You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Bailey v. Green.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Bailey. Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: You state
you've brought your ex-husband,
Mr. Green, to court to prove he is
the biological father of your nine-month-old
son, Lawrence. BAILEY: <i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> JUDGE LAKE: Though you
freely admit to sleeping
with multiple men during the time
of conception, you say you believe
the defendant
is your child's father because you kept
an ovulation calendar and you've narrowed
it down to him. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Green, you say
you've always had unprotected sex
with Ms. Bailey and yet,
she never got pregnant. That's true, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Now, all of a sudden she claims you somehow
fathered her child. Yes, Your Honor. You argue you are
100% certain you are not
her child's father. Yes, Your Honor. So, Mr. Green, what makes you so certain
this is not your child? Well, we went on
a four-month drought, and the first time
I'd seen her
in four months, she already had
a little pudge,
a little pouch, like, she already
looked pregnant. Your Honor, I always
had a stomach. Obviously, I still have
a stomach, and I'm
not pregnant now. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) JUDGE LAKE: All right. So let's state as fact that you're beautiful
just the way you are. Thank you. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) JUDGE LAKE: And Mr. Green,
I'd like to hear you
please explain to this court,
why are you so sure? But she also admitted
that she had been with
somebody in February right before she
had sex with me. Yes, Your Honor. I was supposed to be
in a relationship,
which he left me, which he did
the same thing and it was, like,
two-three weeks before me and Mr. Green
even slept back together. I had a cycle and everything. All right, so I wanna
understand this. Somebody gotta take me back. GREEN: All right. You are married... Very fast. BAILEY: Six months. Very fast. Shouldn't
have been married. Six months. JUDGE LAKE: You were
married for six months? GREEN: No, we wasn't,
Your Honor. No. We was together
about seven months. We were... We dated
for six months. We got married.
We were together
for three months. We dated for six months. And she went missing
for a whole year. I tried to get
a divorce. I tried to get a... When did you... Look, I tried
to get a divorce... When did I go missing?
I have never gone missing. We stayed in contact
to this day. ...and the lawyer... No. We've had sex
to this day. No. No, no. That is... We're still having sex. Our last time
having sex
was in April. In April? We still, to this day,
even if I wanted him, I can get him. So therefore... Listen...
No, no, no, no. I never went missing. Look, there is no
getting me. Look, Your Honor... I never went missing a year afterwards... No, no, no, no. You're not gonna sit
in this courtroom... ...period. ...and just talk
your talk like that. He knew where I was. He always knew
where I was. All right, let's get some order, 'cause I wanna
understand your story. So I'm trying
to understand
this relationship. How it got to the point
that you were
sleeping together but you were also,
admittedly, sleeping with other
people during the time so much so that you
don't know who the father
of your child is. Those are the facts I need.
The rest of this... BAILEY: Yes, Your Honor. ...is irrelevant to me. Okay. JUDGE LAKE: So... At the time
you got together, you were divorced. Right? Yes, Your Honor. We got a divorce
March 25th, and we was together
April 1st. No, we wasn't,
Your Honor. I ain't even seen you. I even went to Albany
with him over to
his family's house... So the bottom line is
after your divorce, you all were still
sleeping together. Yes, we were. Two times. More than twice. Two times. More than twice. Mmm-hmm. GREEN: Two more people. And two other people. BAILEY: Yes, Your Honor. Admittedly so. Mmm-hmm. JUDGE LAKE: All during
the window of conception. Like, the same month... GREEN: Yes, Your Honor. ...but not the same
windows of conception. GREEN: Hmm. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. And then when you
find out you're pregnant,
you tell Mr. Green? Yes, I told him.
I asked him if I found that
I was pregnant, would he believe
that it was his child,
and he told me, "Yes." Your Honor, she disappeared. How can she talk to somebody
when she weren't around? She was gone
for five months. Your Honor,
if I told him
I was pregnant... She did not tell me she
was pregnant until she
was 5.5 months pregnant. ...in March. No. After I told him
I was pregnant. I did not see her any more. And then I went
with him again when I was
three months pregnant to his house.
