You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Harvey v. Jett.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. ALL: Good day. Mr. Harvey, you are
asking the court to award you $496.52
for baby supplies you say the defendant,
Ms. Jett, demanded for a child you adamantly deny is yours. Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Jett, in response
to Mr. Harvey's suit, you have petitioned
the court for the results
of a paternity test. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: You argue that
today you're going to finally prove he is
your daughter's biological father
and say it's time he steps up and
acts like a man. Yes, Your Honor. So, Mr. Harvey,
take me back first
to this relationship. You met on a dating site? I met her on a dating site and she got pregnant
two weeks after, after I was having sex
she got pregnant. I'm... Your Honor, that's a lie. In July, I started
dating Harvey, um, every day, actually,
I moved in with Harvey,
in July. You moved in with him? Yes, I did. And every day,
we had sex every day. You got pregnant two weeks! I didn't find out till
I was pregnant. We had sex
the first week I met you. No, I didn't. Okay, so it was
the second week. I didn't find out till
I was pregnant a month
later which was August. I was having sex
with him every day. You left a month later. Morning, noon and night. No. A month after I met her,
she left and moved back
to Orlando. I stayed 60 miles from her. After I found out
I was pregnant,
that's when I moved. And she go up on my
Facebook, and told me to
buy all this baby stuff. I asked him, okay. I did not argue with her. JETT: It takes nine months
for someone to be pregnant. So, hold on.
So, you meet each other,
move in together, and get pregnant
all within a month? BOTH: Yes. JUDGE LAKE: All right. (AUDIENCE CHATTERING) Yeah. JUDGE LAKE: And when you
find out you're pregnant, you tell Mr. Harvey... JETT: And he was so happy. He was happy. And Mr. Harvey... You were happy when
you heard the news? He was. HARVEY: I was happy. JUDGE LAKE: Because you
thought it was your child. Yes. After she found out
she was pregnant, we stopped talking,
she moved back to Orlando,
she wrote... JUDGE LAKE: Why'd
you stop talking? Because he was so sexually
active with other women. He was cheating on me. (AUDIENCE GASPING) JUDGE LAKE: Okay, so
there was a breakdown
in the relationship. Yes. He was cheating on me. And then it ended. JETT: Yes. So, at some point,
you were living apart. JETT: Yes. And then you demanded
he bring you... Um, I was asking him months,
and months and months, can he get this,
can he get that? And he say, "No, I'm not
getting you anything... Your Honor... "Until the baby is born." ...I have evidence to show you
that I have bought everything she said
on this... Everything she
demanded of me... He did not. I asked him
months, and months... JUDGE LAKE: I would like
to see that evidence. She wrote me on Facebook,
demanding that I buy... I said, "Okay," Your Honor. I have the receipt. And it
might be the date on there. I have the receipt,
where I bought
everything on the list. (READING) "You need to
make sure you bring me
all of these things." (JUDGE LAKE READING LIST) (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) JETT: Yes, I said that. And this is all before
the baby's born? Yes, but I... JUDGE LAKE: And then,
you responded back... HARVEY: Okay. Okay. JETT: Okay, but, Your Honor,
it took him months. I asked him... I bought it! It took him months and
months to buy this stuff. I'd been asking
for this stuff. JUDGE LAKE: And then I see,
attached to this... JETT: I begged for him
to buy this stuff. ...is a receipt... HARVEY: A receipt, and I spent
close to $500 on everything. ...that I see... ...a Pack 'n' Play, a pump,
bottle, bottle scrubber,
bedtime wash... Everything you
named off. JETT: He did not get all
of those things, Your Honor. He did not. JUDGE LAKE: He didn't? No. Don't act like you did. I didn't get a pillow. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) You did not. The only thing
you bought... Your Honor. So, Mr. Harvey, you claim
now you did all this, because you thought it was
your child, but in actuality, now you don't even know
if this child is really yours. HARVEY: No, Your Honor... JUDGE LAKE: And how did
you get to that point? Where you had doubt?
