Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Shockley v. Shockley.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Boone, this is a first
for this court room. There are two brothers
both claiming to be
your biological father. BOONE: Yes, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE GASPING) How does that make you feel? I don't really know how
to feel, because I don't really
know if I'm supposed to build a relationship with them
as a daughter or relationship
with them as an uncle. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) Wow. So, the plaintiff
could be your father
or your uncle. BOONE: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: And the defendant
could be your father
or your uncle. BOONE: Yes, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) Now for the record,
the two of you are brothers
who actually share the same name. Steve Shockley
and Steven Michael Shockley. Is that correct? BOTH: Yes, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) Wow. So, Mr. Shockley, you are here
to prove to your brother,
the defendant, that you are 31 year
Desiree's father. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: So,
Mr. Michael Shockley, you say there was never
any question as to paternity until your brother came forward
claiming to be her dad.
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Wow. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) So, Mr. Shockley, you say
she's your daughter. STEVE: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: You've held it in
long enough. STEVE: Yes, ma'am. This been... What?
How many years?
A secret. 31? 31 years. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) JUDGE LAKE:
And you say it's time
for the truth to be revealed. Yes, Your Honor. But Mr. Michael Shockley,
you say there's never been
any question of paternity. No, Your Honor. I... When we found out
Gina was pregnant,
we was together, so, and she said it was mine,
so, I believe she's mine. She's always been
my little girl. JUDGE LAKE: And you've lived
the last 31 years believing this is
your beautiful daughter? Yes, ma'am. And there was no question
of paternity until your brother
came along saying that she could be his daughter. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: In your heart,
Mr. Shockley, you believe <i> Ms. Boone is
your biological child.</i> STEVE:<i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> JUDGE LAKE: So, I wanna
understand your relationship
with Ms. Grove, which is, Ms. Boone Desiree's mom. Take me back to
your relationship with her. When I first met Gina,
you know, we met
at a friend's house, and I'd seen her,
and we just automatically
had that connection. And then we... we was
together for five years. Had a great relationship
with each other and then... <i> we got married,</i> and then, I found out
that my brother
and Gina was together, (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) So while we were
still married, (AUDIENCE GASPING) Oh. That would do it. STEVE: And then... I was told...
(CHUCKLES) I was told by family members
that they was together. JUDGE LAKE: That's how
you found out? Yes, ma'am.
I had to find out
for myself. <i> So, I went to
a family member's house,</i> <i> someone let me in,</i> I walked into the bedroom
where they was at,
I uncovered her head, (AUDIENCE GASPING) seeing that it was them two, I covered her head back up
and walked out and left. And that was the last time
that I... So, you caught your wife
in bed with your brother? STEVE: Yes. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) JUDGE LAKE: Whoa. Well, joining us... from her home town
is your ex-wife, Gina Miss Grove. JUDGE LAKE:<i> Thank you
for being with us today.</i> <i> Can you hear me?</i> Yes, ma'am. I can. How did you end up sleeping
with your husband's brother? Well, it's a long story. Steve left a lot of part out
in our relationship. He would have affairs
with my (BLEEP)
and my (BLEEP). (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) STEVE: But that's when
we was on our way out, Gina. GINA:<i> It is still... It is...</i> STEVE: And that was... Your husband slept with two
of your family members? GINA:<i> Yes, ma'am.</i> (AUDIENCE GASPING) So, in retaliation,
you slept with his brother. Well, it wasn't
really retaliation,
but yes. JUDGE LAKE: Whoa! (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) So, you admit it did happen,
you went on and you slept
with his brother? And is that finally broke
your marriage up for good? Well, me and Steve
broke up before
me and Mike got together. Okay? 'Cause me and him
was having problems. No, you didn't. GINA:<i> Yes, we did, Steve.</i> (AUDIENCE MURMURING) So, you're saying
you weren't broken up? No, we were still married,
and we was... GINA:<i> Yeah,
we were still married,
but we were separated.</i> And they, kinda,
seeing each other
right before <i> me and her broke up.</i> JUDGE LAKE:<i> So, when you pulled
the covers off and it was her
and your brother,</i> what did you say in that
moment? Did you just
walked back out the room? STEVE: Just walked back
out the room. 'Cause I just wanted to see
for myself if it was true. And I did see for myself
if it was true and I... <i> I walked out and I didn't
speak to them for
a long time after that.</i> And then, finally... I started talking
to them again. And so, to Michael Shockley. Mr. Shockley,
how did you end up sleeping
with your brother's wife? Well, I thought
they were broke up
at that time. JUDGE LAKE: But even if
they were broken up,
it's your brother's wife! But, I mean, is there
any brother code?
