Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor Hello. This is the case of<i>
Vanmetre v. Watkins.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good morning. JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Vanmetre,
after a recent medical scare
you realized it is imperative that you prove
to the defendant that he is
the biological father of your
three year old son, De'cedre so you can put his name
on the birth certificate. You are hopeful today's result
will help save your family. Mr. Watkins, you say your paternity doubt has
destroyed your relationship
with the plaintiff, and when the results prove
you are not the father, you are gone forever.
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Vanmetre, what is
the current status
of your relationship? We're not in a relationship,
we just live together
at the moment. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. We broke up because of
the simple fact that I cheated. And he has just stayed,
and he's been there
throughout everything, um, throughout
the whole birth, throughout my son being
three now. He's just played his dad
the whole time. I don't really know why
he's stayed, I just know
he has stayed. JUDGE LAKE: All right,
so Mr. Watkins, what's going on in the home? Well, number one,
I'm not gonna leave a child
without a father 'cause I grew up without a dad. So I'm just gonna go ahead and
do what I have to do as a man
and still be there. And I can see as you talk
about that, that you feel emotional,
that you've been very good to this child. Yeah. Despite your doubt, because it
means something to you. Right. Also I play father to
her other child who doesn't
have a father in her life so... I'm taking care of
the whole crew. VANMETRE: And I understand that
and I respect that but it's just, like,
he makes it feel like
it's a financial thing of why he has stayed, and it's not, because we're
going to be okay, and I mean, he'd still
father my child even if he is
outside of that house. So Mr. Watkins, what I want to
understand from you is,
it's bigger than, "I'm just staying in the
house because "this child needs to have
a father." Right. 'Cause I found out
she cheated and that's what, like, I didn't understand why,
because I felt like we're all adults. If you want
to be in a relationship
you're gonna be in one, if you don't wanna be in one,
you don't. Okay, well, let's get down to
the nitty-gritty, as they say. 'Cause the cheating is
what caused
the paternity question. Right. All right. How did you
find out she was cheating? Well, I saw her on the
couch, texting. But I could
clearly see what she's doing, she's texting and
deleting messages. She's like, "Oh, I'm talking
to my friend." "What are you
deleting the messages for?" Then she was pretty much
arguing about it, the fact of what she was saying like,
"You weren't saying that
'cause you deleted them." So I left. Just to cool down 'cause
I don't to stick around arguing
about nothing. So uh, I was coming back when her family picked me up
and told me that they saw her outside
in a car doing what she was doing... JUDGE LAKE: What? You said, "Doing
what she's doing." Pretty much she was having sex
in the back of the car. Ms. Vanmetre, are you
in the car with the guy
you were texting? Yeah, but it was because
he was leaving. And I was telling him
bye at first. He came on to me. And it just ended up
happening, it's not like it was intentional,
he was some... JUDGE LAKE: Oh, so you did, you did have sex with this guy
you were texting and deleting messages with. Yes. JUDGE LAKE: So you admit that? Yes. So you had sex in front
of the house in a car. Yes. And your family
was inside the house. Yes. And then they told on you. VANMETRE: Yes, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE GASPING) So Mr. Watkins,
you're riding in the car, how do you find out that
it's the guy with the
text messages? Well, they told... She told
me who it was when... JUDGE LAKE:
When you confronted her. Who the actual person was. I was gonna tell him... But then my whole thing was... You said it was a friend... You said it was a friend,
right? But that person that
you claim to be is your friend was the person you said you
dated a while back. A long time ago... So it was never a friend,
so you was on the phone
with your ex texting... See, yeah, this is the part, it always happens like this.
'Cause there's always
that okey-doke where it's just, like,
"It's just my friend." And that's why in this
courtroom we always ask, "Have you ever been intimate
with that person?" VANMETRE: No, no. You had never been intimate
with that person in the past? No, me and him... JUDGE LAKE: So the first time
you ever had sex with
that person was in the car? Yes. I thought Mr. Watkins
just testified that this was a person
you used to date previously. It was, I didn't date him.
I didn't... When I talked to him,
it was just talking. I never done nothing,
we kissed, that was all we did.
