Please be seated. -Hello, Your Honor.
-Hello. This is the case of<i>
McKinney v. Brown.</i> Thank you, Jerome. -Good day, everyone.
-[audience] Good day. Ms. McKinney, you are here
to prove to your husband that he fathered your
11-month-old daughter, Amirah. You testify that
his paternity denial is tearing you apart. -Is that correct?
-Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Brown, you say
there is no way you are Amirah's
biological father after finding a sex tape
of your wife with another man. You now intend to prove
he fathered Amirah. We'll meet that man
in a moment, but, first, Ms. McKinney, tell us why this court date
is so important to you. He's denying the fact that
that's his daughter, and it's not about looks.
It's about DNA. And I'm here today to prove and show
that he is the father
of Amirah Brown. And I can see that you are
really hurting right now. I can see the tears. What are you feeling,
Ms. McKinney? [audience] Aw! Oh, my goodness,
she's just gorgeous. What are you feeling? I just hope that, uh,
he's the father
of Amirah Brown. -"Hope" that he is?
-Yes. So are you saying that you really don't know, but you truly hope? -Yes.
-Okay That's why we're here. -Mr. Brown.
-[Brown] Yes, Your Honor. You do not believe
you're Amirah's
biological father? No, I do not. Because when she was born,
she did not look like me. And I waited. I gave it time
to see how she will look, and more and more,
every day that I look
and take pictures of Amirah, she has his face,
and it bothers me a lot. So you feel... You feel Amirah looks like the man you saw
on the sex tape with your wife. -[Brown] Yes, I do.
-[audience exclaims] More and more every day,
I see Amirah's face
in his face, and it bothers me a lot. And not only that, she looks like
more than one person
than just him. People in his family,
she looks like. So how did you find
this sex tape? Well, one day, the girls,
they like snatching her phone, so they grabbed her phone. Before they can
even get to the video,
I grabbed it and pressed play,
and I seen the beginning
of the video, and I didn't see what I like,
so I just closed it. I didn't watch the whole video. The video came up,
or you went looking to see
what was in her phone? No. They were scrolling
through her pictures,
whatever, and before they can
even get to it,
I grabbed the phone. Oh, because you knew
it was something inappropriate. It didn't look right.
It didn't look right. It looked like a video,
so, you know, I clicked on it.
I didn't like what I seen,
and I just closed it. Ms. McKinney, how do you
end up with another man
doing a sex tape? I mean, me... At the time,
me and Mr. Brown
was off and on. How did you meet the other man? [McKinney] I met him
on a dating website. We started talking online, and then I finally met him
in person.
He came to my house. So how often were you
sexually active with this man? Ten times. And now, Mr. Brown,
you believe this man is the father
of Amirah? Yes, Your Honor. I think we need
to meet that man. Jerome, can you please
escort our witness
into the courtroom? I'm gonna bring you
right up to the witness stand. All right. [clears throat] -Thank you for joining us, sir.
-Likewise. -State your name for the court.
-Jonathan Fowler. Mr. Fowler, we are here
talking about the paternity
of beautiful baby Amirah. This court has learned
that Mr. Brown found
a sex tape of his wife and you
in her phone. [Fowler] Okay. -Is that true?
-Yes. What did she tell you
about her relationship status when you first met her? Well, when I
first met Ms. McKinley, um, we was talking
on the dating site. And the day I met her,
Mr. Brown was present, but they wasn't together. But I'd seen them,
face to face. [Judge Lake] Oh. -The day you met her in person?
-Yes. -He was there?
-Yes. [audience exclaims] So how did
the sexual relationship
start with Ms. McKinney? Me and Ms. McKinley'd been
having sex-- -It's Ms. McKinney.
-[Fowler] Oh, Ms. McKinney. You don't even know
her last name? Me and Ms. McKinney
had been having sex
the whole 2016. You say you were
in a year-long affair-- -I met Ms. McKinley
the ending of...
-[audience laughs] I met her the ending of 2015
going to 2016. -So this is my question.
-[Fowler] Sure. What did she say...
Who did she say Mr. Brown was? She never told me...
She said that she just got out
of a relationship, and that they was done. All right, so you started
having unprotected sex
with Ms. McKinney. [Fowler] Yes. And you all had sex
all of 2016? -Correct.
-When did you find out
she was pregnant? Well, me and Ms. McKinney
met up, and she told me
she was pregnant in June of 2017, summer. -[Judge Lake] Okay.
-[Fowler] Yes. What did she tell you exactly? That she's pregnant,
and she's ready to give birth. So who did she say
the father was? She ain't tell me.
