You may be seated. Good morning, Your Honor. Good morning. This is the case of<i>
Baylor v. Childs.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Allen, you say that
after a brief affair
with Mr. Childs you discovered you were
pregnant with your daughter
Ms. Baylor. You say Mr. Childs
acknowledged paternity until his wife
convinced him otherwise. You intend to prove
that Mr. Childs is in fact your
daughter's father. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Childs,
you admit to the affair
with Ms. Allen but say she was involved
with several other people around the time
of conception. You and your wife contend that you are not
Ms. Baylor's father. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Allen, why is
Mr. Childs denying
your daughter? Um... His petty wife. She's been doing
that for years. CHILDS: Excuse me, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE GASPS) She wasn't there when
we were sleeping together. Or nothing. So... I don't think she have
anything to do with it. So you're basically
blaming his wife? ALLEN: Yes. CHILDS: She should
blame herself, Your Honor. ALLEN: What? Why did it take you
20 years to figure out that you should
get a DNA test? Because I didn't need
I didn't need... When I asked... to go through the drama. ...you from the beginning. I didn't need... I came to you... JUDGE LAKE: All right.
Let's talk one at a time, 'cause I do wanna
understand this. How did you all
even get together? CHILDS: She was friends
with cousins of mine. And, we got together
like that. We end up messing
around or whatever.
Nothing serious. JUDGE LAKE:
So you all get together. You have mutual friends. You start having sex. Well, obviously unprotected. ALLEN: Actually,
it started like this. We had a friend
that got killed. And me and him, you know... You know, I would call
and check on him and
things like that. Then one day I'd
just came through after a football game and he wanted
to ride with me. And so, we went on
and had a drink so
whatever. And then, that's when
we started having...
We had sex. Is this the night you
believe you conceived? Yes. After the football game
and the drinks? Yes. Was this the only time
you were intimate with
Mr. Childs? We just did it
like maybe... Couple of times after that. Okay, so this didn't
extend for a long time. This is just
a few encounters? CHILDS: No. Then you say,
you got pregnant? ALLEN: Mmm-hmm. And once you got pregnant
did you tell Mr. Childs, "I'm pregnant and I think
it could be yours"? Actually, it was rumors. So he came to me. CHILDS: You spread the rumors. CHILDS: People come to me... Okay, if I have... If I have family... If I have family
and I'm pregnant
or whatever... CHILDS: Why don't you tell
them the truth you didn't know
who the father was? You knew that
from day one! You were telling... You knew that
from day one! That's not what you
were saying though. You knew that
from day one! The rumor that you... JUDGE LAKE: Hold on. I'm gonna
give both of you a chance
to respond to the other but
I wanna understand. Ms. Allen, what is
your contention? I told him. I said, "She may be your child." JUDGE LAKE:
You told him directly? ALLEN: Yes. I told him, I said it's
a possibility that she may... JUDGE LAKE: So you said it is
a possibility it... That she may not be yours? ALLEN: Exactly. So you acknowledged
this doubt? Yeah. And... And... Okay. So, Mr. Childs... CHILDS: Yes, ma'am. How did the story go
in your assessment? CHILDS: You Honor, listen. Wasn't no, "Hey, listen,
I'm trying to get at you" or anything like that. No. Never that. It just
a moment that happened. So I even asked her, you know, once I found out,
I heard she was pregnant. "Hey, are you...
You're supposed to be
pregnant by me?" "Oh, I don't know.
I don't know if it's
yours or not." So I'm like, "Okay.