So that was what? Three times after
I told him I was pregnant. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. So when she tells you
she's pregnant, Mr. Green,
what was your response? It ain't mine.
It can't be mine. Like, she moved
to Alabama. Like, sex can't go on
from Georgia to Alabama. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) And she... Like
I said, like, uh... She already had admitted
to me to two guys prior... Like, in February
you already had sex
with two other guys... Your Honor, he came
to visit me in Alabama when I was seven
months pregnant. You were
seven months pregnant. I can't make you pregnant
when you're already pregnant. That's over with. Pregnant?
I was already... GREEN: That's over with. I was pregnant
in February. I was pregnant
in February. GREEN: Exactly. We slept together
February, March and May. JUDGE LAKE:
But Ms. Bailey,
respectfully, you slept with him
and two other men. So do you blame him
for not being sure or... No, Your Honor,
I don't blame him at all. Did you know at that time,
Mr. Green, that she had slept
with two other men as well? Yes, I did,
Your Honor. I did. She told... I mean, like... She tells me stuff
that think is
gonna make me mad. I just let it
go over my head, get what I want
and move on
to the next. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) JUDGE LAKE: Okay. So in your statement
to the court, you said throughout
your relationship
and your marriage, you were having
unprotected sex with Ms. Bailey, and yet
she never got pregnant. Never got pregnant. JUDGE LAKE: So that
fuels your doubts. It really does, because... And we used to
lay in the bed, and we used to try
to find reasons why
she couldn't get pregnant. After a while, you know,
we talked on the phone
several times. She was trying to
get me to, you know,
buy into the fact that this was my child.
So she sent me
a picture. He had red hair.
He's, like, almost white. <i> He's like...</i> BAILEY: <i> And he still do.</i> GREEN: <i> Come on.</i> BAILEY: <i> And he still do.</i> GREEN: <i> Hey, look.
I did some research.</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> He's
a beautiful little boy.</i> BAILEY: Thank you,
Your Honor. Let me see your research.
I'm glad we're finally
getting to some evidence. Okay. Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you. And what you're
about to read is about to state that,
you know,
unless the child is an albino between two
African-American people, <i> there's no way that
a child should come out
that light with red hair.</i> Why? Why? GREEN: There's no way. Do you know your
whole family history? Do you know
if any redheads
are in my family? Your Honor, her hair is red
because she bought it. His hair is red
because somebody
else gave it to him. Two different color reds.
Two different colors. So this is your
evidence that
pertains to the fact you don't
believe that you... <i> ...or her together</i> <i> could produce a child
with red hair.</i> Not only that,
Your Honor, he was born
a month and a half early. You claim, when you all
kind of reconnected, I'll say that, you thought
she was already pregnant. Yes, Your Honor. So when the baby
came out a month early, you said to yourself... That ain't my baby. ..."This adds up to "it being the other
man's baby, not mine." Now, Ms. Bailey,
how do you explain this? Your child was
just born early or... Your Honor... Were you sleeping
with the other two men
without protection as well? Well, Your Honor,
yes, I was. I knew what I was
getting into.
I knew I was ovulating. I knew what
we was gonna lead to, but I figured
since I never
did get pregnant between the three years
we was together, that I wouldn't
get pregnant then. Yeah. But when I asked him would he believe
if it was his baby,
he told me, "Yes." If you wouldn't have had
no doubt about it, you shouldn't have
told me. Period. You shouldn't have
said yes, and we
could've left it at that. You don't have to know
if that's your baby or not. He don't need to know
his father for real. Why would you say that? BAILEY: Because
that's exactly how
he treated my son. Like he just don't
care about him. But, Your Honor,
I do have a calendar
that I have... JUDGE LAKE: I would
like to see that. ...of my fertility that tells you the day
that we have slept
together and the others... So this is your iPad
that has your app. <i> In red are the dates
of your cycle.</i> BAILEY: <i> Mmm-hmm.</i> JUDGE LAKE:<i>
And then in pink,
on the 25th is the day</i> <i> this particular app says
you would have ovulated.</i> Ovulated. Yes. JUDGE LAKE: So now,
going forward, <i> these are the dates
that you were having sex</i> with the various men
you had sex with. Mmm-hmm. On the fourth, which is
outlined in blue, you had sex with potential
father number one
without protection. <i> Then the week of your cycle
is the next week.</i> <i> The following week,
you have sex on
the 18th and 19th</i> with potential
father number two. Then we get to the week where the ovulation date
is outlined in pink,
that's the 25th, <i> and you just so happened
to have sex with Mr. Green
on that date...</i> Correct. ...and the date before. Correct. No protection used. BAILEY: None whatsoever. So based upon this app
and the calculations you've done here
and the app does for you, it looks to you like Mr. Green would be
the father of your child. Exactly, Your Honor. It couldn't be.