When did you start putting
two and two together? Be specific. HARVEY: Okay. When I first met Shardasia,
she got pregnant fast. And then we stopped talking.
Okay. After she had the baby,
she had told me, the whole time
she was pregnant,
she was in a relationship. Your Honor... She said she was in a
sexual relationship, that's one. Your Honor? And another thing is she
had the baby, and tagged the
dude's name in the picture. When the baby was first born.
I got evidence for that. Why she tagged another dude?
Like, listen. If the baby mine, why didn't
you tag me in the picture? Your Honor. She tagged another guy, and says she doesn't know
who the guy is. Well, why the picture still
stayed on your Facebook? Your Honor. And my family had to tell me,
"Oh, you know, she tagged "another dude name
in the picture." (AUDIENCE MURMURING) I got evidence for that too! JETT: Your Honor... Uh, let me see
this evidence, Jerome, will you hand
this to me, please? Yes, Ms. Jett, please. First of all, I put a picture
of my daughter on Facebook. Why you kept it up there?
That's all I gotta say. Yes, and that right there
where the arrow is, that's the dude name who
she tagged in the picture. JETT: Okay, and I... JUDGE LAKE: Why would you
tag another man's name... JETT: I didn't, Your Honor. ...on your
baby's photo? JETT: I did not tag... HARVEY: She claimed the dude
out of nowhere tagged himself. He tagged his self in
the picture by his self
and I never met him. At all. And I actually
have proof that, um, I actually wrote the dude,
and I say, "Hey, "my daughter's dad thinks
you're her father "because you tagged yourself
in the picture." And he said,
"Oh, I'm sorry." Why would this guy,
Ms. Jett... Why would this guy
tag himself? He said that maybe it
was a accident that he mistakenly tagged his
self in her picture. That's what he said. JUDGE LAKE:
But you didn't do it? No, I never did.
I never did. She blocks me from my phone... So you say you have been
supporting the child. JETT: No, he hasn't,
Your Honor. Yes, Your Honor. Your Honor,
I have a money order
right here. JUDGE LAKE: I'd like
to see that. Jerome, will you get
the evidence, please? And a receipt for the money
order. That was $100. And then,
when she was pregnant,
I went shopping for her. So, you say you gave her
cash multiple times, but you just have a receipt
for one money order? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: So, what about
the other times? HARVEY: I never kept it. JUDGE LAKE: And so,
has he given you... JETT: No, Your Honor. So, he hasn't given you
money multiple times? No, he hasn't. But he has given you
this $100? Yes, he has. Okay, that's what
I want to be clear of. HARVEY: Listen, Your Honor.
To be honest with you, I only have evidence for that,
so she's going to say, "Yeah,
he gave it." She got to. But if I didn't have evidence
for that, she would've said
I never gave her that. Ms. Jett, so I see you
brought some evidence? Yes, Your Honor, I did. Here's all the expenses that
I've been taking care for
of my daughter alone. He's suing me for $500. Her diapers is a little less
than what he's suing me for. And plus her feeding,
is double that. I'm suing you for
what I got a receipt for. Okay, but her diapers are
close to what you're
suing me for. Her diapers is dang near
that money, $500. Every time you needed diapers,
you called me,
and I gave it to you. You never gave me it. Whenever you
needed something... Every time she called me,
I gave it to her, Your Honor. He don't. JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Jett,
you claim that what he's given you is
merely a drop in the bucket. Yes. It's really nothing.
He doesn't... These are your
real expenses... Yes it is. ...as it relates
to your daughter. I provide all these things. HARVEY: You provide it?
The state provide it. I'm telling you,
she doesn't... JETT: What does it?