I'll tell you what. "If you're pregnant and it's
mine, let's get a DNA test. "We can go and get this
out of the way." I have no problem with
taking care of her, 'cause she would
have been my first. I don't see her
again for months. Probably longer than
that, Your Honor. So, Ms. Allen, when
Ms. Baylor was born you didn't invite
him to the birth? No. JUDGE LAKE:
Did you invite any other man? No. Did you inform
the other possibility or the other possibilities that they may be
the father as well? Yes. You did? Yes. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. If you say,
he might be the father, why are you in court today saying that he is the father? Because I was
messing with him first. How do you know? ALLEN: From... What do you mean
how do I know that? I had to go through
the drama with Ms. Johnson. Oh, up and down the road
she followed me. How can she remember me
chasing her up and down
the street, but she can't remember
who fathered her child? Why am I living... Why am I living in
her head rent free, but she can't remember
who fathered her child? Furthermore, You Honor,
he's always been there
for my children... JUDGE LAKE: Girl, please. So this little song
and dance she doing... I'm telling the truth. Look like she's lying... Why... She... I think it's important
to know too. Whatever... When we met
her daughter... The daughter told us
that she had tested
someone else. Why didn't you
test him first? So, Ms. Allen,
there has been testimony which indicates that you
also tested another man? JOHNSON: Yes, she did that. Is that true? Okay, that is true. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. That is true. Tell the court about that. That is true. But, that's... I wasn't
even messing with him. This was something that... JUDGE LAKE: Why would you
test someone you aren't
messing with? (ALL TALKING) He came on... He came on
asking me. Then he said, "You know, I was messing
with your Mom around
the time. "I wanted... I wanted to
get a DNA test with you." Okay. Someone reached
out to you, Ms. Baylor... BAYLOR: Yes. And said, "I think
I may be your father "and I wanna have a test." Yeah, I wanna have a test... JUDGE LAKE: But, Ms. Allen, you say this person was never a consideration. ALLEN: No. I told him
that but he was insisting on it.
I was like, that is not... I wasn't even messing
with you back then. JUDGE LAKE:
So the bottom line is... She don't know.
That's the bottom line. Ms. Allen, you have not
had a DNA test with any
of the other true potential fathers? Right. Right. Okay, so, Shynesha,
Ms. Baylor, were you always told Mr. Childs was your
biological father? To be honest, You Honor,
I was about 14 when I first found out, um, my sister's dad
wasn't my dad. Just hearing rumors just
going over to my grandmother's
house in Bowling Green. And, uh, that's where,
basically, he is from. And everybody would
come to me like, "You're my cousin.
TJ's your dad."
I'm like, "I don't know who TJ is.
Who is TJ?" And I went about it myself. I found him on
Facebook. Hit him up. And I said, "Look, I don't know
what's going on but I do "actually wanna know." And did I ever
once deny you? BAYLOR: No, you never did. Never once.
Never once. A child looking for
her father, Your Honor, and I stand a chance of
being it. I will be there. I will be there.
You can ask her. (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) We conversated. We talked everything. JUDGE LAKE: So, Ms. Baylor, first you believed until
you were 14 years old that your sibling's father was your biological father. ALLEN: Her stepfather. JUDGE LAKE:
Then people were murmuring. And you were told by whom that that was not
your biological father? Well, basically my stepdad
was telling me stories and he said when
he met my mom then she was already
pregnant with me. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. So your stepfather
told you the truth? BAYLOR: Yes. So I actually... I don't know if
he meant to, but when he told me
I was just like, I just started
asking questions. I just wanted to know. Right. BAYLOR: And wanted to get
to the bottom of it. And so... Yes. She knew I told her,
sit down, I told her
the whole story. Yes, she told me after.
She didn't, like, tell me
before. But she told me
after the fact when my stepdad did say that. Okay. Your Honor... She said... When I brung it
to her attention like, I don't know what's
going on. I'm confused. I know, honey. CHILDS: I'm confused too. And that's why I'm trying
to understand this, because at the end of
the day you have a right to understand
what happened. CHILDS: Exactly. Your Honor, in 2006, I got in touch
with Ms. Baylor. And I told her that
I wanted to meet Shy. JUDGE LAKE: Eleven years ago
you would have been nine. CHILDS: Yes, ma'am. So you made an attempt
to meet Ms. Baylor CHILDS: Yes, ma'am. at nine years old. Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
But you weren't informed... She was... I met her. ...of any of this
till you were 14. No, ma'am. I met her. I sat down and talked to
her at Ms. Allen's house. ALLEN: I've never
denied that... Then why wouldn't
you tell her? Why wouldn't
you tell her? I felt like I never saw
this man in my life. Like, when people were
telling me when I was 14, I'm like, I don't know
nobody named TJ. I don't remember him or
none of this. JUDGE LAKE: I mean,
you were only nine. You don't remember
him at all? I don't remember nothing. JUDGE LAKE: And let me ask
you this, Mr. Childs, it seems as if you were
making earnest attempts
to find out. Is it that you still had
a question in your mind so you were just trying
to see it through? I just wanted to see it
through, Your Honor. I'm saying like this. If it was such a struggle for
her to raise her by herself, and you know
where I am, if I'm such a bad person,
go get child support. When we went to child...
