Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of <i>
Wiggins v. Davis.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Wiggins,
you are here in court to prove that
you are not the father of Ms. Davis' child,
Aubree Wiggins and say today's results will change your life,
is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Ms. Davis, you claim
that Mr. Wiggins knows he's the father of your child
and is trying to deny her because he already
has three children and doesn't want
to step up and be a father,
is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
So, Mr. Wiggins, why do you say
today's results will change your life? As a result of
being alleged the father of Aubree,
I lost my wife and I wanna regain
my family. You lost your family? You were married
at the time? Explain. Yes, Your Honor,
I was married, um, and me and my wife
went through a separation due to a rough patch. Due to my separation,
you know, I became a little "antsy," I guess,
for lack of better terms. Ms. Davis was working
for a family member of mine and I'd seen her. Um, and she was
looking good and she was walking up
some stairs and she had on
some really tight pants. (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) And, uh, so
I approached her. Yes. It was never
supposed to be any type... Anything else
more than just sex. JUDGE LAKE: But you
didn't use protection? We was together for almost
two-years-and-a-half. We was never together. Almost two-and-a-half
years? SHANTRELL:
Yes, ma'am. I was married, Your Honor.
I mean... Yeah, married but... It just, you know,
it kind of went longer than it should have. But your hope
is that if you can prove that Aubree is not
your biological child that you can convince
your ex-wife which is, you know,
the woman... I guess she left
because of the situation? Yes, ma'am. That you wanna try to
put the family back together. Yes, Your Honor. So the stakes are high,
very high here. EUGENE: They are. JUDGE LAKE: So,
Ms. Davis, you ended up starting a relationship
with a married man. He was separated
at the time. SHANTRELL:
Right. Did you think you were in a relationship? I was. I knew I was
in a relationship. JUDGE LAKE: You did? For two-and-a-half
years we was together. I was telling her
what I felt I needed to tell her to ultimately
get what I wanted. (AUDIENCE JEERING) SHANTRELL:
Obviously, you have. And you might've
gotten more than you
bargained for, right? Right, he did,
a child. And so, why did you think
you were in a relationship,
Ms. Davis? He stated that
multiple times. Did you... Was he telling you
there was gonna be a future? SHANTRELL: Yes. Oh. He wanted to marry me. He wanted to
get a divorce
from his wife. No, Your Honor. He wanted
to be with me. No, Your Honor. Were you still trying
to work it out with your wife while you were sleeping
with Ms. Davis? I was. Why... (STUTTERS)
That's also the reason why I have a child
that's two months younger with my wife. Apart. They were pregnant
at the same time, your wife
and your mistress. Right. They were, Your Honor AUDIENCE: Ooh. They're a month apart. Our children... How did you find out Ms. Davis was pregnant? Um, so she kind of
told people. And then I asked her
to let me tell my wife. And of course,
'cause she wanted my wife out of the picture,
because she did want more. You're right, I wanted more
because you... That's what you presented. And I was good to her. I mean, because ultimately
I was trying to get something out of her.
So I did what I had to do, I felt I needed to do. SHANTRELL: Like,
two-and-a-half years, how we're not together? Things happen or said
in the bedroom that may not always be. Hmm. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) But it was never...
I mean, and it wasn't... Well, are you speaking
a word this afternoon? EUGENE:
I'm not saying... Uh, so basically,
you're admitting that you were just lying? SHANTRELL: Right. EUGENE:
I wasn't lying... So you can sleep with her. Your Honor... No, no, no, no, now, don't try to clean
it up now. You said, you did
what you had to do to get what you wanted. EUGENE: No, I... Well,
I did say that, Your Honor. You were a married man. You're sleeping
with this girl, you approached her,
pursued her. Got into a
two-and-a-half-year... EUGENE: It was not
two-and-a-half years. It was two-and-a-half. I mean, she...
We did sleep
around for months, but it wasn't
two-and-a-half years. Two-and-a-half years,
and you said... How did your wife
find out? Ms. Davis told her
that she was pregnant and that she wasn't
going anywhere. She inboxed her
on Facebook which caused a lot of havoc
in my life as opposed to let...
Allowing me... You wasn't...