It was before I met him. And then I met him and I chose not to proceed
with the other guy. Okay, but even with the kiss, see, these are the
little details that add up
to the drama. Because when you said to him,
"It's just a friend,
I'm just texting." You text and deleting
message, he knew there was smoke there, he knew that because that
doesn't make any sense if you're just texting
a friend, then why you gotta
delete the messages? And then, look,
I'm big if I'm
in a relationship, if it's a friend of yours
it better be a friend of mine. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) So if it's no friend of his... ...then, he knew something
was up. Now you say, "I never had sex with the guy
before but I did kiss him." Well, I guess they were making
up for lost time. (AUDIENCE SNICKERING) But my point is, Ms. Vanmetre, you do have this
sexual encounter and then you find out
you're pregnant. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
How long after that? Uh, maybe a week or two after the fact
that I... Really, I don't remember
the exact date. But when I had sex with him,
I did use protection. Mr. Watkins, it seems like
you don't believe that. She told me that
she didn't use it. I told you I did not remember. She says she did remember... Then she says she didn't.
Then she did. Then she says she did. So... There you see where my
doubts come from. So Mr. Watkins, the truth is
you believe that this man, this man she
had that encounter with
in the car, could be De'cedre's
true biological father. Right. (AUDIENCE SNICKERS) Do you have any additional
doubt or evidence? I don't really have a bond with
him. Like, I love him... But every time I see him,
I see him the same way
I see her daughter, you know,
those are her kids. So I'd see him as just a cute kid, he's cute. And he's awesome. And we play fight all the time,
sometime he don't know
when to stop. I'm like, man, all right,
keep going. So Mr. Watkins,
when you look at De'cedre, do you see the other guy? Yeah, I do. He looks nothing like the other
person, he looks like him. WATKINS:<i> But I have another
daughter that's mine that...</i> <i> When uh,</i> me and my kid's mom were
trying to have her it's almost just like
exercising after a while. So you know... Eventually she got pregnant.
I'm not fertile. So... If you had a kid
that makes you fertile. ...when she went
and did what she did, like all of a sudden she's
screaming she's pregnant. And then when we go, you know the lady to tell her
how many months she is, they read back to when she got pregnant, and she got pregnant around
the same time that she cheated. It doesn't mean that you're not fertile, it could've been
on her end that could... I don't know. It could
have been anything. JUDGE LAKE: Well Ms. Vanmetre,
I have to say that I do agree with you
on that, I mean, if he impregnated
one woman, he could, in fact,
impregnate another one,
barring some circumstance that would render him
you know, unable to impregnate a woman. But you do understand
that his doubt... Yeah, and I... ...surrounding the timeline
is real. VANMETRE: I know that and I
told him that I respected that and I told him he didn't have
to stay. He has chose to stay, he was
there during the whole birth, He was there he cut
my son's umbilical cord. JUDGE LAKE<i> : But Ms. Vanmetre,</i> <i> have you ever told
the other guy</i> <i> that he potentially was
De'sedre's</i> biological father? VANMETRE: I ran into him
when my son was
three months old. And he asked me if I
ever found out if my son was his or not
and I told him that I did. Because I didn't want
him involved. Just because I want
him to be the dad because my
son's actually just like him. He's just like me
because he's around me. He's gonna take up things
from me. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) I want... I wanna understand
this, though. You're admitting,
Ms. Vanmetre, that when you saw
the other guy, you lied and said
you had a test, and he was not the child's
biological father. Yeah, because I've seen him
with his child, and my daughter which
doesn't have a dad in her life, and I've seen how he was... Right, so you made a
conscious choice to lie to the
other potential father so that he would be
off the trail of paternity and wouldn't try to establish that he was
the biological father because you decided in your
mind you wanted Mr. Watkins
to be the biological father. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. And she got pregnant
around the same time
she cheated. Ms. Vanmetre, at this point, you admit that there are two possible biological
fathers for your child. Yes. JUDGE LAKE: So his doubt
is real. Yes. So this story you
go to all the time
of he just stayed and he can go
'cause we gonna be all right, and everything you go
through, all that stuff is
ancillary. Because the truth is
here is real paternity
doubt here. But you're saying that you
consciously threw the other guy
off the trail because you wanted him to be
your child's biological father because you saw him with
the other children. Yeah. JUDGE LAKE: So... I feel like even the
testimony of, "He can go 'cause we're
gonna be all right, "and I don't care"
is a lie, too. Because if you didn't
really care if he stayed
or if he went, then why would you throw
the other guy off the trail? Because I love him and I do
want our relationship to work. It's not that I don't care
if he leaves or not 'cause
it would hurt me. It really would.
I do love him. And I care about him,
but I don't... JUDGE LAKE: So the truth is you do want your
relationship to work. VANMETRE: Yes, I do. JUDGE LAKE: And you do want him
to be the father of your
child not just in deed. Right? But in name as well. VANMETRE: Yes. In biology. VANMETRE: Yes. And you're hoping that <i> these paternity results
will save the relationship.</i> That and because I had
a scare about my cancer and I had a biopsy done. At the end of the day,
if something happens to me, I want my son to know who his dad is 'cause I want him to be there for that person and to know that he
loves him and all that. Who is on De'sedre's birth
certificate? Who's listed as father? Nobody. I'm the only one on there. But he has Mr. Watkin''
last name. VANMETRE: He named him. No, I named his first name. You gave him his whole name. I told you to name him your
last name. You said no 'cause
you don't know who
the father is. No, I told you...
