You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case
of <i> Black v. Rockmore.</i> Thank you,
Jerome. Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Mr. Black, you say
you're here today to finally prove that
you are not the
biological father <i> of four-month-old
Javeon Black.</i> BLACK: <i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> You say, when the results
reveal you are not
the father, you no longer want
the child to have
your last name. Yes, Your Honor. AUDIENCE: Oh! Ms. Rockmore, you say
you are 100% sure Mr. Black is your
son's biological father, and you are
completely disgusted by his rejection of
your innocent child. Yes, Your Honor. So, Mr. Black, are you indeed
rejecting
Ms. Rockmore's child? Yes, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) JUDGE LAKE: And why? Uh, when I met
Ms. Rockmore, we, um... We had sex on
the first night. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) Um... Uh, I got to know her,
and when I was getting
to know her, her ex was
still involved. And I believe he still
got something
to do with her while we was trying
to get to know
each other, and... I don't know
what the hell's
going on but, I mean,
that's one of
my doubts. Take me back.
How did you meet her? I met her walking around
my apartment complex. She was with some
mutual friends. Okay. And I thought she
was very attractive, and I talked to her,
and we exchanged numbers. We got to know each other
a little better on
that evening, and then we exchanged...
We had sexual contact
later on that night. Same night you saw her
walking around a parking lot? Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. AUDIENCE: Oh! So was the
sex protected? No, ma'am, it wasn't. AUDIENCE: Ooh! (SIGHS) Ms. Rockmore, how do you end up
having sex with
somebody unprotected after you are just
walking around an apartment complex? Yeah, it was just more
because I really liked him. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) JUDGE LAKE: Tell me. It was just more
because I really was
attracted to him when I first seen him. Like, it was just, I was just
instantly attracted to him
when I first seen him. Yeah, I shouldn't have
had sex with him on the
first night, but... You know,
it happened. So you...
Bottom line is you did, and there was no
protection used? Yes, Your Honor. Were you having sex with
anyone else at the time? No, Your Honor.
I wasn't. Were you in
a relationship
with anybody? No, Your Honor.
I wasn't. Mr. Black. So why are
you doubtful? She says she
didn't even know anybody else,
have sex with anybody else, she wasn't even
dating anybody else. I'm doubtful
because at
the time I was there and
I was talking
to her, that period of time,
I've seen her ex
involved with her. And so...
I mean,
I don't know. If she's capable of
having sex with me... JUDGE LAKE: So you said you saw her with her ex. Yes, ma'am.
He walked past me while I was at her
house talking to her. And he went and
took her to the store. How did you know
it was her ex? I knew it was her ex
because she told me. That's the last time
she had intercourse with me. Okay. So... If he came by
and they went
to the store, what would make you
think they were
even having sex? Was he just
giving her a ride
to the store? No. I don't know
what it was. It was none of my
business at the time. But I mean, you know,
I didn't think me and her
would have no baby later on. And her and her ex... I didn't know what
they had going on, but I didn't think we was
in a relationship, I thought we were
just talking. JUDGE LAKE: And so, when you were "talking," was this during the
window of conception? 'Cause you were doing
more than talking... (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) ...since you're
standing here now. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Was this during the
window of conception? Yes, ma'am. So, I'm trying to understand
the doubt, Mr. Black, because you say, "I'm doubtful
that the child could be mine, "even though I slept with her
during the window of
conception without protection "because I saw her ex come
and they went to the store." (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) That's not a good
argument for court. I need to come
better than that. Yes, ma'am.
What it is, I saw
her ex involved in her life. I believe that a man is not
going to be involved
in your life unless he's doing
something for you, and he's expecting
something in return. AUDIENCE: Whoa. JUDGE LAKE: So now, give me, give me more details. When
you say you saw her ex
involved in her life... Besides this
going to the store, what else did you observe? I didn't observe
nothing from her because I wasn't
around her like that. That's where my doubt
comes from. I didn't stay with her,
I didn't live with her... Okay, hold on.