You wasn't gonna be a man. Uh, did it cause the havoc or did you cause
the havoc? SHANTRELL:
He did because... Right. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) EUGENE: Ms. Davis
immediately was like, "What... It doesn't matter
what nobody else think." "Oh, I ain't
going nowhere," Right. 'Cause you
lie down with me. You know, there was
this disposition that, "I've, I've got you now.
I've got you now." And that's the demeanor
I felt she had. It's like, "Oh,"
You know, "Ching, ching, "I've cashed in." When you say he as with you,
what do you mean? We started dating
and going out. Um, Valentine's day,
that's when I believe I conceived Aubree. We went to a room
and we had fun. He, on the other hand,
decides that... What... ...he wants to go
through my phone and he found
a little statement about me and a guy talking. EUGENE:
No, it's much more than that, Your Honor.
Let's, back it up a little. Yes, we did intend to plan Valentine's Day together. However, prior to us
going to the hotel, we got into a bit
of an altercation. I don't remember
the exact details. And my family
member's seen her being picked up
by another guy. That was my cousin... EUGENE: That she claims
to be her cousin. However,
it's a coincidence that while we
were at the hotel, she happen to be
taking a shower and I think I was using
her tablet for something. SHANTRELL: My phone. EUGENE: Maybe scrolling
on Facebook. And this guy
inboxes about meeting her again
and she's telling him, "Oh, I need
some more loving." I never slept with him. So to me,
saying more means that's it's
already happened. Um, and so,
we did not end up having a Valentine's Day
celebration because of course,
I was upset. How are you upset
if you weren't in a relationship
with her? SHANTRELL: Right! EUGENE:
Well, because... (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) Right. JUDGE LAKE:
Just asking. EUGENE: That's true.
I mean, I think more so, it was because
of just lying... I mean, you know Shantrell
was telling me, Ms. Davis, that she was not
with anybody else. So that's what led me
to believe. I never slept with anybody. Also, I had
spent my money. We are at this hotel,
I had went all out for her in hopes that I would have
a great ending that night. And so, it pisses me off
to see her... This guy saying
he wanted to have... SHANTRELL: We're not together. And so now,
I waste all this money. And then you're
telling me, "Okay," That, you know,
"I have a baby by you," When you're sleeping
with another guy. That's what
make me mad. I never slept with no one. So, and that is part
of what your doubt is as well because
after you saw those messages, then you said, "Well,
maybe she isn't just
sleeping with me." Did you have doubt
when she initially told you
she was pregnant? Absolutely. SHANTRELL:
No, you didn't. EUGENE:
I have a few doubts. Um, I think more so
the birth certificate
you know. I wasn't at...
I was at the hospital. You were? I were, not when the
birth certificate
was signed. Your Honor, I have...
I can show you. Is this the exhibit
you brought today? EUGENE: It is. I'd like to see it.
You can step over to the exhibit. Your Honor,
I'm no Einstein
or anything, but I'm educated
enough to know
my own birthdate. This is the birth certificate. Apparently,
she knew my name. This is the birth...
The birth date that's listed on Aubree's
birth certificate. My birthday is November,
the 9th, 1990. The one you wrote. But this says
11/11/1990. And you wrote it. EUGENE: I didn't
write anything. And also,
in the state of Florida um, because I was married,
I wasn't just supposed to go on her
birth certificate. There was supposed to be
a paternity established. I did not.
I believe that there was, um, you know,
she knew the young lady because when I got
the phone call that they needed
my information. There was a
lot of laughing and calling each other
by first name as if there was some type
of relationship. Like they may have knew
each other. SHANTRELL: No. Um... And so, that's what... SHANTRELL: No. JUDGE LAKE: So... He signed the
birth certificate
on his own. He was there. So it is your belief that
someone put your name on there and then got
your birthdate wrong, put it on there as well.
That they wrote it in. Absolutely.
That is my belief. Well, you don't forget
your birthday. EUGENE: I don't. You never signed
an affidavit or acknowledgement
of any kind? I wasn't there,
Your Honor. SHANTRELL: Yes, you was. It was a phone call asking
for my information. What information
were they asking you for? Your name
and your birthday? My date of birth, my social, where I was born,
the like information. Oh. EUGENE: Yeah. All right. You may step back
over to the podium. This is, uh, interesting. So, Ms. Davis,
did you know
the young woman in the hospital?