How does it? The feeding alone is state
provided, she get WIC. The state provide
all the $800. The state provide all that. I ain't trying to make
all of that. (ALL TALKING) JETT: I have to get help. JUDGE LAKE: I can see your
diagram. You may step back
to your podium, ma'am. All right, moving on. So, at this point,
are you involved in
the child's life at all? No. Today? As of now? I haven't talked to her. He hasn't seen my baby
since July. JUDGE LAKE: You haven't seen
the baby since July? So, Mr. Harvey, your doubt is
just based on a Facebook
post tag? No, it's not that, Your Honor. Then what is it? Okay, and then,
another thing is,
after she had the baby, she was trying to
get pregnant again, and then she told me
she was pregnant, or whatever, so I went and got her
stuff like that. And then she start
going through my phone, I was like, all right,
well, I'm gonna go
through your phone too. So, I go through
her phone, right? She telling this dude,
she say, "You need to pay
for this abortion." No, I didn't. And the whole time,
she was never pregnant. She thought she was
pregnant from me, and then she telling
some other dude he need to
pay for abortion. Your Honor. So, Ms. Jett, is this true? No, he's lying. Oh, now I'm lying! So, Ms. Jett.
Is it your contention that you were not intimate
with anyone else during
the window of conception? No, I was not.
I was only with him, and I was living with him
at the time. All right, Mr. Harvey,
you brought a witness. Please, ma'am, stand. Step to the podium. Everybody looks like
the Harveys or
the Highsmiths. Baby has no genes of us,
at all. I can sense your anger
and your frustration. I didn't even know about him
until I got that phone call. JUDGE LAKE: Well they only
knew each other a month. WOMAN: Exactly. In the case of four-month-old
Noelani Harvey, you... He did not get all of
those things, Your Honor. I didn't get a pillow. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) You claim that what
he's given you is merely
a drop in the bucket. Yes. My name's Denise Highsmith. Hi, Ms. Highsmith,
thank you for joining us. You are? I'm his auntie. JUDGE LAKE: You're his aunt. What do you know
about this doubt? All I know is that
when she had the baby, looking at my nephew
with the other children, we have strong genes. And all his brothers
look alike, his brothers'
kids look alike. They have the same heads. Our family has big eyes.
The baby that was
in with me... X'Zaviar, it is in his family. All his children look just
alike, different moms. Everybody looks like
the Harveys or
the Highsmiths. Baby have no
genes of us at all. Head shape, everything. Looks like me,
I have strong genes. Well, that's my opinion. So, it's your contention
that your family genes
are strong. Yes, ma'am. And you see it in all
the other children? Yes, ma'am. And the members of the family? Yes, ma'am. And when you look
at this baby,
you just see nothing? Only the rare color and
they're both rare.
That's not good enough. Thank you for your testimony. Ms. Jett, you also
brought a witness. Yes. I'd like to hear from her,
ma'am, please stand,
and step to the podium. What's your name? Kim Canty. Ms. Canty,
thanks for being here. You are? Shardasia's mother. Ms. Jett's mother? Yes. Please, explain to the court
the knowledge you have. He called me, and told me
that Shardasia was pregnant. HARVEY: I didn't meet... No, he hadn't met me. But you called me. And told me
my daughter is pregnant. And how I shouldn't
worry about you leaving. I did not know Ms. Kim until
after the baby was born. No, you didn't know me. How could I call her
if I didn't know her? Oh, you called me,
don't sit up there and lie. You did call me. I did not. Now you're going to lie. You lie. I had just met Shardasia. She didn't tell me,
you told me. I didn't, Your Honor. And now you got amnesia now. JUDGE LAKE: Is it your
contention, Ms. Canty, that he called to say, you say he was going
to take care of it. That's what he was... That was it.
That was the end of
the conversation. And Ms. Canty,
did you ever have
any conversation with your daughter
that would indicate maybe she was intimate
with someone else, and someone else could
possibly be the father? No, I didn't even know
she was dating him. I didn't even know about him
until I got that phone call. Well, they only knew
each other a month. Exactly. Exactly. They testified to
that in court. And he promised you he was
gonna step up, and be there for your
daughter, and for the baby? Yeah. "Don't worry, you ain't gotta
worry about me leaving." You said that. JUDGE LAKE: And I can
sense your anger,
and your frustration. And that's because
you feel like he's
turned his back on... Yes. ...the baby and your daughter. Your Honor, he was
there for the delivery. Your Honor, I lost my job
because of that too. He cut the cord... I lost my job, because I was supposed to
go to work that morning. And I came over there,
I came there,
we wasn't even talking. She was in a relationship
our whole pregnancy. Called me, said,
"I'm having the baby." I didn't go to work,
and got fired. Mr. Harvey, how did you
go from cutting the cord
to bringing her to court? Like, I didn't know Ms. Jett.