Now, see, the
story's changing. You just said the reason
why you were doubtful is
because you saw her ex involved in her life,
and if someone's doing
things for you, they want something
in return. Yes, ma'am. But the only thing
you witnessed is them going
to the store. BLACK: Yes, ma'am,
but that's her baby daddy. So... So... Could he have been
coming to see his child? No, ma'am, he couldn't
be coming to see his child, because his child wasn't
in the car with him. His child was nowhere
around them at the time
I was there. Bottom line is this. You're "talking"
to a girl. Yes, ma'am. Meaning you all are having
a casual, sexual relationship or whatever you all
are doing at that point. Yes, ma'am. So when her ex comes around,
is she standing with you
before she goes to the store? No, ma'am, she wasn't. I was just...
I was outside. She told me before he
came over there, but my thing was,
why is he coming
over here? If I'm your man or
supposedly
your man, why are you asking
him for something?
Why don't you ask me? If you did need something,
if you are going
to the store... But you said
you weren't her man,
you were all just talking. I know, we was talking,
but we were getting
to know each other. You know, you all
are not going to
confuse me today. BLACK: I need
loyalty in my life. Now, do you...
But what is
she loyal to? You're not in a relationship. You gotta show me. You gotta show me. JUDGE LAKE: She has a child with this guy, right? Yes, ma'am. So what if they needed to do
something for their child? She needed to
tell me first. AUDIENCE: Oh! JUDGE LAKE:
But you're not her... BLACK: Yes, ma'am. But you're not her boyfriend. BLACK: No, I'm not her
boyfriend, but... So why does she have to
get permission from you to go do something
with her child's father? If she want me to be her man,
then she's going
to be loyal to me and let me know everything
that's going on. JUDGE LAKE: So the point is is you felt like,
at that point, you all were trying to get
to know one another. You weren't
committed yet. BLACK: Exactly. But in the midst of us
getting to know one another, you coming and getting
picked up with your ex, and you felt like, just keep everything
on the table, say, "This is my ex. "He's coming to pick me up
because we need to do
blah, blah, blah." BLACK: Yes, ma'am. Or I'm doing... You felt like there was
a little bit too much mystery, which made you feel
like the lines could be
a little blurred. Yes, ma'am. Okay. So now, Ms. Rockmore,
at some point you find out
you're pregnant. Yes, ma'am.
Yes, Your Honor. And when you find out
you're pregnant,
who do you tell? The first person that
I told was my mom, and that's because
she went to the
doctor with me. As soon as I left
the doctor, I called...
I called Mr. Black to let him know that
I was pregnant. And at the time,
he didn't believe me. <i> Until I showed him a sonogram
picture, then that's when
he believed me.</i> (AUDIENCE MURMURING) JUDGE LAKE: <i> So...</i> When you heard about
the pregnancy,
Mr. Black, she says you were
doubtful. Were you? Yes, ma'am, I was doubtful.
It was month later. I got a calendar showing
the time periods of
where we had our intercourse, and the time period
she showed me
she was pregnant. She could have had sex
with anybody from August
to September. Jerome,
let me see this. The window of
conception,
this in green? <i> When you were
intimate with
Ms. Rockmore,</i> <i> that was pretty much
the whole month of July.</i> BLACK: <i> Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.</i> <i> The whole month of
July, we was having
intercourse,</i> <i> and that's when we met,
and we were talking.</i> <i> I mean, like I said, we didn't
talk for very long, I thought
we were just talking.</i> Once she showed me
she was unloyal to me, or she wouldn't let me know
everything that was going on, I left.
I left Palestine, Texas (AUDIENCE MURMURING) And I...
