Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Brown v. Jones.</i> Thank you Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Brown you claimed
the defendant
got you pregnant, and now refuses to do
anything for your two
month old daughter, Journey, leaving you in
financial distress. You claim today's
DNA test will prove
that he is Journey's father, and you need him
to step up and help
you support your baby. Is that correct? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Jones,
you say you are 100% certain, you are not her child's
biological father, and have evidence
to support your claim.
Is that correct? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: So, Ms. Brown,
you said his paternity denial has left you in
financial trouble? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
Explain to the court. Since she
was born, you know,
I have a hard time, like, taking care
of her financially
on my own. I had a job.
Currently not able to work
because of my baby. I've called him,
"Ryan, she needs..." You can't work, why,
because you can't
afford child care? I have no one
to keep her, I'm in this
alone by myself, I have no support,
it's always been
hard on me. I'm like,
"What you want
me to do? "Rob a bank?" Should I go out
and steal
diapers again? You want me
to get arrested,
again? You know, it's very... Again? MS. BROWN: Again, yes. What happened? Times are hard.
I have no family
I can depend on. You know, I have to get it on my own,
so, therefore if my kids
don't have I have to go to a store if they need milk,
clothes, shoes,
I have to go steal... Oh, no ...to provide. So, when I call him... No, Ms. Brown
you don't have to. That's a crime. It is. JUDGE LAKE: And if you
commit crimes, you get put in jail, prison. And then who's
gonna watch
your children? You don't ever
have to do that. Do you understand me? <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> So, you were already
arrested for that? Yes, ma'am. So, to prevent myself
from going down
that road again, I've called him. My baby's wrapped
up in towels for three
days, Mr. Jones, so, my baby needs
diapers now. Mr. Jones you
haven't helped with
the baby at all? Recently, I have
moved, changed states, so, I haven't been able to provide for
her and the baby
as I should. But she chose to be
in South Carolina, instead of the state
that I'm in. She's in that situation
because she chose
to stay there. So, wait a minute,
you're admitting that you
haven't done much for Journey? Yes, ma'am. And you know that
this child needs diapers,
needs milk... Yes, ma'am. ...to survive. Yes, ma'am, I do. But you haven't
done anything. I mean I have done small, you know what I'm saying,
as much as I can give. Do you acknowledge
that you are
a potential father? Yes, but I believe
I'm not. I'm more on the
95% that I'm not. Because there's 5%
because I did have a
sexual relationship with her, so, I'm not denying
the whole thing, but because of her
behavior and because
of the things she does and things she says,
makes me believe that... And then she got
a baby daddy to take
care of her. So, what was
the nature of
this relationship? Take me back. I wanna understand
this relationship. Okay, um, I had just moved
with my cousin
to North Carolina. I had met her
at work and she had
a boyfriend. You know, so, I... Chased me. ...took her from him. Okay, chased,
took, got her
from him, literally, from one house to another. You know, and then, before we could
really get to know
each other, it was... She's pregnant. You know... So, you said you
were having sex... MR. JONES: Yes, ma'am. ...and you were
living under the same roof? Yes, ma'am. You know one another? I mean, no, no, no, no. So, I mean, if you were
having sex,
you knew her. MR. JONES: Yeah. (MS. BROWN CHUCKLES) I knew her enough
to have sex but not
to know that she was, you know, kinda off. I didn't
know all that
in the beginning. Was this relationship,
a committed relationship
Ms. Brown? In the beginning we were just, like I said, I was
just leaving out
of a relationship. You know, like I told him,
I don't plan on
dealing with you until I'm completely done with my relationship
that I'm in, like,
no turning back. I completely... No, you didn't, you went
from one house to another. How are you trying
to explain our relationship...
I completely... ...when you come from
one room to another?
That's not close, is it? I completely left my last
relationship before I had
any dealings with Mr. Jones here. The same day? (CHUCKLES) Mr. Jones,
like I said,
he chased me. You know, when I finally
left, like, no turning back
to my last relationship, I'm like, turning back,
no phone calls, no texts. Me and Mr. Jones, you know,
we waste no time, like,
we got straight to it, like, we move together. It was just me and him,
every day, all day,
even at work. We even worked together. So, how soon after this,
did you get pregnant? In about two weeks,
Your Honor... It was, I was... About two weeks. About two weeks and then
I came home from work
and it was a surprise! And I'm like, "Hold on,
we haven't even
went through the first..." You know... It had not been two weeks. I went to the emergency
room and they
did the ultra sound and I was like,
"Do you guys know
how far along I am?" They were like,
they can't tell because you know,
it was kinda just
the beginning, but they gave me
the estimated due date
of May 29th. So, it was like, you know,
"Follow up with your doctor." So, I had to find
a doctor, you know and I found a doctor,
went to the doctor. He was there
asked questions,
you know... When was the conception date? They said September the 4th. MR. JONES:
Don't mean nothing,
you could... The weekend before
you came over
to my house, it could... That's the same time,
that's what I'm saying. You went from one
house to another, so, how am I
supposed to say that that's my child? Mr. Jones,
it's your assertion that since she went from
her ex's house
to your house, that it could
potentially be
her ex's child? Yeah, that was the big issue. And, at first, I was
okay with that. Like I said, I'm an
older man, you know. I'm almost 40. A little boy. I'm almost 40 messing
with a little girl. So, I got
caught up
and I... Hey, I got my hand
caught in a cookie jar,
I can't change that. You know, it was
always what if, and this person here,
this friend here and this guy pop-up
and she's going
to daddy's house... MS. BROWN:
Because you don't
do nothing for my child. The only guy you're
talking about is a
friend I have financially, that helps me, because... MR. JONES: A friend... ...he don't do nothing. A friend, it's just
too many friends. You know? When she told you
she was pregnant, did you initially doubt? He told me I was pregnant. We was in the house
one day and I was like,
"I'm tired, I'm sleepy." He was like... Yeah, I knew! He said, "You're pregnant." I said, "No, I'm not,
no I'm not." Like, there is a day... So, the next day... ...when I thought
she had a pouch
on her stomach, I thought it was
from drinking beer. The next day... She was already... The next day
I went and took
a pregnancy test, and it came back positive,
so, I went to his
cousin's house. And I was like,
"Oh my gosh,
I'm pregnant." So, you said
she was showing
quickly for you. You said you turn around
and she was showing,
which made you feel like, she had gotten
pregnant before. Yeah, I just had intuition.