Were you all friends? SHANTRELL:
No, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: <i> You say, what,</i> <i>
this birthday issue</i> <i> is just a typo?</i> SHANTRELL:
It's that he wrote. JUDGE LAKE: Do you think he wrote his wrong birthday
on purpose? SHANTRELL: Right, and...
Because... What? No, Your Honor. When I seen it, when we got
the birth certificate, I let him know that he...
Whatever he signed, he signed it wrong. He was supposed to go
get it fixed. Before we even
conceived, you, you... That's all you asked
for was a baby, was another baby...
Was another baby. What? I have two children,
Your Honor, I didn't need
any more children. He wanted me
because of my body and he wanted a baby for me who kicked me. That is all I wanted,
Your Honor. Yes. Yes, you did. Oh, my goodness. So you're saying
now, he's, he's a married man
and he's asking you to have his child? SHANTRELL:
From day one. From day one
since he met me. If he was and you did, then why
isn't he with you? Why does he want
to get his wife back? (STUTTERING)
I have no idea. I mean, from my under... Because
it was just a sex that kind of went
a little too long. Two-and-a-half years,
I don't understand a thing. What I'm saying is
how did this all go wrong? EUGENE: I went
back to my wife. That's how
it all went wrong. Along with Ms. Davis not being able to be
with one person. He went back to his wife
when he found out about the Facebook. JUDGE LAKE:
Ah, got it. Got it. That's the
only reason why... So once you reached out to his wife,
told her you were pregnant... You're pregnant
or did you already have
the baby then? No, I was pregnant then. JUDGE LAKE:
You were pregnant? Mmm-hmm. Then he decided to go back
to his wife and that's when everything
fell apart? SHANTRELL: Right. Now, has he been there
for Aubree? At the beginning
he was, but now for instance, he wants to find out
about Aubree, no. EUGENE:
I have been there,
Your Honor. One of the reasons
I wanted to put
to an end to this, when we were
getting arguments,
"It's my child, "don't worry about her.
You ain't got to
worry about her." Because I have been
doing it all along. She hasn't. I have been
taking care of her by myself,
so why not? And when we get into it,
he steps away. No, when,
when we get into it, I'm not going to argue
with her and bicker and fight because over
the little semantics, the things that doesn't
make any sense, if I'm trying to be there
regardless and it
relates to Aubree... So you're spending
time with Aubree? SHANTRELL:
No. He doesn't. EUGENE: I was
in the beginning. In the beginning? SHANTRELL: Right,
in the beginning. But now she's almost
two years old. SHANTRELL: Right. EUGENE: Right. And I do see... I mean,
I see her occasionally. It was more so
because of the things that she was saying,
"This ain't your child. "You ain't got to worry
about her." I never told you that. EUGENE: She did,
in the heat of an argument
but she said it. All right, now.
So what about the child you have that's
very close in age... EUGENE: Mmm-hmm. ...with your wife...
Your ex-wife? EUGENE: Right. Are you very active
in that child life? EUGENE:
I have custody now. SHANTRELL:
They look identical. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. They don't. You're saying that... JUDGE LAKE:
You're saying Aubree
and that baby, the one's... That they
looked identical? They mistaken Aubree
for her at times. They look identical
to each other. EUGENE: They're both young. Good. And so,
with Aubree, why is it you
fell off then? You said in the beginning
you were very active and then... EUGENE:
It was because... I mean, it was new
and because, again, I'm not trying to run away
from our responsibility. Yes, you are. Me "falling off"
was Ms. Davis saying, you know, "You ain't got
to worry about her," You know,
when we get heated,
"This ain't your child," Not let me
get her because... She said it's not
your child? EUGENE: Because I didn't
want to be with her, not let me get her. I probably,
be like, you know, don't worry about her
but I never said that she's not his. EUGENE: She did. So the truth is,
you want your family back? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
And it sounds like
consciously or unconsciously, you've distanced yourself
from this child because you want
your family back. So honestly,
Mr. Wiggins, yeah, there's a lot
at stake for you. EUGENE: It is. I'm ready for the results. Jerome. Here you go,
Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Before I get
to these results, are you all
still involved? Yes. No, we're not,
Your Honor. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) No, we're not,
Your Honor! Since when? JUDGE LAKE:
At the same... At the same time... (SHANTRELL GIGGLES) ...two different
answers? Right. JEROME:
Exact same time. JUDGE LAKE:
When was the last time you two were intimate? EUGENE:
It's been a while. Last night. EUGENE: No. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) Your Honor,
we was at separate hotels, separate...