For child support, I would have got a DNA test. And this would have been
taken care of years ago. I've been going on years,
Your Honor, with people
saying, "Oh, you know
Shy's your daughter." "Oh, you know
Shy's your daughter." I don't want people
looking at me like, "Oh, you're
a deadbeat dad." No. I do what I have
to do to take care of
my family. JUDGE LAKE: So, wait,
I wanna ask Ms. Allen, if this was the man you
truly believed was your
child's father, why didn't you ever
pursue child support? ALLEN: I basically
was working, and just taking care
of her on my own. JUDGE LAKE: Or was it that you
just really knew that you didn't know for
sure if it was him? Well, it didn't even matter because I just did
without the drama. CHILDS: It mattered to you. It mattered to you.
You can't say that. So, I went on with my life. I took care of her
by myself. So, Ms. Allen, you never in
the court system pursued a DNA test... Nothing? No. JUDGE LAKE: All right. CHILDS: Your Honor, she just made feels like
she wanted me to be
the father by name so if someone asked her
who Shy's father was she could say me. (ALLEN SCOFFS) You know. Your Honor,
I'm not being funny
or anything, but, okay, I was
a good catch. I'm not gonna lie.
I was a good catch. So... So I can
understand, you know, where she
was coming from then. I would have made
sure she was fine. I would have made sure
the child was fine. All that would have
been good. What I'm saying is there
was no way to keep up
with her. You know, when she had
the baby, Your Honor, she brought the baby to
my mom's house one time. And I told her
right then and there, "Look, Niecy, we can
get this straightened out "so we don't have any
problems in the future." She disappeared. And you say he didn't
say that, Ms. Allen? ALLEN: No. Mr. Childs was doing
other things and... CHILDS: I'm not saying... And I wasn't the only...
I wasn't even the only... Only one he was
messing with. He was messing with my
cousins and all that stuff. So, that's why I just
went on about my business. Again. What does that have
to do with the child at hand, Your Honor? It doesn't. Exactly! But at the same time... That's what I'm saying
I've been going through,
Your Honor. She's not concerned
about her. She's concerned about her. See, I'm concerned
about her too. You run my name
the mud for years, Niecy. How do I bring your
name through the mud? You've been telling people
she's my baby but won't take
a DNA test. How's that not running
my name through the mud? Okay. People looking at me like
I don't take care of a child. You crazy? Okay. Okay. Okay. It funny of you?
It's not funny to me. I'm not... Do
what you gotta do. Of course... All I'm saying is, be here for her. JOHNSON: Listen. Listen.
Your Honor, can I say... Mr. Childs, you have
other children? CHILDS: Yes, ma'am.
Well taken care of. She knows I would have took
great care of this girl. Great care. So... Mr. Childs and Ms. Johnson, do you have any
additional doubts? Oh, yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: You do? Okay. I have some evidence
right here, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Let me see
the evidence. Jerome. Will you describe what
this evidence is, sir? First evidence is... Uh, with my children. All my children have
six fingers, Your Honor. Both of my kids
are very tall. And look just like me. All my kids look
just like me. You know, I'm not
saying that, you know, that doesn't mean she's
not my child. It's just
that... I feel I have strong genes. So, you know... JUDGE LAKE: So you're saying, all of your children, all of your other children, have been born
with a sixth finger? CHILDS: Yes, ma'am.