I mean, there's... girl code, guy code,
is there brother code? Not in a small town. JUDGE LAKE: You said,
"Not in a small town?" (ALL LAUGHING AND APPLAUDING) Look, I asked, I guess
I learned that lesson. Right, thank goodness
I live in the big city, honey. (ALL LAUGHING) What? If you want more episodes
of Paternity Court Make sure to subscribe
and click on
the notification bell. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Steve Shockley, take me to the point
you find out
about the pregnancy. I didn't actually find out
that she was pregnant
till the day that she brought Des in to
my family member's house
and put her on my lap and said, "This is
your daughter." JUDGE LAKE:<i> Oh really?</i> (AUDIENCE GASPING) That's a lie. STEVE:<i> That's the first time
I actually found out</i> that she was my daughter. JUDGE LAKE:
So, Ms., um, Grove, is that true? GINA: No ma'am, it is not. Gina, you know,
you're lying when
you said you didn't. Steve. Steve, you was at
a family member's house, I came when Desiree
was a baby, <i> You kept saying,
"That's my baby."
I said, "No, she is not."</i> GINA:<i> She is Mike's baby.</i> STEVE:<i> No, you brought her
and you laid in my lap.</i> That... Steve Shockley. You sitting there,
telling a lie
and you know it. STEVE:<i> No, I'm not.
You're telling a lie.</i> You argued, you argued up
and yeah, that's my baby. I said, "No, she's not.
She is Mike's." Okay, Steve, me and you
both know the truth. Yeah, we know the truth
and I'm telling the truth. Okay. That's the reason
I'm here today. Yeah. GINA:<i> Steve Shockley.</i> And you need to tell the truth. Boy, oh, boy. (ALL LAUGHING) JUDGE LAKE: So, Ms. Grove... GINA:<i> Now you're sitting there
telling a lie. Yes, ma'am.</i> JUDGE LAKE: When you gave birth
to Desiree, were you in a relationship
with Michael Shockley? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: But still legally
married to Steven Shockley. Yes, ma'am. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) JUDGE LAKE: So, who signed
the birth certificate? Mike did. (AUDIENCE GASPING) How did that happen? Small town, I guess,
because he was there
through the pregnancy. He was there through
the pregnancy, he was
there through everything. And in my heart,
I believe Mike's her daddy. I've always felt that way. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Shockley,
you were there through
all of the pregnancy. You were there, because you
were told when she found out
you were pregnant, we're having a baby. Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
So, you always thought
this was your child. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: So, you support it,
you went through
the process. In your mind,
you had a little girl. MICHAEL: Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: Did it ever occur
to you that this could be
your brother's child? MICHAEL:<i> No, ma'am.
She was my little girl.</i> <i> I was there during
the whole pregnancy,</i> the birth, the first week
of her life. I took
her home myself, because Gina stayed
in the hospital. So, you even brought
her home from
the hospital yourself? MICHAEL: Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
So, that was your baby. MICHAEL: Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
And I see that makes you
so emotional, Desiree. JUDGE LAKE: What do you feel
listening to... This is the man you've always
believed was you father. I mean, I was
a daddy's girl. (SNIFFLING) And I... I mean...
We have a song called
"Daddy's girl." I used to sit on
his knees and we would
sing together. So, I mean, to go for 20 years being the biggest
daddy's girl there is, to find out the man that
I thought was my father
all this time, may not be... You know, it's an emotional
roller coaster. I don't... (STAMMERS) I want to build
a relationship with him. But I don't want to build
a relationship with my uncle
if he's my dad. I don't want to build
a relationship with my dad
as an... (STAMMERING) I'm confused. I'm extremely confused. JUDGE LAKE: Understandably. And it's... I mean... And because they really are
two different relationships. BOONE: And they are
and it's... The time that I spent
building that relationship
with him as, you know,
being a big daddy's girl, I don't wanna feel like
that time was wasted. JUDGE LAKE: Mmm. (SNIFFLING) So... It wasn't a waste. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) JUDGE LAKE:
So, Michael Shockley,
that was your dad. That's the man you've
always known to be your dad. Yes, Your Honor. He was there for you
in the ways that dads
are there for their daughters. And that's what
you've always known. BOONE:<i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> JUDGE LAKE:<i> That's what you've
always been told.</i> BOONE:<i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> (BOONE SNIFFING) JUDGE LAKE:<i> You've never heard
anything different?</i> BOONE:<i> No, Your Honor.