No, Your Honor, that's not true. And you made your way to my hotel. That is not true,
Your Honor. We did go to dinner,
Your Honor. And afterwards? I went to
my respective place and she went to hers. No, he came
to my room. Mr. Wiggins,
you look like you're lying. EUGENE:
No, because... (LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE) EUGENE:
No, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Your whole
body language changed. Non-verbal cues
just start cueing. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) SHANTRELL:
That's what he's good for. JUDGE LAKE:
You are under oath. When was the last time you were intimate
with Ms. Davis? I don't recall,
Your Honor. Last night. (AUDIENCE GASP) Last night. Please tell me
you used protection so we won't have
another case. SHANTRELL: Nope. JUDGE LAKE:
You did not use protection? The last time
we had intercourse, we did not use
protection. Have you learned anything, both of you? I have not to be
with someone like that. JUDGE LAKE: No,
you're still with him. Right, sleeping with him
but I'm not... Without protection? SHANTRELL: Right. I'm trying to learn.
It's, it's... No, no, no. (SHANTRELL CHUCKLES) JUDGE LAKE:
You're not trying to learn. I think she had her way,
she'll have another baby. SHANTRELL:
A what? And you just might give it to her... EUGENE: I won't. With your
lying yourself. (APPLAUSE) Mr. Wiggins, a lie... Ooh, it's all over you. And my concern is
here you are, I'm sure on the phone
with your wife trying to patch things
back together and... But at the same time,
you're still in the same relationship that destroyed your family. Right. JUDGE LAKE: All right. What kind of
condom-less community are we living in now? I mean, can you just
use a condom? He doesn't like them. Who, who... SHANTRELL:
That's his excuse. He doesn't. Uh... It ain't about
liking them. It's me.
It's my responsibility... It's about producing
little people, STDs. WOMAN: That's right. Hello? Right. JUDGE LAKE:
And ending up in <i> Paternity Court.</i> Right. Because somebody said
they don't like something. (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) These results
were prepared by DNA diagnostics
and they read as follows. In the case of<i>
Wiggins v. Davis,</i> when it comes to 23-month-old
Aubree Wiggins, it has been determined
by this court... JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Wiggins, you... Are the father. (AUDIENCE CHEERING
AND APPLAUDING) Ms. Davis,
what are you feeling? I've been going through this
for a long time, like, between him
and his wife, like... It's his child. SHANTRELL: Right. You are the father. EUGENE:
Yes, ma'am. (SHANTRELL SNIFFLING) You have
the clarity you need. I'm gonna take care
of my child. JUDGE LAKE: Good. That's all I asked. But you also have
to deal with this thing you all have. SHANTRELL:
Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
If it's true last night, you could be back
in here in within a year. You yourself say you chased
this little girl down, you said what
you needed to say, and I can only imagine the things you told her because you pretty much
admitted it in court today that you said
what you needed to say to get what you want. The problem
was she believed you. For two-and-a-half years. And she's still laying down
based upon those promises. Because that's the promises
he keep making. I can see what's
going on here. It's clear as a day. You're playing both sides
of the fence. WOMAN: That's right. Then you get mad when she go
confront your wife like you are,
uh, offended. (AUDIENCE LAUGHS) I mean, how do you
be offended when you are just offensive? WOMAN: That's right.
Yes. AUDIENCE: Whoo-hoo. And continuously committing
further offenses. If you're gonna try to put
your family back together, then do that,
leave her alone. (SOFTLY) Hmm. If he won't
leave you alone, Ms. Davis,
leave him alone. You're better than that. You deserve to be
somebody's wife. You understand? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
You're wife material. And you don't play
secondhand for nobody. SHANTRELL:
Yes, ma'am. Do you understand? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: You forced her in
in this game called life. All right.
We have counseling
and resources for you all. Take advantage of it. SHANTRELL:
Yes, ma'am. And stay out of the bed. Court is adjourned.