And I was gone. So, in the blue,
it says you moved to Dallas
on August the third. BLACK: <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> And then in
red you see September,</i> <i> you were informed that
she was pregnant.</i> BLACK: <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> And then in</i> <i> yellow, we see the birthday,
Javeon's birthday.</i> <i> It's the 15th of April.</i> BLACK: <i> Yes, ma'am,
it doesn't add up.</i> So what exactly are you
trying to prove? I'm trying to prove that
he is not my child. And how does this calendar
help you in that proof? (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) It helps me in that way
of showing you the time frame
that we did have sex. She was on her period
from the 21st to the 28th, and we had sex
on the 30th one time. And she came to me on the 26th
saying that she was pregnant. Between July 30th
and September 26th, she could have had
sex with anybody. You're claiming that the
window of conception... BLACK: The times don't add up. ...would have been between
July 30th and when? BLACK: Yes, ma'am. BLACK: <i> And, I'm going
to say, August 3rd.</i> I wasn't around her,
Your Honor,
all the time. I didn't have to keep my eye
on her or watch her. We were just talking,
it wasn't that serious, but I wanted her to
show me loyalty. So you believe
there is no way,
based on this calendar, that you are the father. Yes, ma'am. Ain't no way
I could be the father. At all. I may not be an OBGYN. BLACK: Yes, ma'am (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) I was pretty good at math. BLACK: Mmm-hmm I'm counting back,
and I'm saying, <i> "One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine."</i> BLACK: <i> Mmm-hmm</i> (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) I land in July. But that's around
the same time that her ex was involved. That's around the same time
that I was seeing him. JUDGE LAKE: Okay,
I was just being clear. 'Cause your
testimony said that
between the 30th and in August, she could
have slept with anybody. Yes, ma'am. So I'm saying... But she was sleeping with you
throughout the month of July. And that seems to be closer
to the window of conception. Yes, ma'am, it is.
But you know... I mean, at the same time,
I can't watch her, I can't say who
she was sleeping with. If I slept with her
one day, who's to say somebody else didn't
come behind me
and hit her too? AUDIENCE: Whoa! JUDGE LAKE:
And so, Ms. Rockmore, did he help you at all
during the pregnancy?
Did he support you? No, he didn't help me. Did he come to
doctor's appointments? He didn't help
me at all. I went to every
doctor's appointment
by myself. Thing is,
how can you deny him
when you named him? You gave him your middle name.
You gave him your last name. So you gave him the
last name Black. Did you sign the
birth certificate? No, ma'am, I'm not on
any birth certificate... JUDGE LAKE: <i> But you
just gave him the name.</i> BLACK: <i> I didn't
give him the name,
she gave him the name.</i> <i> I didn't agree
to anything.</i> <i> She put my name on
a hospital birth certificate,</i> she gave him my name. I'm just doubtful all over,
Your Honor. I mean... All I really wanted
to do in the beginning
was have sex anyway. That's all it was. AUDIENCE: Whoa! It was just a one-time
thing that happened, and a baby
came out of it,
which is a blessing, but at the same time,
I need to know if he's mine. I'm not trying to sit
here and be paying
for somebody's other baby. JUDGE LAKE: And so... To date... He hasn't been
there for the child. No, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
So your feeling is, "I'm not connecting
myself to this child. "I'm not contributing a dime. "I'm not "doing anything that would
remotely look like
I'm stepping up to the plate <i> "as a father for this baby</i> <i> "until I know for
certain that it's mine."</i> Yes, Your Honor. So, Ms. Rockmore,
in your statement
to the court, you say it's
been difficult. Yes, Your Honor. Very difficult. Tell me
about that. I... Throughout my whole
pregnancy, I was sick to the point
I was in and out
of the hospital. I spent days
in the hospital. I had to quit my job. AUDIENCE: Aw. You know, just because
that's how sick I was,
I had to quit my job. I was having to ask
my family for money. And everything,
everything like that. And so, since he's born,
what has it been like? ROCKMORE: <i> Like, I just
recently got a job.</i> <i> So it's been
very, very, hard.</i> And how are you
doing for childcare? 'Cause I know
that's expensive. Yes, well, my boss,
he helps me... He helps me out a lot
with the childcare, so... I've been grateful
for that, so... I've been doing okay
with the childcare. And so, as you reach
out to Mr. Black, and talk to him about
the child's needs, and... This is the kind of responses
you're getting every time? Yes, yes, Your Honor. I see you
brought a witness. I'd like to hear from her.