Not until I was 20 years old.</i> (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) That came as a shocker
to me. I had just gotten
home from work and... Who I thought was
my uncle Steve at the time, had called me
and proceeded to tell, asked me if
I was sitting down. Um, well, proceeded
to tell me that he was
my dad, and it floored me. (STAMMERING) JUDGE LAKE:
How long ago was that? Eleven years. And so what got in
your mind, Mr. Shockley, on that day
where you just decided,
I'm making the phone call? STEVE:<i> Well, Your Honor...</i> JUDGE LAKE:<i> She's 20,</i> your brother's raised her
at this point as his own
for 20 years. What made you make the call? Because, you know,
I would've been in her life
way years before that, but... they kinda kept moving, you know, going... Moving. And I never could
know where she was at, so
I could bond that relationship. And I told Gina
at the start
where I said, "When she gets old enough,
I'm gonna tell her." JUDGE LAKE:<i> Take me to that
moment when you said,</i> "I'm your father." STEVE: I told her, I said,
"Des, I wanna tell you
something." I said, "It's probably
gonna change your life." I said,
"Well, I am your daddy." (AUDIENCE MURMURING) And then, she got quiet. <i>And she... She really
didn't say nothing after that,</i> <i>too much after that,
and then</i> she said, "Okay,
I'm gonna call Gina." Well, she got off
the phone with me,
she called Gina, and then I got
a call from her. Oh. So, Ms. Grove, you got
a call from your daughter
like that, that says, "Mom, my uncle just told me
that he's my father." What do you say? Desiree asked me, she said,
"I want you to
tell me the truth." She said, "Is there a chance
that Steve could be my dad?" <i>I said, "Desiree, I believe
Mike is your dad."</i> And I told,
"Gee, yes, that's right,
there is a slim chance" "that he could be." BOONE:<i> Six months ago.</i> BOONE:<i> Six months ago.</i> GINA:<i> No, it was a little bit
longer than that, baby.</i> When I called...
when Steve called me and said that he was
my dad, and I called you, you denied there even
being a possibility that
he was my dad, up until six months ago. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) JUDGE LAKE: But wait,
I don't... Let me just jump in here because
I want to understand something. Mr. Shockley testified that
this was 10 years ago. You were 20 when... It was 11 years ago. JUDGE LAKE: Eleven years ago,
when you finally said,
"I got the nerve to say "I'm your father." Mmm-hmm. You obviously made
that phone call to your mother
after that. Immediately after that.
And she denied there even
being a chance that he was... She was calling him a liar
and denied... JUDGE LAKE: For 10 years? Yes, ma'am. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) She told me that there
is a possibility that
Steve is my biological father, but she believed, in her heart,
that Mike was my dad. JUDGE LAKE: And so,
for these 10 years,
Mr. Shockley, <i>what're you doing?
Holding out hope?</i> STEVE: Holding out hope. I didn't want to mess
her head up when
she was just a small kid. I wanted to wait till
she got to a certain age. But I didn't get the chance
until she was 20 years old to tell her
that I'm her dad. I mean, if I could've
back when she was
13, 14 years old, <i> I would've told her.</i> But I never... They wouldn't
let me be around her. Because they knew that that's what's
gonna happen. JUDGE LAKE: Oh, so you believe she thought you were
the distant uncle, but
what you believe is, they were keeping
her away from you... STEVE: Yes, Your Honor. ...because you were convinced
that you were her father? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: So they created
that separation because they felt like
you were gonna tell. Yes, Your Honor. GINA:<i> That's not true.</i> STEVE: It is true. So, to Mr. Michael Shockley... STEVE: It is true. Mr. Shockley,
were you ever aware of this?
And did you deliberately try to create
separation between
your brother and the child that you believe
was your daughter? No, ma'am. The only time we was all
separated was because
they didn't... My whole family didn't
approve of us being together,
so I just separated them. STEVE: Your Honor,
they even moved to
Jacksonville, Florida. Yup. And I lived
in Idabel, Oklahoma. So they best not trying
to keep me away from her. You're acting like
we was trying to
get away from you, to keep Desiree from you. Well, you... <i> And that's not true.</i> You always kept
her away from me. So, Ms. Groves... Ms. Grove, if you were
able to admit to your daughter
six months to a year ago that Mr. Shockley could in fact
be her biological father, did you,
throughout these years,
have doubts of your own that you entertained
at some point? No, I really...
in my heart, I believe
that Mike is her daddy. I've always believed that. <i> 'Cause y'all kept saying,
"That's yours,"</i> and I'm like,
"No, she's not yours." STEVE:<i> No, you all
stayin' there and
laid her in my lap</i> <i> and said,
"Here's your daughter."</i> I remember I got mad <i>and I got Desiree and I left.</i> No, I got mad 'cause
I told you I was gonna
tell Mike. I got Desiree and I left. No, you didn't.
I sat there and... I sat there and held her
in my arms
for two to three hours after you put her
in my arms. You did, you did. No, you did ask to hold her
and I let you hold her. No, I didn't ask to hold her.
You laid her in my arms. But never once... I remember that
as well as I remember
I'm standing right here today. GINA:<i> Steve, you're gonna
get striked down.</i> STEVE: No, I'm not. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) Yeah, you are. No, I'm not, 'cause I know what I'm sayin'
is the honest truth. JUDGE LAKE: But, I mean,
you all are saying
the same things. You're saying you did let him
hold the baby. Yeah. GINA:<i> Yes, I did. Yes.</i> JUDGE LAKE: You let him
hold Desiree. Yes, I did. <i> And he's testifying</i> that, "That day,
you let me hold Desiree." But he's saying that
I told him that she was
his daughter. <i> That never happened.</i> Yes, it did.