He... We sat down and
then we had a conversation because my son is named after somebody
in his family. And we sat down and
had that conversation and he chose for my son to be named
who he is. Then why didn't I put
my name on the birth
certificate? Because you had doubt. I'm not gonna put my name on a birth certificate or give
somebody my last name when I
don't think they're mine. So you're saying you
didn't give her permission to give De'sedre your
last name. No, I didn't. But you do admit you picked
out the name "De'sedre." Yeah, I did. She said she don't care
if I was leaving asking why am I here
or all this other stuff, but actually in reality she does because
I'm the only one who fronts
all the bills. I work three jobs
to take care of all of them. Nobody asked you to do that.
We appreciate it. I do it because I have to do. And I know you do because
you love us and you care
about us. And you want to be there,
but we didn't ask you. I mean, I don't
take anything for granted
that he has done. But if it wasn't for me, you would not have a roof
over your head. There are shelters
that we could go to. Yeah... Nobody's gonna choose a shelter
for their kids. It doesn't matter... Don't talk like that because that don't even
make sense. But if I need a shelter... You know why, you already know why,
I'm there... If I get on my feet then... JUDGE LAKE: So listen, listen. The man has stood by you. Been through the birth
with you. Has helped raise your children. You standing there over and
over again telling him how you just don't want him to feel trapped and he can go,
he can go, he can go. I know your children
out there talking, "Mommy,
don't speak for me. "'Cause I'm not trying to go
to the shelter." I mean... Hold on, hold on. Hold on. What I am trying
to get at is the emotions that
you're showing
in this courtroom today. What it looks like
is you are now in some way deflecting,
that there is some
level of guilt Or there is something
you're wrestling with. Maybe it's
a defense mechanism. I don't know
what it is but everything
you're stating in this
courtroom right now contradicts every
action you've taken up until this point. It doesn't even
make sense. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) And that's why I have
to ask you. I know you want him to be
the biological father. I do want him to be... JUDGE LAKE: Listen thank you.
Just tell the truth. I do, and I do... All right. So you want him
to be the biological father? VANMETRE: I don't want to
hurt him... But the truth is, is you do not know
for certain that he is. No, I don't. JUDGE LAKE:
Just tell the truth, okay? Don't sit up here and talk to
the man in circles and everything, he's working
three jobs to try to
take care of you, he doesn't even know...
He knows the other children
aren't his. This one he doesn't know
if he is, but he's still there. He's paying bills, he's
standing by your side,
he's at the hospital. And all he gets in this moment
is you standing there talking
like, "Oh, don't matter to me,
I'll go to a shelter." Nobody wanna hear that. Them children ain't got time
for that. It's not like that. (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) Right. Don't say anything else
'cause you just told the truth. It isn't like that. It's not like that. That is not what you want. No, I want him to
be my child's... JUDGE LAKE: Right. Right. But as meaning as If he is not, then we're not holding him
to be there, I don't want... JUDGE LAKE: Of course,
what you're saying is, "I don't want you to feel
on the hook." VANMETRE: The whole time
I want him to be the dad,
though. Exactly. Yes. JUDGE LAKE: And it wasn't
coming across that way. But I know
that was your intention. The doubt is real. Yes. VANMETRE: Yes. And we have the answers. Jerome. Envelope, please. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. Yes. JUDGE LAKE:
So his doubt is real. In the case of <i> Vanmetre v. Watkins</i> When it comes to
three-year-old
De'sedre Watkins, it has been determined
by this court, Mr. Watkins, you... are the father. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) All right. That's my boy right there. No wonder he's so damn bad. JUDGE LAKE: (LAUGHS)
That's funny.
I've never heard that. But Mr. Watkins,
I'm so glad De'sedre will
have his daddy in his life. And you will be able to
be there and most importantly, be able to break the
generational curse that you spoke about when you first began
to testify
in this courtroom. That you made up your mind
that you were going to be the
father that you did not have. Right? Right. And not only be the father
but be the example. So you know from this moment
forward, he's taken his cues
from you. If he takes it from you
he will be a hell of a man. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) I was gonna say it but I'm
glad you did Ms. Vanmetre. And you need to know how
lucky you are. Oh, I know... And honor that. I know I'm lucky. All right. Take care of your
beautiful family. Court is adjourned. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
