you've suddenly changed
your mind and believe
Mr. Boyd is her biological father. Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Boyd, why do you believe Ms. Walker is now claiming your son
fathered her daughter? Your Honor,
I raised my child to be a good man
and a father. And... I just believe that Ms. Walker
knows his potential, him being a semi-pro football
player and all, and that he'll
do the right thing for not only the child that I believe
is his but also for the other
two children that she has. And I just don't want, if this is my grandbaby,
I just don't want her to go through what
I went through. I believed a man
was my dad for seven years. And when he
passed away I found
out he wasn't my father. And I don't want
that for not only this baby, no baby. I understand. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) Ms. Walker, your response to that? I did come trying to keep it
100 with both men
and letting them know that it's a possibility either/or could be
the father of this child. And in my heart I felt like it was the other guy
because he was there
and he stayed around. Mr. Boyd, he disappeared,
went MIA on me, and he wasn't around, three
months later, and all of
a sudden you want to keep sending me pictures, and that's what
gave me doubt about the whole situation,
because they did look alike. And I have, um, proof,
and, um, evidence right
here, Your Honor. Jerome, can you please
hand me that evidence? WALKER: And that's the reason
why I had doubt,
because she did look like Mr. Boyd. But, he went MIA
like I said, and, um, the other man
stepped up, and he was there from the beginning. So, this evidence here, on the left is
a picture of Mr. Boyd as a child. And then on the right is a picture of your daughter. WALKER: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Rayjanay. WALKER: Yes, Your Honor.
Her eyes, they both have, like,
the little bug eyes. And, um, their teeth, when she smiles they
touch, just like his does. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) GAIL: Can I say
something, Your Honor? Yes, ma'am. It's been three years and we've been
trying to do this test. I shouldn't have
had to bring them here after three years. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) And, so when you found out
that you were pregnant, you told Mr. Boyd
and the other guy? Yes, Your Honor. You them both? I told them both
at the same time... JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Boyd,
what did she tell you? Uh, she told me that it
was a possibility it could be mine,
or the other guy's. JUDGE LAKE: So,
she was honest? Yes, she did. JUDGE LAKE: What was
your response? Uh, I told her that, "We need to get
a DNA test done,"
because I was not present, I did not sign
the birth certificate and I was not there
during the birth. 'Cause you chose not to be there. Is there a reason why
you didn't go up to
see the baby, Mr. Boyd? CORNELIUS: No, there wasn't. I don't believe I was there
that day, that weekend,
that it happened. I wasn't there
when she was born. I got the call,
I was out of town. WALKER: The man of
my other two kids, he was there from day one
and he came to the hospital, and he was there
when I had her, and he came and he
stayed for a little bit, and then he continued
to go about his business... CORNELIUS: Excuse me, ...because he chose to be... CORNELIUS: Your Honor, I have proof right here that he
signed the birth certificate. JUDGE LAKE: He did? Yes, he did. Um, Jerome, let me
see that evidence, please. This is a birth certificate
for Rayjanay. And yes, I do see
a signature here, under father. Yes, he was there
and he signed the paper. And he... She got his last name
and everything, because
he was present. When he went MIA, I am not
trying to keep nobody around
who doesn't wanna be kept, because I feel
if you wanted to know, you would've been there
from day one regardless of the situation. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) So, during this time... During this three years, have you built a relationship
with Rayjanay? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: You have? I have. JUDGE LAKE:
Describe it, please. Uh, when she was
about, maybe, two or three months old, they came to our
family reunion, and we
showed her our whole family. And there was probably
300 people there. So, I saw the resemblance, she looked like me
when I was a little girl. But, I didn't know anything about this. All I
know is my son told me
that this is his baby. I never even questioned it,
I didn't know anything about another guy.
I didn't know any of that. JUDGE LAKE: So,
you've developed a real bond with Rayjanay. GAIL: Yes, Your Honor,
I love her. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) And Mr. Boyd, how
about you? What is your relationship
like with Rayjanay? We have a good
relationship together. We, uh...(STUTTERING)
She calls me every
now and then to ask, just to talk to me,
out during the day, see how I was doing.
