Please be seated. -Hello, Your Honor.
-Hello. -This is the case of<i>
Benning v. Bodine.</i>
-Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone. Mr. Benning,
you recently appeared
in couple's court, and it was confirmed that the defendant
cheated on you. This infidelity
has caused questions regarding your two-year-old
daughter Robyn and sixth-month-old
Jermaine Jr.'s paternity. Although you are hopeful
that both are your children, you now have doubts.
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Bodine, you claim
you are certain the plaintiff is Robyn
and Jermaine Jr.'s father and have evidence to support
your claim. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. So, Mr. Benning,
tell me about your relationship
with your daughter Robyn and how these paternity doubts
are affecting you. Well, first off, Your Honor,
my mother passed away
when I was 14 years old. She was my best friend. We spent every
waking moment together. And after she died, it left me hurt,
and I always wanted a daughter, and I promised
I was going to take care
of her and treat her like my mother
took care of me. -Oh, that's wonderful.
-So I've always stuck by
with that. [Judge Lake]<i>
So having a daughter
has been so important to you?</i> [Benning]<i> So important.
I waited.</i> -[audience]<i> Aw!</i>
-[Judge Lake]<i> And tell me
about that relationship.</i> Um, you know,
we are so close. She's goofy,
and she always...
She loves Daddy. <i> She's a daddy's baby.</i> <i> We love to play,</i> <i> chase each other around.</i> Goldfish is our snack.
We love Goldfish. "It's our snack."
I love how you said that. And what else? Um, I mean,
I've just always been there, always been there,
no matter
where I've been needed. I'm always there for her. And, so tell me about the day you first found out
she was pregnant. Well, when she first came home
and told me she was pregnant, I was excited, especially when we found out
that it was a girl. That's something
that I've always wanted.
That hyped me up, and I couldn't ask
for anything else. That's my world. So, Ms. Bodine, Mr. Benning says
he was so excited
when you told him you were pregnant. At that time,
did you know there could be
any other possibility? No, Your Honor. I admit, I did cheat, um, but, for certain,
he's the father. We was together
while I got pregnant
with Robyn, and I know for certain
he's the father. [scoffs] It actually happened
during labor, Your Honor. I was in the hospital
sitting across from Kayla, and she was pushing
this baby out, and I received a text
from a guy telling me to leave the hospital
because that's his baby and he needs to be there. -[Judge Lake] What?
-I am in labor, like literally in the hospital, and I receive a text
telling me that the child
I'm waiting to come isn't mine. [audience exclaims] -And so you get the text
and you know who it's from?
-Yes. What do you do?
You can't say anything
to Ms. Bodine while she's in labor, can you? I just kept going,
and I signed
the birth certificate. So you just kept going
through the entire experience? [Benning]<i> I pushed through it.
I wanted my daughter,</i> and I wasn't going to let
anybody take her from me. So even though
you have the doubts... You had to know... I mean,
you had to feel the doubt
at that time? Yes, it started to sink in, but I fought through it. But you were just too excited, and you said, "I'm not going
to let anybody
steal my joy today"? [Benning]<i> Right.</i> [Judge Lake]<i> So, Ms. Bodine,</i> this other man
sent a text to Mr. Benning while he's by your side
at the hospital. How do you know this other guy
is not the biological father? 'Cause, Your Honor,
I stood up and did the woman
and the mother thing
I had to do and got the other guy tested. [audience exclaiming] Oh. So you had a DNA test
on the other guy already? Yes, and he wasn't the father. And you submitted
those results to the Court? -Yes, I did, Your Honor.
-All right. [audience murmuring] The results read
that the probability
of paternity <i>between you and this other guy</i>
is 0 percent. [Bodine]<i> Yes.</i> [Judge Lake]
So he was not the father? No, he wasn't
'cause Jermaine is the father. [Judge Lake] All right. <i> So, Mr. Benning,</i> <i> you go...</i> <i> You still build
the relationship,</i> but you still have a doubt? Yes, quite a few. First off, that DNA test doesn't mean
anything because of the fact
that she's cheated on me with more than one person. Oh. There could be other guys
out there. That's just one,
you know? [Judge Lake] Now
that's the plot twist. [Benning laughs] As well as, Your Honor,
any time that something
is wrong, I'm also reminded,
"Oh, you're not her father." As soon as we start to argue, "You're not her father." -You do... You say stuff--
-But if you need something,
I'm her father. You say stuff
to hurt my feelings. Why can't I do it to you? But I haven't told you
you're not the parent
of your kid. You can't! I pushed them out. [audience exclaims] -Okay.
