Please, be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Bailey/Parker v. Parker.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Bailey, you
and your daughter are suing the defendant for $3,691.50 in child care expenses. Mr. Parker is your daughter's
estranged husband, and he denies paternity
of your four month old
grandson. You claim he hasn't even given
your daughter a single penny towards your
grandson's expenses. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Mr. Parker, you say your advice to Ms. Bailey
and her daughter is to take their lawsuit, find the real
father of the child, and sue him. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: You're seeking the
results of a paternity test because you say
you do not believe you are four-month-old
Zachariah's biological father. Ms. Bailey, tell me
about your lawsuit. Well, Your Honor,
I've come here today because Mr. Parker
has done nothing, not a single thing
for my daughter or my grandson. <i> He left her when she was
16 weeks pregnant,</i> <i> didn't look back,</i> and he is living his life
without responsibility. I'm the baby's father. I provide for the baby. I buy the formula,
the diapers, I'm there to hold the baby
when he cries, and comfort him.
Not him! He's living the way
he wants to. And my daughter
is going to college, she's working
on her second degree, not her first,
but her second degree. So, what type
of relationship has he established
with Zachariah thus far? Nothing. Zero. Zero. He doesn't even know
what he looks like. He's never
laid eyes on him. JUDGE LAKE:
You don't even know
what he looks like, Mr. Parker? DONOVAN:
No, Your Honor, I haven't
been given the chance. VICTORIA: That's not right. He... JUDGE LAKE: Four months and no opportunity? No, ma'am. There hasn't been
a phone call... Anything. Have you made a phone call? No, Your Honor, he hasn't. I've had the same phone number
for four years and he hasn't
called me once. And you claim he left you when you were
16 weeks pregnant? He left me when I was
16 weeks pregnant, 10 days before Christmas, and 16 days
before my birthday. He left me.
He abandoned me. He left, and he
didn't look back. He can call me,
but he doesn't. So Mr. Parker,
why would you leave her when she was
16 weeks pregnant with... It wasn't so much
leaving, ma'am, as being run out
of the home, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
What do you mean? Explain. The last... The last few days there,
Your Honor, she told me that I wasn't
worth nothing, that I was not allowed to eat, that I was not allowed
to be a part of this family. (SCOFFS) Yeah. VICTORIA: That's a lie. VICTORIA: He wanted her
to cook separate meals besides the meal that
she cooked for the family, he wanted special food, and in these days and times,
that is very hard. I wasn't doing that. And he wanted me
to take care of him,
you know, like I was his maid. Like, I was his slave.
I wasn't doing that either. He had... I wanted him
to grow up instead of being a child
like he was with his grandparents
and with his mother. She was right about
the separate meals,
Your Honor, but I wasn't the one
eating the separate meals. I would cook something
for me and my stepson Jacob, then she would come behind and fix herself
like a steak, or whatever else
out of the refrigerator. SAMANTHA: Your Honor,
I would go without eating so that he would
have enough to eat. JUDGE LAKE: Bottom line is, you two were in
some type of relationship... We were married, Your Honor. We were married. We still are. JUDGE LAKE:
Married? Yes. SAMANTHA: We are married. What led to... This entire situation anyway? Whether you left
or you got ran out? First it started...
She'd start wearing
make-up and everything. She was wearing it
to church! That was... (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) It ain't so funny. She never wore
make-up before. And I still don't! DONOVAN: She started
wearing it just to go
to pay the bills, run out just to go
see the neighbors. I still don't wear make-up. I don't know
if she was trying to get something going
with the neighbors or not. Thing that really
made me suspicious,
Your Honor, was what happened next.
I come home one day, she's put a padlock
on the bedroom door. We have a photo of it here, if I might enter it
into evidence. JUDGE LAKE: Yes, please.