I did not know her. After she had the baby,
that's when I got to know her. She is not the person that... Why would you be with
somebody that you don't know? Your Honor. Because the child,
the child... I wanted to be
in the child's life. If that child's mine,
I want to be in
the child's life. That's the reason why
I still was there. If you want to be in
the child's life,
why you not there now? Why you not there? I'm not there now, because situations
that happened, and... I'm not even gonna put
her out there like that. JUDGE LAKE: Let's talk
one at a time. JETT: Your Honor,
can I say something? I wanna understand that
though, Mr. Harvey. Because it seems like
you were on board. HARVEY: I was! And I have not really
heard testimony that would substantiate
the departure from the
commitment that you've made. I don't understand where
the doubt is coming from. JETT: Your Honor. The doubt, the reason
why I stopped, okay... JUDGE LAKE: Facebook tag,
I got that. Okay, the Facebook tag... What else? That's my reason. Because multiple dudes,
she got pregnant fast,
and the departure, I was still there,
and the real departure, when I stopped
seeing the baby was, because she had threatened me. That's the reason
why I didn't go. I stopped seeing the baby. Because she had
threatened my life.
You know what I'm saying? And I don't know her,
and I got other kids. And I wasn't gonna
go through that. I saw her, I said,
"You know what? "Go through child support,
and if it's mine, "I will be there,
and I will do everything." JETT: Your Honor. I was there, Your Honor. Let's get some order. Every single month, I go. And the reason I stopped
going there, because she
threatened my life. And listen, I should've
gotten a police report. Your Honor, he tried to
make me walk home. JUDGE LAKE: Listen. (SIGHING) (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) And this is why, Jerome...
Kids having kids... It just, I mean... You don't even know
how to conduct yourselves. Fighting and carrying on. This is ridiculous. The only way we're going to
be able to move forward
with this, is just to get the results. Thank you, Jerome. You're welcome. I have to have these results
before I can rule on
your arbitration, and your suit for $496.52,
Mr. Harvey. Are we ready for the results? BOTH: Yes. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics,
and they read as follows. In the case of <i> Harvey v. Jett,</i> pertaining to four-month-old
Noelani Harvey. Mr. Harvey... In the case of <i> Harvey v. Jett,</i> pertaining to four-month-old
Noelani Harvey. Mr. Harvey. You... Are not her father. (AUDIENCE GASPING) JETT: It's fine. That's fine. It's fine. Because I was in a
relationship before I met him. Oh, now you
in a relationship? Before I met you, yes.
But I was never pregnant. Ms. Jett,
you so diplomatic now. Because, no,
listen, Your Honor. I just witnessed,
probably about 30 minutes of you taking this young man
through the wringer. JETT: Yes, Your Honor, but... JUDGE LAKE: And I asked you, could there be anyone else? And you said no, and then
as soon as I read the result, you went straight
into politician mode! "Uh huh! Uh huh!
Yup, everything's
going to be okay!" Shaking hands,
and kissing babies! JETT: Oh, that's fine. You weren't surprised. I wasn't. I just think that's a little
unfair that you put him
through that knowing all the while that
it could potentially be this other person's as well,
so after your arbitration, Mr. Harvey, she sent you
an itemized list of items that you were
supposed to bring. This was a demand. It is this court's opinion, and judgment that you are
entitled to the $496.52... (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) You spent on the child that we determined here
today is not, in fact,
your biological daughter. So the ruling is
for the plaintiff, and court is adjourned.