-So you're just going
to stab me in the back and tell me
that I'm not the father -of the kid
that I take care of.
-This is why we're here today, to prove it. -Let's prove it then.
-[Bodine]
Okay, let's prove it then. She looks just like your mom. Mr. Benning, I do want you
to explain to Ms. Bodine 'cause I feel like Ms. Bodine
you're, you know... To say someone
is not the father of a child, now that's a little
below the belt. That's not just hurting
somebody's feelings. That's ruining somebody's life. [Judge Lake] And I want you
to tell her
what that feels like, so she can understand. What does that feel like
when she says that to you,
Mr. Benning? That little girl right there
is my mother
come back to be with me. And she looks
like your mother. And when you tell me
she's not mine, it feels like
you're taking my mother
away from me again. [Bodine] She's your...
Look at them. Look. They're twins. -[Benning]<i> She's beautiful.</i>
-[Bodine]<i> They are.</i> They do look a lot alike. So, Mr. Benning, explain what the doubt feels like, having to live
with it everyday. Yeah, I had to change
her diaper and look at her
and play with her, and she's calling me "Daddy," and there's something
in the back of my head
saying, "She might not be." You know,
there's a text message
on my phone saying, "She's not yours." There's people calling me
on my phone saying, "I'm her dad." You know, it's constant.
It's just constant and-- Well, this is why
we're here to prove it. After a certain time, you can't just
ignore it anymore. It just keeps happening.
It's hard to ignore. Very hard. Why are all these people
calling Mr. Benning saying
the child isn't his? I don't know.
I cannot control
what other people say. I know what I'm saying,
and I know what I prove. So you have your daughter
or not? I'm here to prove today
that you're the father. 'Cause you are just
100 percent certain? -Yes, Your Honor.
-Okay. Ms. Bodine says
she is 100 percent certain. That doesn't
make your doubt subside? I don't trust a thing
that really comes out
of her mouth. I really don't. And to be honest with you, after all this has happened, you know,
depending on the doubts
with Robyn, I wanna know
about my son as well. I think it's important that we get this family
some clarity. -[Benning] Yes, Your Honor.
-Yes, Your Honor. I think we need to first go
to Robyn's results. Jerome,
I'm ready for the envelope. [audience applauding] [Judge Lake] These results were
prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. You are shaking. -[chuckling] I know.
-[Judge Lake] I feel
your nervousness from here. Are you okay? -Yes, Your Honor,
I'm perfect.
-Okay. I just want
to get it out there.
I want to know the truth. She deserves it.
She deserves everything. In the case of<i>
Benning v. Bodine,</i> when it comes to 23-month-old
Robyn Benning... When it comes
to Robyn Benning... It has been determined
by this Court, Mr. Benning, you... are not the father. [sniffling] I'm very sorry. [sighs] [Benning] It doesn't matter.
I'm still going to be there. [audience applauding] <i> That moment
when she calls Daddy,</i> you can't change it. We spent two years together.
You can't change that. You can't take that away. You said earlier that,
if Robyn
was not your biological child, it causes you to doubt
whether or not you truly
are the biological father
of Jermaine Benning Jr. And because of that doubt, <i>the court wants to make sure,
when you leave here,
you have the whole truth.</i> [Benning]<i> I think I deserve
at least that, Your Honor.</i> [audience applauds] Can you describe
some of the circumstances
that lead you to doubt Baby Jermaine? <i> Is there anything else
in addition to the fact</i> that we've now learned
that Robyn is not
your biological daughter? On top of that, the same thing with the,
you know, texting me,
telling me I'm not the father. I even received a text
telling me, after he was born, which I still went through
the whole labor and everything. <i> After that...</i> After all that,
I get a text telling me, "Oh, I want a paternity test
for Jermaine too." Like why
would you say that if-- [Judge Lake]
And that was submitted
to the Court? [Benning] Yes, it was,
Your Honor. There was a text to you, Mr. Benning,
that says... [reading] That'll cause paternity doubt
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Yes, Your Honor,
it sure does. Every day. [Judge Lake]
Did you send that text,
Ms. Bodine? Yes, Your Honor, I did. Did you send it
for good reason, or were you just being
vindictive and mean? Vindictive and mean, trying to hurt your feelings. We had got into an argument, and he said stuff. May or may not have been true. They're not arguments. These are not arguments
that these texts come from. These are, "Jermaine,
can you come over
and hang out?" "I don't want to." "Well, fine,
they're not your kids anyway." So, Mr. Benning,
I want to ask,
were you there -for Jermaine Jr.'s birth?
