You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case
of<i> Walker v. Devost.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day! Mr. Walker, you claim the defendant led
you to believe you fathered her son,
Ky-Mani, for an entire year, <i> but just six
months ago told you</i> you are not the father and refuses to let you see him. You are here to prove that Ky-Mani is
your biological son. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Miss Devost, you admit you allowed Mr. Walker
to sign the birth certificate and led him to believe he is Ky-Mani's father, but now you say he definitely is not his biological father. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. All right, so Miss Devost, he hasn't seen your
son in six months? Yes. Tell me about that. Um, the reason why he hasn't
seen my son in six months is because he
is not the father. AUDIENCE: (GASPS) That simple. DEVOST: Yeah, um... I regret letting him
sign the birth certificate. And I just feel... I feel bad because I let him do it. But I just wanted to
get the truth out today and just figure out
he's not the father, so I can get him off
the birth certificate. So you are certain he is not
Ky-Mani's biological father? Yes. JUDGE LAKE:
And you feel that
you have regret for allowing him to sign
this birth certificate? Yes. Well, Mr. Walker, you are certain this
is your biological child? Yes, Your Honor,
this is my son right here. And so, you had a
relationship with him before? WALKER: Yes. And then, for the past six
months you have not seen him? I haven't been allowed
to see my son
in the last six months because, uh, Miss Devost claims that I am
not the father. But you are on
the birth certificate? WALKER: Yes, Your Honor.
I was there the whole time. <i> The whole pregnancy
and there at the hospital.</i> AUDIENCE:<i> Wow!</i> JUDGE LAKE:<i> And so
you were here</i> <i> the day he entered this world?</i> WALKER:<i> Yes.</i> JUDGE LAKE: And you
admit that, Miss Devost. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Take me back
to this relationship, how'd you all even meet? Um, we met when
we was in foster care. It was like this
group home setting
for, like, older youth to live on
their own independently. We met there,
we became friends, and when I went
away to school, we had lost touch or whatever. And then I came back,
we had... I don't know,
somehow we got
back in contact. And I was, like,
over his house every day. It was like a getaway. We wasn't in a relationship, but it was a situation,
like we was together. So it wasn't
a committed relationship, but you spent
a lot of time together? DEVOST: Yeah. And you were intimate? Yes, Your Honor. Did you use protection? DEVOST: No, Your Honor. All right. When she first told me
she was pregnant, I was excited. And I asked her
if it was mine, and she said, "Yeah,
you're the father." She did? Yes. And so you asked
her point-blank, "Is this child mine?" And she said,
"Yes, you're the father." Yes, Your Honor. Miss Devost, do you
remember that conversation? Yes, Your Honor. Did you tell Mr. Walker
he was your child's
biological father? Yes, but at the time
I thought he was the father. He was the one I was with,
when the doctor asked me... When I took the pregnancy test and then I got it
confirmed by the doctor, he was the person
I was with at the time. Okay, well, it doesn't
matter who you're with when the doctor
tells you you're pregnant, it matters who you're with
when the child is conceived. DEVOST: Right. Who were you with then? Um, I was with him
and someone else. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. AUDIENCE: Oh! So that's why we're here. So you admit you were also
intimate with another person during the window
of conception. Yes, Your Honor. And that's the person
you believe is Ky-Mani's
biological father? Yes, Your Honor. So, Mr. Walker, take me to the point
when you find out
she's pregnant. What do you do? When I find out
that she's pregnant, um, I really just start
to prepare myself, mentally, and I also was
just looking for work. I had two jobs at the time. I was just really... I was really tryin' to
just prepare myself
for everything. I know what it means
to have a child. I din't really have
a dad growing up. And I grew up in the system,
and, I don't know... I like babies. So this is your first child? Yes, Your Honor. And after going through
a difficult time where you said you grew up
in the system, in the foster care system. You were excited about
being a father to a child? The kind of father
you did not have. Yes, Your Honor. So, throughout the pregnancy,
were you there for her? Yes, we were always living
together the whole time. Even when Ky-Mani was born,
you were living together? Yes. JUDGE LAKE: What do
you have there? I actually have
the birth certificate that I signed when
he was first born. JUDGE LAKE:
I'd like to see that. Jerome, will you hand me
Mr. Walker's evidence, please? And so, you were there? Yes, Your Honor. She told you it was your child, and you lived up to what
you were supposed to do. This is the birth certificate
for Ky-Mani Dominique
Devost-Walker. He has your last name. And you are
listed as "father." Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Willingly and voluntarily? Yes, Your Honor. As he was signing
this birth certificate, and being there for the child
and going to
doctor's appointments and witnessing
the birth, Miss Devost, you knew all the while
that there was
another possible father? Yes, Your Honor. But you had not
shared it with him? I was... I was scared. Being a first-time mother,
I went through the system too, (VOICE BREAKING)
and it's just... I just never wanted
to tell him that it wasn't his because I knew the situation
that he'd been through and... It was just hard. I didn't want to go
through it alone and... Uh... I didn't wanna
go through it alone and he stepped up
to being there and got two jobs. I had... And I couldn't work when
I was pregnant 'cause I had... He was a big baby. And I, um... I could hardly walk,
I couldn't really do nothing. So when he stepped up, I just felt like, "Okay, he's doing
the right thing, "and maybe he might
be the father, I don't know." So, he just... AUDIENCE: Aww... Oh... I just didn't wanna...