Jerome, let me see
his evidence. VICTORIA: Your Honor,
I also have receipts for the child care... What is this evidence, sir? DONOVAN: <i> That's the lock
on the bedroom door</i> <i> that I came home to one day.</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> You put a lock
on your bedroom door?</i> SAMANTHA: I did. Ms. Parker, why? Because, all the
Christmas presents <i> were in there, and I have
an eight-year-old.</i> <i> I'm not gonna let him
go in there</i> and see what he's
getting for Christmas because he still
believes in Santa. DONOVAN: Then why,
when I asked you, so I could go in there. But... Didn't have anything
left in there. Because you
threw everything out. Did you lock
your husband out, too? I locked that bedroom door
because I didn't trust him and didn't want him
in that room. He didn't have
anything in there, I didn't see a point
in him going in there. What did you think
was going on in this bedroom,
Mr. Parker? At that point, I didn't
have a clue, ma'am. I didn't know
if she was just trying
to keep me out 'cause she had
dirty photos in there
or what... Dirty photos... JUDGE LAKE: But wait,
I'm trying to understand. This is your marital home. Ma'am, at this point,
I was told to sleep
on the living room floor. And I was not to eat
anything in the home, I was to go to work,
and bring money home
and that was it. No, Your Honor,
he wasn't. I was pregnant and at this point, I hasn't trusted him
since October. I was tired of
sleeping on the couch so I told him,
"I want the bed. "And I want you
to go sleep on the couch." He said he deserved
to sleep on the bed because he was working
and then here she is, pregnant, and he wants her
to sleep on the couch. JUDGE LAKE: How do you
get to the point where you don't think
that the child is yours? It's not about her eating
steaks and wearing make-up. No, ma'am. The thing that
got me the most
at the final end of it, I didn't even know
the child had been born
for over a week. Okay. Now take me back
to that moment. It was the 25th
or the 26th. I called her up
because it was the day the baby was supposed
to have been born. Left a message
on her answering machine because she hadn't
told us anything. Did you accompany her
to doctor's appointments, or were you
actively involved? SAMANTHA: No, Your Honor. I was not allowed to, ma'am. I was told I was too annoying
and I needed to stay home. At this point,
I didn't know if it was... She was taking
another man, or who, family, or who... Ms. Parker, did you
tell your husband he was annoying
and needed to stay home and you didn't want him
to go to your
doctor's appointment? I told him
that I didn't need somebody holding my hand
at a doctor's appointment. And ma'am, I'd like
to enter into evidence the birth certificate. It has on it... Please, let me see
that birth certificate. It shows... Are you two still married? Yes, ma'am. Yes, Your Honor. Whoo! This shows where
I was not even registered as the father,
and in my state, <i> if you are married,
you are supposed to be</i> <i> automatically put
on the birth certificate
of the child.</i> You're presumed
to be the father of any child
born within your marriage. DONOVAN:
Yes, Your Honor. And yet, as I review your evidence... DONOVAN: <i> And this shows
that I was not even
on the certificate</i> <i> and this is a
federal document</i> <i> that was not shown...</i> That shows that
she lied to the doctors, lied to the hospital,
and lied to me. She didn't lie to him. I didn't lie. They, the hospital didn't put him
on the birth certificate because of the
marital problems. Because of what
I had experienced. He wasn't allowed
at the hospital. So, let me be clear. On this piece
of evidence, we can see under father's name, it indicates,
"Refused, refused." Under father's birthplace,
"Refused." That means
the mother refused. I gave them his name. They didn't put it. But did you tell the hospital
you were married to him? Yes. JUDGE LAKE:
And gave them his name? SAMANTHA: Yes. So why... So how did you
get refused? Because they wouldn't
put it on there. Why didn't they
put it on there? It's legally required. Then why didn't they
put it on there? It's legally required. JUDGE LAKE: And so, your son's name, Zachariah Howard Bailey, you didn't even give him
Mr. Parker's last name. No, I didn't. JUDGE LAKE:
Your last name. I gave him
my maiden name. You were not told the child was about
to come into the world. You weren't told
the child was born? No, Your Honor. You've never even
met this boy? Soon as I found out
about the birth, Your Honor, I went to get a lawyer
to get DNA testing. And I've been paying
a lawyer ever since. That's the reason why
I cut all communication. I just wanted
to do everything legally. JUDGE LAKE:
Sir, you've brought
a witness today. Ma'am, will you please stand? State your name for the court. Charlotte Perez. And Ms. Perez,
what relationship are you
to Mr. Parker? I'm his mother. JUDGE LAKE: You are. And, what do you know
about the situation? Before they separated,
Your Honor, she had brought him
to my mother's and dumped him out
two or three times because she needed
some time alone. And then she'd call him
and want him to come back
when it was payday. My son, they had one car
that he bought. He met her
and signed that car
over to her so she would have a car
for her and these children. He had to get a car to get back and forth to work
from my daddy. Why was he able
to buy that car? He was able to buy that car because he claimed
me and my child on his taxes. Well, he was supporting
your welfare butt. No, he wasn't. You know what, at least I'm not
a mama's boy. And she does have
college degrees, working on her second. CHARLOTTE: But she don't work. He has nothing! She's on welfare
and food stamps. He has no
college degree. She's working
on her second. Yeah, but I'm halfway
through my second! But it don't do no good
if you don't work, if you stay on welfare
and food stamps! JUDGE LAKE: All right. You know, I'm working
to get off them! All right. So... Let's... Get a hold of ourselves. But ma'am... Hold on, Ms. Perez. Let me ask you the questions and I need you
to give me the answers. Okay? Do you believe Zachariah is your son's child, is your grandchild? The way she did everything
about this child's birth, and the way she would
get up and take off while he was trying to sleep, I don't really know.