Just like myself. JUDGE LAKE: And... That's a physical
characteristic you
share with them? CHILDS: Yes, ma'am. JOHNSON: Right. And when
we were pregnant with
the 7-year-old, we had an ultrasound done and at that point,
as soon as he hit
my stomach, she lift her hand up
and there it was
dangling... Another finger. That sixth finger. Another digit is
what they called it. So we asked them about it and they say it will be
hereditary who got it. Mr. Childs, are there
other members of your
family with this sixth finger? No, ma'am. Ms. Johnson, on your side? I don't have it, but
I found out later on my dad has six fingers. But none of us, like, my
brother or sister, nothing. And so the gene could
have come from your side. JOHNSON: It could have. But it was just
interesting none of us... JUDGE LAKE: So... Interesting. Yup. They don't have... JUDGE LAKE: So, Ms. Allen, are you still convinced that Mr. Childs is
her biological father? Yes. JUDGE LAKE: You do believe? I... I really do. After today's results,
what are you hoping? I mean, if... If he is,
you know, the father, I want them to have
a relationship. And, I mean, I'm out of it,
because she's 20. So at the same time if he's not, then we move on. That's fine with me. I... I... I just
have to say, on your behalf, and I don't
mean to speak for you,
Ms. Baylor, but, this is something
she has not moved on. Mmm-hmm. JUDGE LAKE:
She deserves an answer. (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) JUDGE LAKE: And I don't know, Shynesha, it's been a lot
talk about the past, and what people do
and what they did. But I want you to
know you matter. You are all that matters
in this moment. What are your hopes? Basically, I'm just hoping that I can just close this, this chapter that I do
have open in my life. You know, if it's not
closed then I'm, uh, I'm a keep trying to
close the chapter. It's nothing that I can
be mad about, because my mom had taken care
of me since, you know? JUDGE LAKE: Exactly.
And I want... And I hope, as the adults here
in this situation, you all can understand that I think it is so amazing that you can stand
in this courtroom today and say, I'm not
mad about it. But I do want you
to understand, that it is perfectly okay for you to be hurt about it. And that's okay to admit. This is a lot to
have to process. And every girl and every boy, you need your dad. CHILDS: Yeah. JUDGE LAKE:
And even though you've had
a wonderful experience being raised by your mother, it sounds like you had
a nice stepfather as well. At 14 years old, to
get that kind of news and then from that point on
for six more years beyond... Beyond that to have
questions and confusion, you can be strong, and still acknowledge
that you're hurt. Family, are we ready
for the results? CHILDS: Yes, Judge. Let's do it. Jerome. These results were
prepared by DNA
Diagnostics and they read as follows. JUDGE LAKE: In the case of<i>
Baylor v. Childs...</i> When it comes to 20-year-old Shynesha Baylor, it has been determined
by this court, Mr. Childs, you... Are not the father. ALLEN: (WHISPERS)
It's okay, all right? JUDGE LAKE: I'm very sorry,
Ms. Baylor. It's okay, Your Honor.
You know at the same time... JUDGE LAKE: It's okay,
honey. It's okay. (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) Now, I'd like
to apologize to the both of you... JOHNSON: Okay. ...for that. And we could move on. JOHNSON: That's fine. (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) Thank you. It's all right. I really want to give you
the closure you need and
deserve, Ms. Baylor, and I'm sorry this was
not the answer. But I just want you
to understand this is just one step. This now takes this particular question
out of the picture and now we move
forward, right? Yes, ma'am. I hope you will continue
to answer her questions no matter how
difficult, Ms. Allen. Mmm-hmm. And do whatever
is necessary to help her identify
and find her biological father,
all right? Yes, ma'am. Don't ever feel like
this is your fault, don't ever feel like
you are to blame, and I want you to know
how much you are worth it. You are a strong girl. But it's okay
in life to say, "Mom, this really hurts me. "I need you to help me." Okay? Yes, Your Honor. All right. I have counseling
and resources for you all. Thank you, Your Honor. Wish you the very
best of luck. Thank you. Court is adjourned.