Say, "Hi". And then she'll go on about, and she'll get bored
and then she won't
talk on the phone no more. But she just about calls me, just about every day. If not... JUDGE LAKE: She calls
you, "Daddy"? Yes... JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Walker, what's Rayjanay's relationship
like with the other man? WALKER: With the other man, she does call him "Daddy," but it's like, he has that
on-and-off relationship with her. And that's
what I don't like. JUDGE LAKE: So, your
three-year old
daughter is calling two different men "Daddy"? Yes, ma'am. (AUDIENCE GROANING) (JUDGE LAKE SIGHS) GAIL: Can I say something,
Your Honor? Yes, ma'am. As a grandmother, when she
spent Christmas with us, it broke my heart, because
she said something about the other man and that being her dad,
and then she said
something about my son. Like I said, being through
what I went through, I couldn't correct her.
How do you correct
a three-year-old when they are
already confused? It just really broke my heart. And that's why we
are here today. JUDGE LAKE: Okay,
I think it's time we get this resolved. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) I am ready for the result.
Jerome? These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. "In the case of<i>
Boyd v. Walker,</i> "pertaining to whether
three-year-old "Rayjanay Hayes, "and as to whether Mr. Boyd
is her biological father, "it has been
determined by this court "Mr. Boyd, "you "are not her father." (AUDIENCE SIGHS) JUDGE LAKE: I'm sorry. WALKER: I apologize
for my actions, but I did let you know
that from the beginning. Mr. Boyd, Ms. Boyd? I am just happy
that it came out now, opposed to her living for 18 years thinking that she
had two fathers and not knowing
the difference, cause... (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) JUDGE LAKE: How do
you feel, Mr. Boyd? I know you said
you developed a... A loving relationship... It hurts a lot, because I do love her,
like she's my own. She still is.
But she's not mine. AUDIENCE: Aww... JUDGE LAKE: So, I am
glad you came today, and I am glad
you got the truth,
and I hope you all feel that you're better having found it out.
But now, there is still
a beautiful little girl that's established
a relationship
and a connection to you. You will have to
figure out how to then either incorporate, or somehow
slowly move away, so her feelings
and her spirit and her sense
of self are protected. Okay? And as a unit figure
out how to make this okay for Rayjanay, okay? Okay. I wish you
the very best of luck. The court is adjourned. WALKER: Thank you. Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case
of <i> Smith v. McBride.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Smith,
you are here today because you claim
that growing up, you were told
again and again that different men were your dad. AUDIENCE: Aww... SMITH: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Today,
you say you hope to put an end to
a lifelong mystery, when you meet a man
for the very first time that you finally believe
is your biological father. SMITH: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: So, Ms. Smith, first, take me back to when this mystery began. When I was 15, I was told by a cousin
that the guy that had been raising me was not my biological father. JUDGE LAKE: Did you
confirm that with your mother? I did. She told... They both ended up talking to me. And they told me
the truth about it. And that there was
a different man that was biologically my father. And, um... When I got a little bit older,
I tried to contact that guy. And he just didn't want
anything to do with me. JUDGE LAKE: Did you ever
get a hold of him? SMITH: I actually
went to his job, and, um, he said that there
was a test done. And, um, that it came back negative,
and when I asked him about the results of the test, I asked him if I can see the test results. He got, real, like, defensive about it. And he wouldn't have anything
else to do with it. He said that he would
contact his attorney if I
brought it up anymore. (AUDIENCE GASPING) JUDGE LAKE: Really? So... You waited and waited
for this moment. You say you've been through
so much in your life. Yeah, it hurt me really bad knowing
this guy that, you know, had been
there my whole life, um, finding out the truth
that he wasn't, in fact, you know, my biological father, and... JUDGE LAKE: Did anyone ever
tell you why? SMITH: No... I asked them who hung around,
back then, you know, in their group
or whatever, you know, and he had mentioned one man that could in fact
be my father, um... (AUDIENCE GASP) So... (SIGHS) He told me that his name was, um, Mr. McBride. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. And, um... I contacted him on Facebook. JUDGE LAKE: And that
was sent to the man that's in court today. SMITH: Yes. So, you have made
contact with him? I have. But, you've never met him? I haven't. You going to meet
him for the first time. He is here, right now, with his wife. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) Jerome, will you please escort
Mr. and Mrs. McBride in? (SIGHS) JEROME: Go up to
the left side there. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) (SMITH MUMBLING) Hi... JUDGE LAKE: Hello,
Mr. and Ms. McBride, thank you so much
for being here. We are here talking
with Ms. Smith about her journey.