But I hope it's not, because he don't need to be
tied to her for 18 years. But if it is his child, we've already got a lawyer and
planning to file for custody. Well, that's not
gonna happen. It'll be a cold day in hell Hell's gonna freeze over. before y'all get custody
of my child. My child! JUDGE LAKE: You know what,
I tried to give y'all
some room so that maybe I can
see something of importance would be stated
so I can understand how in the world we got here. This court is really about
helping children. <i> And our concern is Zachariah.</i> <i> So, since this
child was born,</i> you've done nothing
for this child, Mr. Parker, and you have never seen
your wife's baby. No ma'am, I have not.
No, Your Honor. VICTORIA: He's paid nothing. His baby. I've paid it all. Ms. Parker,
all you had to do was call. VICTORIA: I'm the father. All you had to do
was call. How can she call if she don't
have your phone number? And I've had the same number
for over four years. And you couldn't call me? But Samantha, the only time I did call. you answered that was when you
wanted money... Or you wanted something. No! Y'all know that apartment,
the phone don't work. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. So, listen. We are going to get
to the paternity results
in just a moment. But first, you indicated
in your statement to the court
you had spent $3,691.50 on child care expenses. Yes, Your Honor. Do you have proof
of those expenses? VICTORIA: Yes, ma'am, we do. SAMANTHA: Yes, Your Honor. And this is the proof here? Yes, Your Honor. Please explain
to the court what those expenses were. SAMANTHA: We have to buy
his formula, his diapers, we have to buy
clothes for him, we had to buy his crib,
his car seats, his stroller. We've had to buy
everything for this child. He has not helped one bit. Yes, I have.
We had the strollers and everything else bought
before I left, even. SAMANTHA: No,
there were no strollers. There was nothing
at the house. Then what
happened to them? I had to get everything. There was nothing
there, Mr. Parker. All right, well, I do
see receipts here. Totaling $3,691.50 for items that, yes,
in fact, a child needs. So, your testimony,
Mr. Parker, is that
you've done nothing. You don't believe
this child is yours. Yes, Your Honor,
I don't believe
this child is mine. JUDGE LAKE: And... Because of all this... All this going on,
I just can't believe
that this child is mine. If it was my child,
why didn't she want me
to be a part of its life? Why did she
not just let me
see him... Because you'd rather sit
on your behind, I did. and play video games
in front of the TV. I did want you... All day! A part of his life. I am your wife!
I wanted you there. I don't even know
why you left! Your Honor,
Your Honor... My son called
social services, when he found out
the baby had been born. And he asked them
about child support. Really? Because I'm the one
that had to go and... And they told us... ...start child
support papers. ...that he was not the father. He was not on
the birth certificate. Well... (SIGHS) At this point
I think the only way to move forward
is to get the result. (APPLAUSE) Jerome. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics. And they read
as follows. In the case of<i>
Bailey/Parker v. Parker</i> pertaining to four-month-old
Zachariah Bailey, and as to whether
Mr. Parker is his
biological father, it has been determined
by this court, Mr. Parker... Yes, Your Honor. You... Are his father. SAMANTHA: I told you! VICTORIA: Told you, told you! CHARLOTTE: Okay, wait. We're gonna finish paying the
lawyer and file for custody. I'm done with this. I am done with this.
I wanna see the two parents in my chambers without their mothers. Court is adjourned! DONOVAN: Yes, Your Honor. CHARLOTTE: Don't you dare. Mr. and Ms. Parker, that was some
testimony out there. It was difficult
to watch, a husband and a wife go at it like that. And then just when
I thought there was very little hope
this could work, I began to see
in your eyes, feelings of
genuine hurt when you
said to him, "I don't even know
why you left." That says to me,
you all, you need to
do some serious talking. Because I feel like,
both of you love
one another. And so, Mr. Parker, I have
to say to you, Ms. Parker enumerated, she sent receipts,
lists of all the things
she had spent, the total $3,691.50. And since you are
Zachariah's biological father, you are responsible for half of the child care
expenses, do you
understand that? So, I'm going
to award her... Yes, Your Honor. $1845.75. DONOVAN: It's completely
understandable, Your Honor. Now, I have to
ask you, Ms. Parker... I want him
to see his son. Thank you. I didn't even have to ask. That's, that's
why I came here. It's 'cause I want
him to be a part of Zachariah's life. Well, he's here today. And there he is... There's your dad. (GASPS) Oh... He's gorgeous. I wish you the best of luck,
both of you, okay? And take care
of him. Oh, gosh!
He's so cute! (CHUCKLES) Can I carry him? Yeah, he's your son.