I didn't wanna hurt him. Like, I already felt like... Like, I regret lettin' him
go through it because when I looked at my son
when he was... After I got through
my surgery and everything, I thought he's seen my son
before I did. After I looked at my son, I just knew, like... (STUTTERS) He'd been here
all this while, I can't turn back now. Not gonna tell him
that he's not the father. He'd been there
the whole pregnancy, he was there,
so I'm like, "It's too late." It felt. And so, like we have
seen over and over
and over again, when you tell a lie, you just have to keep
telling more lies. Right. And more lies and more lies. Because the truth is
you knew all the while there was another
possible biological father. DEVOST: Mmm-hmm. Did you tell that man
you were pregnant or that the baby was born, and he could potentially
be the father as well? Yes, Your Honor. And what was his response? He... His response
was like no other. It was just, "Okay.
If it's mine,
I'll take care of it." And so why is it
you chose Mr. Walker
instead of him? If he said, "I'll take care
of the child," too? Why did you make
the choice of Mr. Walker? My ex was in another city. He was in the same city as me. So it was just... He's here. He'll help,
he's the father. So you really are telling
the truth when you say you didn't wanna
do this alone? So you just chose
the man that was
closest to you and was ready to step up? DEVOST: Mmm-hmm. So you would have
someone to go through
this process with. Yes. Mr. Walker, did you have any idea
any of this was going on after you saw your baby
come into the world? Where were you
in this situation? I really got hold
of the situation when, um, she went
out of town to a concert. And when she came back,
a friend of hers inboxed me saying that I
wasn't his father. That she's dirty. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) So her own friends
were coming and telling you, "Hey, this isn't your child?" Yes, friends, family members,
my family members. So, take me to the moment when you found out
from Mrs. Devost that you may not be
Ky-Mani's biological father. When did she
finally tell you that? It was probably
maybe around June. DEVOST: It was May. May. May, June, around one
of those times. Um... I believe we were arguing. And I also have
some text messages
to, um, show... You have more evidence? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: Jerome,
can you please hand me
the evidence? And so, Mr. Walker,
you're saying that as you would argue...
Whatever argument you'd
be in as a couple, it would always come down to, "Well, you don't have
any right to see Ky-Mani." Or, "You don't have any right
in this situation "because you're
not his father." Correct. This is evidence
of a conversation between you and Miss Devost? WALKER: Yes, ma'am. And this is
a conversation via text? Um, yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Okay,
all right. So it says... <i>You say, "You kicked me out
with damn near no place to go.</i> <i> "You wasn't thinking about
our son or anything."</i> <i> Miss Devost, you write back,</i> <i> "He's not your son."</i> (AUDIENCE GASPS) Then you respond, Mr. Walker, <i> "So as long as I'm
on the birth certificate,
I'm not going anywhere.</i> <i> "You ruined my whole life."</i> <i>And, Miss Devost, you respond,</i> <i> "You are not his father.
You ruined your own life."</i> (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) You cold-blooded! Because you told him
he was the biological father. Yes, I did. He had the option
if he wanted to be
there or not. I didn't... (AUDIENCE GASPS) I didn't beg
or ask him to be there. He had the option. Miss Devost, I let you stand here thus far and state your testimony. Now, you sitting up here actin' like Satan's
sidekick in here, talkin' about,
"You ruined your own life. "I had nothin' about it.
Nobody told you to stay." What's goin' on? (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) 'Cause see, I'm not
gonna let you go back
too far from center. Now, you can come in here
and tell the truth and say
you made a mistake, and you lied, and you did something
for your benefit, and you were scared,
and you didn't wanna
be by yourself. But what you're not gonna do is sit up here
and convince me that, "Oh, he could've left." Why? He could've left the baby
that he thought was
his biological child? He could've repeated a cycle
that has affected him and you and that's why both
of you are connected
on that level? Because you both
were in a system where no child should
ever have to spend their life? Let's be honest. It's okay if you
just wanna say, "I made a mistake.