Ma'am, please stand and step up
to the podium. And your name? I'm Ms. Black. You're Ms. Black? Yes, ma'am. And you are? (AUDIENCE MURMURING) I'm his mother. JUDGE LAKE:
You are Mr. Black, the plaintiff's,
mother? Yes, ma'am. AUDIENCE: Whoa! JUDGE LAKE:
Okay. And so, I would love
to hear what you know
about this situation, given the side
of the aisle
you're standing on. MS. BLACK: Right. Your Honor. Yes. I'm his mom and
I am very disappointed. I'm outraged that he would go
this far, to bring this
young lady to court to prove
that's his son. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) I'm here with her
because I do believe
that's my grandson. I raised my son
better than that, to degrade women. If you're good enough to
lay with that woman, then you're good enough
to be there for that woman. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) You know,
I'm just from
the old school. So step up to the plate,
do what you gotta do. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) And so... Ms. Black. Yes, ma'am. Have you developed
a relationship with Javeon? Have you seen the baby? Of course.
Yes, I have, and I love him. You have. MS. BLACK: <i> He...</i> AUDIENCE: <i> Aw.</i> <i> To me, he's my
grandson, whether he</i> <i> pass the test or not.</i> <i> He looks like my other son.</i> <i> He looks like
Richard's three girls.</i> And...
That's my grandson. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Mr. Black, how does it feel
to hear your mother... Yes, Your Honor. It feels... ...speak so confidently about the fact that
she really believes
that's her grandson. It feels a
little bad, but... I mean, you know a mother.
You know a mother, I mean... I feel like she
should be on my side just because of
the fact that she, she,
she's mine. She's my mother,
but at the same time... That's...
I can't say, I mean. Her being my mom... I mean, we've got children,
I got three girls. I don't think
he looks nothing
like my daughters. I don't think
he looks nothing
like me. I mean, I got a
wife at home,
I'm engaged. I don't need
these problems. AUDIENCE: Whoa! And I'm trying to see
if he is mine,
if he's not mine. This has turned up
in my relationship
at home. I'm trying to move forward
with my life and
what I got going. He's not the only child,
if he is mine,
that I have. So I got
three girls to take
care of and him. So, you know,
I'm trying to stop
all the problems right here, today. That's why I came
to <i> Paternity Court.</i> JUDGE LAKE: Good, good. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) At this point,
I think the only way
to move forward is to get the results. (AUDIENCE CHEERING) Are you ready? Yes, ma'am. Your Honor, that could
be his first son. You know, that could
be his first son. My first grandson. And like I said,
whether the test
reveals it or not, he's still my grandson. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics, and they read as follows... In the case of<i>
Black v. Rockmore,</i> when it comes to
four-month-old
Javeon Black, it has been determined, Mr. Black, you are the father. (AUDIENCE CHEERING) All right. All right. Okay. All right. Okay. All right. Well, there's a saying
that Mom knows best. AUDIENCE: Yeah! Yes, ma'am, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Feel emotional? I'm so happy. MS. BLACK: <i> I knew
he was my grandson.</i> You know,
mothers know. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) But, Your Honor,
I had to know for sure. JUDGE LAKE:
So now you
have the truth. Yes, Your Honor. What are you
going to do
with it? 'Cause that's really
what this court room
is about. How are you going
to move forward? I'm going to take care of
my son and do what
I need to do. Good. And I see the tears.
You feel emotional. Yeah. Because now, what you
just realized in that moment, that you have a son? Yes, ma'am.
He is mine.
I'm proud of him. I... I mean, you know,
that's my boy. I'm going to take care of him
just like I take care of my
girls. They all get spoiled. JUDGE LAKE: Good. Yes, ma'am. And I'd be glad to have
him on the weekends with the other grandkids. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) And that's just
where he belongs, over at grandma's house,
getting loved up on. Doing probably a few
little things he's not
supposed to do, eating way too
much cake. (MS. BLACK LAUGHING) We all know how that is,
but that's what every
child deserves. I'm so very happy
for you all. He's a beautiful,
beautiful, little boy. Thank you. Congratulations. Court is adjourned. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) I feel great. I feel proud. I mean, I feel
like a father
really should. I mean,
what man wouldn't? Every man
deserves a son. Every woman
deserves a girl. You know,
we all gotta keep on
populating this world. It just depends on
who is the father
and who isn't. You just got to know. You can't be thinking and wondering, because
that'll drive you crazy,
as a man. So to all the fellas
out there with
problems like this, you need to come
take care of it.