She didn't tell me-- I said it was complicated. I believe it was complicated
'cause, like I said... I went back and forth
for him and him.
Back and forth. That sex tape was April 9th,
and Amirah was born April 9th. -Uh...
-[woman] What? Did that math add up? -[Fowler] No.
-[audience laughs] [audience applauding] When were you intimate
with your wife, Ms. McKinney? when were you
intimate with her? From the year of 2017. I'd say we got back together
in April. So, yeah, around that time.
April and May. And I left in June. [Fowler] Before they
got back together-- So Amirah was born
in April of 2018? Yes, Your Honor.
Yes, she was. So, at some point, you said you were
being intimate with both men,
Ms. McKinney? Right? You were
going back and forth. It was February,
the first time I met him. The only reason
why she was born early is because of complications, which her due date
was first to be
April 23rd, 2018. Okay. So, Mr. Brown,
can you take me to the point you found out
Ms. McKinney was pregnant? That was in July. When she came back,
when I went back to her house, and she went to my mom's house. And we took
a home pregnancy test, and then, in August,
we went to the hospital, and that's where she found out
she was five weeks pregnant. So you were with her
when she found out
at the doctor's office? Yes, I was there.
I was present. [Judge Lake] And then,
when you found out, did you say,
"Oh, I'm so excited"? Or did you say,
"Is this my child?" At first, I'm like,
"Yeah, I'm excited." Then when we went
to the hospital
back in, um, September, they said she was
11 weeks pregnant. -And then, when they
told her the due date--
-It was 12 weeks. Yeah, 12 weeks. Twelve weeks pregnant,
actually. And then they told her
the due date, whatever. When we went back again,
they was like April 23rd. And I'm like,
"April 23rd? Okay, cool." And the pregnancy,
when she said
it was complicated, I just felt like
something wasn't right. Just felt
something wasn't right. -Ah. So when she told you
she was pregnant...
-[Brown] Yeah. ...did you know
she had been intimate
with another man? -Yes, I did.
-Yes, he was informed. -[Judge Lake]
Because you had seen him.
-Yes. Okay. So now take me to the birth. When Amirah was born,
where were you? -Were you there?
-I was present. -[Judge Lake] You were?
-Yes, I was, Your Honor. And did you sign
the birth certificate? No, I did not. [audience exclaims] -[McKinney]<i> I refused
to let him sign it.</i>
-[Judge Lake]<i> Oh.</i> [Brown]<i> I said no because
Amirah didn't look like me.</i> <i> -That's why I said no.</i>
-[McKinney]<i> That too.</i> [audience exclaims] [Judge Lake]
Why did you refuse? Because since we're married,
and I get public assistance, they're gonna try to
hit him with child support. But you were legally married. So why would he have to be on the hook for child support
if you're legally married? I didn't want him
to sign the birth certificate. -[audience exclaims]
-[woman] Yeah. -It is complicated.
-[woman] Mmm-hmm. and it bothers me a lot. Mr. Brown, you said
you immediately had doubts. Yeah, when I looked at Amirah, I said, "Hey, when I was born,
I was pale. But wait. Look at her lip.
Why does her lip look so fat? -That's not my lip."
-[Fowler] Oh, man. "My lip does not
look like that. -Oh, no, it does not."
-[Fowler laughing] So, from that time in, I put it in my head,
I'm like, "Wait. Okay. If she's not mine,
then she gotta be
Mr. Jonathan's child because she started looking
more and more like him." And then we had people
inboxing her, saying, [imitating woman]
"Oh, that's not
your husband's baby. -It doesn't look like him."
-[Fowler] Your Honor.
Your Honor. [in normal voice]
So... And my family was saying
that she looks like me 'cause my deceased father,
who passed away, they said Amirah has
my dad's head shape. But then I started
looking at her. I'm like, "Okay, she has
my dad's head shape. She has some of my features." But when Amirah smiles [stammering]
without no teeth,
she has his face. <i> I see it myself every day.</i> So I know I'm not just
going crazy saying, "Oh, this is not my child."
No. -You have done a full
scientific study on that.
-[Brown] I sure have. I sure have. [Judge Lake] I mean... [audience applauding] And, you know, I believe you because I could tell
in the beginning
of your testimony that it was bothering you. I can see how much
it's been weighing on you
and how... That's what happens.
Your mind... Every little thing
this poor little innocent baby
is doing, you're analyzing
who she looks like. With teeth, without teeth. And not only that,
she's pregnant
with my child now, so... It's like... You said now
you're having another baby? -[Brown] Yes.
-And I may be
the father, right? No, that's my child. [scoffs] But... But let me ask you,
could you be the father? -No.
-[Judge Lake]
Oh, thank goodness. -Okay.