I did the wrong the thing. "And after I did it..." But do not look
at this man and say, "You could've left.
You ruined your own life." When you know you
put this scenario in motion. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) Did you ever do a paternity
test with the other man... DEVOST: No. You haven't? No. So how are you certain he's the child's
biological father? He looks just like him.
His family... They got family members
that look... They look
identical too. So, it's just... It's just given,
like, that's his father. Despite that,
you still allowed
Mr. Walker to believe, for the first eight months
of Ky-Mani's life, he was the child's
biological father? Yes. Don't you think
it's a little unfair that even though you say
you had a conscience and you just couldn't do
it anymore and it was
eating at you, it's almost as if
you don't understand that the day you
got done with the lie, it was almost like, "Okay,
I'm done with this lie. "This lie has served me. "Now it's
gettin' on my nerves. "I'm gonna tell the truth." Now you just want him
to let loose. Like, like, like... Okay... But do you understand
now, he's so invested
in the child... DEVOST: Right. He still understands
that there's a possibility he could be the child's
biological father. So now he's not letting go. Right. JUDGE LAKE: Is that true,
Mr. Walker? My assessment
of your position? Yes, Your Honor. And so, now,
for the past six months, you've been without your son? You haven't contacted me...
Asked me to see Ky-Mani none of the time. Since May when you left,
you haven't contacted me. So, that's why. No one's in Ky-Mani's life. I'm the only person. Me and another
family member's
in Ky-Mani's life. There's nobody else. After all that, this other guy is not a full-fledged father
in Ky-Mani's life? 'Cause he can't be there.
We in two different cities. My son, he talks to him
over FaceTime, via videochat all the time. Every day, if he
get a chance to. He's there...
Like, he know who he is. But he's not... And Ky-Mani is
14-months-old now? When he sees your ex,
he refers to him as "Daddy"? Yes. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) JUDGE LAKE: Did you
know that, Mr. Walker? No, I didn't.
But from the time
that I left the house, he was already getting ready
to start saying, "Da-da,"
to me, so... AUDIENCE: Aww... I don't know. DEVOST: No, he wasn't. You say, "No, he wasn't." DEVOST: He wasn't
even talking then. All he knows is me, so... It's fine. That's what you think. There is a reason why
when you are pregnant
with a child, that they tell
the mother and the father to talk to the child. So that the child gets to know the mother
and the father's voice. Mmm-hmm. So when that child
comes out the womb, that voice he's heard,
those vibrations he's felt, that happens in real time
in the real world, there's a reason
why we do those
types of connections when we're having babies. So you're not gonna tell me that Mr. Walker
hasn't been there
all that time, been talking to that baby,
rubbing the stomach, kissing the stomach,
having a conversation, and then the baby come out, and now you tell me,
"He don't know nobody but me." He don't. No! No! That's what makes you
more comfortable
with what you have done. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) Mr. Walker, have you prepared yourself? Yes, I have. If he has... His biological father
that's gonna be in his life, I'm not about to
play a second role of step-day
or anything like that. He's not even
my blood or anything, so... She could just...
She would...
If he's not mine, she... Guess she's moving
on with her little
family or whatever. AUDIENCE: Aww... And I can see that
hurt you very much to say. I think we've heard enough. It's time for
the results. Jerome? (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) Thank you. You're welcome. These results were
prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. He had the option
if he wanted to be
there or not. JUDGE LAKE: In the case of<i>
Walker v. Devost,</i> as it pertains to
14-month-old
Ky-Mani Devost-Walker it has been determined
by this court... Mr. Walker, you... Are not the father. (AUDIENCE GROANS) DEVOST: I'm sorry. I'm sincerely sorry. I'm sorry, Mr. Walker. Thank you, Your Honor. I'm sorry I couldn't
give you the news
you wanted, Mr. Walker. You have been a stand-up guy
in this situation. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) For that you should be
very proud of yourself. Now, with that said, you signed an
acknowledgment of paternity. There is also no guarantee when you go home
to your home state that the court will
remove you from
that birth certificate. I cannot guarantee that. So we have to get this
worked out, okay? If you need help
from this court,
you let me know. If you need to have
another test with the man you
believe is Ky-Mani's
biological father, this courtroom is
here for you, because sometimes
having the absolute clarity is what you need to
be able to move forward. And we're not gonna
let this cycle repeat itself and allow the father figure
to be stolen from his life. Right? DEVOST: Yes. The way it was from yours. And you're in charge, okay? Go talk to Dr. Jeff. You young people,
I'mma check on you. All right. DEVOST: All right. I wish you the very best.
Court is adjourned.