It was too crowded in there.
My sperm couldn't do nothing. (SCOFFS) (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) I'm gonna pretend
like I didn't hear that. And I'll pretend like
I didn't either. Moving on.
Moving on. When we first met,
we got into
a relationship. First of all,
he was already
with a woman. Okay? He broke up with her
to be with me, and then when Thanksgiving
came along, he told me
he was staying
with his sister. So he asked me to spend
a weekend with him,
which I did. And I walks in,
and he took me into another woman's house,
not his sister's house.
Another woman's house. So from that point on,
I should have stopped... I should have stopped
messing around with him then. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Because how disrespectful
can you be, taking another woman
in someone else's house. I should have stopped then.
I should have stopped. (SOBBING) I don't understand
you can do me like this 'cause right now,
I still love you. Even if you treat me
like dirt right now. I still love you.
I still got love for you. But that's your baby,
and you're gonna
take care of him, point blank period. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) GREEN: That really
sounds touching. That really sounds touching. I don't believe
anything she says,
because behind... So you didn't take me
to another woman's house? Well, yeah.
I mean, that is true. Did you? Okay. But I didn't
take my wife. And when a family member
passed from her family,
wasn't I right there with you? Look, she wasn't my wife. In her house? Mr. Green. GREEN:
Yes, Your Honor. Why is it everything
this woman says
you say is a lie and then in your next
sentence it confirms
what she said is true. No, I'm just saying... BAILEY: Thank you,
Your Honor. I'm just saying
that she's a liar,
she accepted it. Like she says,
she could have
left then too. After I found out,
I was already there,
Your Honor. He left...
She left in the car. You could've left. JUDGE LAKE:
Oh, Ms. Bailey. Let's really be honest,
because... Although I can see
that you're very hurt
by Mr. Green's actions, it seems to me
that you are most
disappointed in your own. And you know your actions... (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) ...have now affected <i> baby Lawrence.</i> BAILEY: <i> Yep.</i> <i> I've been taking care
of him by myself
along with two other kids.</i> And this beautiful baby
does deserve to know who his father is and to have the love
of his father. BAILEY: Yes, Your Honor. So has Mr. Green helped you at all
with Lawrence? I mean, he bought
two boxes of diapers... JUDGE LAKE: Two boxes? ...and gave him
hand-me-down clothes. JUDGE LAKE: And he
gave you some clothes. Nothing wrong with
some hand-me-downs. There's nothing
wrong with it. Nothing wrong with that. JUDGE LAKE: As long
as they're clean, they work.
Babies grow fast. Yeah. Especially him. JUDGE LAKE: Right. Right. And so, Mr. Green,
what is your relationship
with baby Lawrence? Do you have one? Oh, I, uh...
Honestly... Like I said,
it is, you know... I could be his father,
because we used
unprotected sex, but you just
can't put it on me after you know
and I know
what you do. But, you know,
I'm real good
to my kids. You know, I just
lost my daughter,
Jasmine Green. She died in
a daycare van
in 2011. That was actually
our demise. I'm so sorry. That was at the point
where our marriage... Just... I packed up
and I... And I left. Yes, Your Honor,
he ended up leaving
and going back to his ex. GREEN: I became... While we were
still married. I became in protective mode. I needed to protect
everything else
that did belong to me. So, honestly, Your Honor... And I figured that's why
you have a wife.