-[Fowler and audience laugh] So do you believe
you are Amirah's father? [Fowler]<i> No, I do not.</i> [Judge Lake]<i> When was
the last time you were intimate
with Ms. McKinney?</i> [Fowler]<i> Um, 2017 of April.</i> That's a whole year
before Amirah was born. -Right.
-[audience exclaims] And that's why you're saying,
"I can't be -her biological..."
-Right. Well, then, Ms. McKinney, why, if Mr. Fowler
does this math and say, "I was with her
a whole year before
Amirah was even born..." You were honest
at the beginning
of your testimony and said, "This is why
there is an issue. It could be this man
or this man." <i> You don't have
the same calculation
as Mr. Fowler?</i> [McKinney]<i> No.</i> I believe that Mario Brown's
the father of Amirah. So why did you tell Mr. Fowler
you were pregnant at all -if this had...
-[McKinney] I told both
that I was pregnant. But he did know
I was pregnant
before he found out. But why?
If it's over with him, and it's done, why? If you hadn't been with him
for an entire year, he's out of the picture. Why tell him you're pregnant? I have no clue. [audience jeers] You just decided,
"I'm gonna call and tell
Mr. Fowler I'm pregnant"? Yes. There's something
you're not saying. [audience agreeing] -So, Mr. Brown.
-[Brown] Yeah. Now that you hear the testimony that Mr. Fowler says
that it was a year earlier, an entire year, when they broke it off
and the relationship was done, -does that change...
-No. -...your thought,
your belief...
-[McKinney] No. ...that he is Amirah's
biological father? He's saying he wasn't even
sleeping with Ms. McKinney during the time
that Amirah would have
been conceived. Their relationship
was already over. Yeah, but she looks like him. [Fowler scoffs] And it bothers me. -This is--
-But not only that.
Like I said, she was dealing with him
since December, 2016, before they even knew
the baby came in. That means she was still
with him... Okay, so what is
your relationship like
right now with Amirah? Me, I love Amirah. <i>She's a beautiful little girl.</i> <i> I've been taking care
since she was born.</i> <i> I just wanna
find out the truth.</i> <i> That's why I'm here today.</i> Well, there's only one way to get down
to the bottom of this. [audience applauding] Jerome, I'm ready
for the results. -Thank you.
-You're welcome. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics
and they read as follows. In the case of<i>
McKinney v. Brown,</i> when it comes to
11-month-old Amirah Brown, it has been determined
by this Court, Mr. Fowler, you... are not the father. [all applauding] Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate...
I really appreciate it.
Thank you. He is not the father,
Mr. Brown. Okay. I'd like to say
I apologize. I apologize. I accept your apology. [audience applauding] [Judge Lake]
Thank you, Mr. Brown. You're welcome, Your Honor. -Jerome...
-[woman] Uh-oh. ...I'm ready
for the next envelope, please. [audience murmuring] [stammering] Wait.
What next envelope? This next envelope. This next envelope. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics
and they read as follows. In the case of<i>
McKinney v. Brown,</i> when it comes to
11-month-old Amirah Brown, it has been determined
by this Court, Mr. Brown, you... -are not the father.
-[audience exclaiming] [McKinney sobbing] Ms. McKinney?
Ms. McKinney, are you okay? Jerome, help her.
Jerome, help her. -Ma'am. Ma'am.
-Get up. Jerome will help you up,
Ms. McKinney, and I want you
to sit in the chair. [Jerome] I want you
to come up and sit
in the chair. [Judge Lake]
Someone call the medic, please. -[Brown] Come on.
-Just take a seat, honey,
and breathe. Take a deep breath.
Take a deep breath. It's crazy. What are you feeling
in this moment? I'm actually shocked. Neither one of us is the dad,
and I'm just like... Wow. I need to ask you,
do you know
who her father is? No. [audience exclaims] Well, I need to
ask this respectfully. How many other possibilities
are there? Do you remember? Gotta be honest with yourself
at some point. You can't keep bringing
children in the world with lies and paternity issues
hanging over their heads. [audience applauds] Was it one guy or more?
How many guys? Maybe two other guys. -[Judge Lake] Two other guys?
-Yeah. [Judge Lake]
All right, we're in the truth.
We're gonna stay there. You've got a lot going on. I want your marriage
to stay together. I want this new baby
to be born healthy and happy and have a secure home. But I want Amirah
to be able to know who her biological
father is, too. She deserves that. [audience applauding] So I want you all
to go talk to Dr. Jeff, and I want you all to start
the work that you need to do to be able to move forward. -All right?
-Yes. I wish you all the very best. Court is adjourned.