-Yes. -I was in the hospital--
-Did you sign
that birth certificate too? I signed his birth certificate. He has my first name. [Judge Lake]
And that's been submitted
to the Court? Jermaine Truth Benning Jr. Your concern
is that the truth is, you are not
his biological father. Yes, Your Honor. You stepped up for these kids. I mean, you have gone
above and beyond. <i> And now you love Jermaine.
This is your namesake.</i> [Benning]<i> Yeah.</i> <i> That's my little man.</i>
[chuckling] [Judge Lake]
So Ms. Bodine, you admitted
there were some doubts
with Robyn. Yes. Even though
you felt in your heart Mr. Benning was the father. But for Jermaine Jr., <i> you say you are certain.</i> [Bodine]<i> Certain.</i> There is no doubt
in my mind or my heart -that he's not his.
-So what are your hopes
for today? That he's his,
and that either way... Because Robyn's not his,
and we found that out, either way, that he's still
a part of her life
because she's two. That's your decision
if you don't want to be there, but I don't want to go home
and tell my
two-year-old daughter that her father is not going to be there
no more. They're attached. She cries
when he walks out the room. I cannot break her heart
like that. I can't, and I won't.
I'm not the type of person. [audience murmuring] Well, that one last statement. [audience laughing] Just stop at,
"I won't break her heart
like that." We're going to work on
you not being
that type of person. -Right?
-Right. [Judge Lake] All right. Mr. Benning,
what are your hopes? I hope Jermaine is mine. I really do. Um... It'd be good to know
at least one of my kids
is mine. [chuckles] <i> And, um,</i> <i>I'm looking forward to spending</i> <i> all the time
I can with him.</i> [Judge Lake] All right.
Well, let's get these results. Jerome? I'm ready for the envelope. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics
and they read as follows. In the case of<i>
Benning v. Bodine...</i> When it comes to six-month-old
Jermaine Benning Jr., it has been determined
by this Court, Mr. Benning, you... -are not the father.
-[audience exclaims] [sobbing] One thing. [woman] Oh, my God. [audience murmuring] [sighs] [sobs] Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Benning. I got cribs
and play pens and toys, and I've done everything
that I do and... [sniffling] Ms. Bodine, do you know
who Jermaine Jr.'s father is? No, Your Honor. I didn't know
it was going to come out
like that. Well, you may not have known, but if it's not Mr. Benning,
and it's not, do you know, keep track of, have an understanding,
recollection, memory of the other people
you were sleeping with
during that time? -Because that--
-No. -You said, "No"?
-We were together
during that time. You said you don't have that?
You don't know? No, Your Honor. I'm asking this
as respectfully as I can. When you say
you don't know, like, you don't remember
sleeping with people, or is it just that
there were so many
you can't remember? [Benning chuckling] Or what is it? Because at this point, I hope you go and find
the biological fathers
for your children because the same way
Mr. Benning gets those texts and all those people
in his ears, that's how they do the kids. Sometimes, people
can be very cruel. And the next thing,
somebody wanna come drop
a dime that, "you know,
Jermaine ain't your daddy." I don't why
people can be so cruel, but we hear it
over and over again, and you never want
that to come to your child
that way when you could have told them. You two could have told them,
all right? We have counselling
and resources for you. Please talk to Dr. Jeff. Please begin
the healing process and figure out
how we can create healthy,
happy environments, safe emotional environments for these two
beautiful children. And Mr. Benning,
I applaud you. I applaud you. Thank you. Court is adjourned.