Her long journey. Before she ever sent you that
Facebook message, did you have any
idea she existed? No idea whatsoever, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE GASPING) CHRISTY: He... He's real
close with his children. And, um... When she got hold of
him and the possibility that she was his daughter
came up, he was upset, because he said,
"I may have missed out on "35 years of her life." AUDIENCE: Aww... Mr. McBride, you do remember
the relationship with
Ms. Smith's mother, am I correct? Yes, I do. I have talked to
mutual friends and everything else,
and I was never told,
I had no idea whatsoever. JUDGE LAKE: So,
you have seen her mother, talked to mutual
friends you've had... Yes. And no one has ever
mentioned Ms. Smith? That it was a possibility
at all? No. Do you believe
she's your daughter? I believe there's a great
possibility of it. JUDGE LAKE: You do? Yeah. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) JUDGE LAKE: And... Why is it that
you believe that? Well, from pictures that
we have looked at and, like, my wife will
say sometimes that she acts a lot like I act like... JUDGE LAKE: (CHUCKLES) And, uh... You Honor, they are so
much alike, it's uncanny. JUDGE LAKE: Really? CHRISTY: Yes. In which way? Describe, please. Well, they not
only look alike, and I have pictures here... JUDGE LAKE: I'd like
to see those. Jerome, would you hand
me the pictures, please? CHRISTY: But
their personalities are so strong, too. There's just
an amazing resemblance. And these are the photos you
submitted to the court? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: This photo is... (AUDIENCE GASPING) CHRISTY: The one on the left. JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Smith
as a child. Angie, and the one
on the right is, um, JUDGE LAKE:
Mr. McBride's mother. CHRISTY: (STUTTERING) Mother. CHRISTY: Yes. JUDGE LAKE: As a child. They even have that
little twist in their mouth... She's got that, that
his father has. JUDGE LAKE: Hmm! Mr. McBride, you said
you have boys? Yes, I have two boys. Do you have any
girl children? No, I don't. I would
have loved
to have had a little girl. CHRISTY: We... We just... We bought her a dress,
because Dave said that he had never gotten
to buy her one. Oh! So, if she's his we... (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) SMITH: Oh,
that's beautiful. (INAUDIBLE) So, Ms. Smith, as beautiful as this is, there's still some
doubt here, as well. There is doubt. I just, um, I don't
want to get hurt again, after all of this that I've been
through trying to find, you know, who this person is. I just... I just don't
wanna get hurt. Jerome, I think it's time we go
to the results. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. In the case of<i>
Smith v. McBride,</i> when it comes to 34-year-old Angela Smith, Mr. McBride, you are not her father. (AUDIENCE SIGHING) JUDGE LAKE: I'm sorry. DAVID: Me, too. So sorry. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) It'll be all right. It's okay. I know this was
not the result any of you wanted. I hope she finds co-operation
from others and maybe... Maybe there is someone
else that we don't know
about, but I hope... I hope she gets the answers
she needs. JUDGE LAKE: And we do, too. Ms. Smith... DAVID: We will be
there to help her. We planned to make
a trip to see her, um, before winter comes in and we
are still going to do that. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) JUDGE LAKE: Good.
That's beautiful. JUDGE LAKE: I wish you
all the very best
of luck. Take care. Court is adjourned. This is just too much. I've been dealing with
this stuff for years. I just... I don't even know. I really like you guys. A lot. I really
like them a lot. And I still want to continue
the relationship, and go from here.