Right, Your Honor? ...if Lawrence belongs
to me, he will be in
that circle also, but... I can't give her respect
for just calling me whenever she comes
from Alabama and say, "If you want to see Lawrence,
bring diapers and wipes." Your Honor,
that's not true
because from, um... I don't need
anything from you. He has diapers and wipes
that I provide for him, okay? Oh, so... So if he
needed anything... So I never bought
diapers and wipes
for that boy? All right, but let's...
Let's be clear, just
so you understand. Your legal right
to see a child,
that is your child, is separate and independent of
the obligation to provide. So... (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) ...the mother
of the child, or if it's the father
of the child
that has custody, can't just say to you,
"You can't see him unless
you bring him something." That's not the law.
So that's not the case. Are any of the other
men helping you
with the child? Do they think that
Lawrence could potentially
be their son as well and they're stepping
up to the plate
to do something? No, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: None of them? None. So you stand
in open court and you say
despite everything
he's done to you, you still love him
and you still have
love for him? Yeah. JUDGE LAKE:
Do you want him back? Do you want
a relationship
with him? Your Honor, no, I do not.
I don't want to beg. And no, I don't want
a relationship. I just want him and
Lawrence to have
a relationship. Was that that love
when you say, "No matter what
you've done to me,
I still love you, "I still have
love for you." Do you think
that has any
connection to you maybe suggesting
or believing that he's the father
of your child is because at a time you
really still wanted
a connection to him? No. It's just because
my feelings never
have changed for him. Like, that's the reason
why I live. To get away from him,
to stop these feelings
I have for him. To stop being in love
with him, period. But you call me
and have sex with me. (BAILEY SCOFFS) You keep coming
back to me. It must be good. Um, it ain't that good.
It ain't that good. It is what it is,
Your Honor. I'm sorry,
but it is what it is. I'm gonna leave it alone. (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) Jerome, give me
the results. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) You know, a part of me
knows that she tried to trap you, because the dates line up,
and she got a calendar. AUDIENCE: Mmm-hmm. The other part of me is just so annoyed
'cause you just got
a joke for everything. I don't like how
you downgrade her. I don't know, there's
something about the way you act towards her
that annoys me. I was tortured, really. And it's because what
I think you do know... You're not a dumb man. So what I think you do know
is that she does love you. And you keep saying,
"She offered herself, "and she keep calling you,
and she keep..." She just yelled out
in open court
she loves you. Of course she's gonna
keep calling you. The problem is,
if you don't love her, stop showing up. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Because ultimately, you just add
fuel to her fire and make her think
there's a hope. And that's where
men and women
have to get a clue. You think you just going
over there for sex, but when she has
sex with you, she thinks that there's
another opportunity for you all to figure
this thing out and maybe
work things out. JUDGE LAKE: Are we
ready for the results? Yes, Your Honor. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics,
and they read as follows... (PAPER RUSTLING) In the case of<i>
Bailey v. Green</i> pertaining to
nine-month-old
Lawrence Bailey... Mr. Green... ...you... ...are Lawrence's father. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) In the infamous words
of Mr. Green, it is... BAILEY: What it is. ...what it is. (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) And like we used
to say in Detroit, "So what's it gonna be?" Meaning, are you gonna
step up to the plate
and be a father to your son? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Do the right thing? Yeah, she know I will. JUDGE LAKE:
Now, this court does
have resources for you. We're gonna offer
those resources. So you can maybe
start sorting through
and figure out how to set up
those boundaries. How to engage in
respectful dialogue. And figure out how
to do this together. Are we clear? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: I believe
you can do it,
and he's worth it. <i> Right?</i> BAILEY: <i> Yes.</i> All right,
court is adjourned. (BANGS GAVEL) Holding my son now,
it feels great. I mean... There is no doubt. You know,
I love my kids.
I love my kids. And I'll do whatever
it takes to protect my kids
and take care of my kids. I'm just glad
he finally got it
out of the way, knowing that
he's his son and maybe
he can do better
and be in his life, and he'll know
who his daddy is.