It's like something
told me that, and then all
of the sudden,<i> voila!</i> (CHUCKLES) I'm like, "Well, damn,
was I right? "Did she come here like this?" Then she kept
adding stuff on top of the garbage
to make me believe. JUDGE LAKE: Added what? MR. JONES: The friends,
the text messages, the way she talked
about the child. So, you see text messages? Yes, ma'am. And you think she's already
pregnant when she comes
to live with you? Yes, ma'am. That's the basis
of your doubt? MR. JONES: Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: All right,
I want to hear from
your witness, Mr. Jones. Please stand, ma'am,
step up to the podium. State your name. My name is Jamila Cross. JUDGE LAKE:
Ms. Cross, thank you for
joining us today, you are? His cousin,
I'm his first cousin. JUDGE LAKE:
Mr. Jones's first cousin, what do you know
about this situation? MS. CROSS: She told me
she was pregnant
and I told her, she didn't know
if she wanted
to keep the baby, so, I was like,
if you're not going
to keep the baby, I suggest you not
tell him 'cause he
wants a baby. He's about to be 40 soon
and he wants a baby,
he hasn't had a baby. And she told me that,
she don't know
who the baby daddy is. (SCOFFS) Lie. (SCOFFS) I have... Let me see that,
please, Jerome. She wants to give
the baby up
for adoption. I said "You can't
do that without
his signature." This is a text message,
conversation? MS. CROSS: On Facebook, yes. JUDGE LAKE:<i>
Oh, so, on Facebook.</i> MS. CROSS:<i> Yes.</i> JUDGE LAKE:<i>
"How you sign those papers
without his signature?</i> <i> "I Googled that,
you can't do that.</i> "Bye, crazy lady." Shake my head. The response, "I definitely
didn't need his signature "nowhere on that paper work,
I don't know who her dad is." Yeah, I said that, just to shut them up like, I don't need... You're not shutting nobody up. Every time she said that
during the whole pregnancy. You're not shutting nobody up. Well, Ms. Brown,
let's keep it real,
I mean, that doesn't shut
anything down.
That opens everything up. No, it didn't-- Conversation, doubt... That opens up doubt. Okay, if this is my child,
why am I not on the
birth certificate? Was you there? Was you there, Ryan?
Did you even... Was you making
it able for him
to be there? How could I
make it able for
a man to be there, when this man tell me
he is not allowed to come because he just
started a new job? 'Cause she's playing
all day! "I just started a new job. "I don't wanna leave my job." She's playing. I'm not gonna keep
taking days off,
I just got the job. MS. BROWN: You never took
a day off. It don't matter. Just got it! She wants me
to take days off, two, three weeks
ahead of time,
she want, just drop, "Oh, I'm going
to the hospital." I need you to be sure! And then, when she did
go to the hospital, she waited till the baby
was here to call me. Listen. (SIGHS) You're indicating that
you would have been there
for the birth of the child, but you got a new job? Yes, ma'am. Ms. Brown you're saying
he hasn't done anything, you don't even thing
he wanted to be there? Clearly. We all could have
helped her. JUDGE LAKE:
Journey is two months old? Two months. JUDGE LAKE:
You're saying to date,
hasn't done anything? Hasn't done nothing,
never seen her, only thing he's got
was pictures and... I never did nothing? And sometimes... Through Facebook
or even over the phone, you know, he get to call
and hear her voice. Something is better
than nothing,
believe that. JUDGE LAKE: What have
you done, Mr. Jones? I mean, like I said,
all together
I might have sent... Maybe 100, 125. (LAUGHS) MR. JONES: See, I knew
she was gonna do that. Obviously,
you're saying,
that's a lie? MS. BROWN: That's a lie! Nothing, I ain't even
got a receipt. I'll started
to bring receipts, Your Honor. I wish you would've
'cause this is
a court room. MR. JONES: Yeah, 'cause
it would've shut her up because like I said,
it wasn't much, it was, 25, 30 here,
when she's, "I got no diapers,
I ain't got no milk." He don't do nothing. MR. JONES: Your Honor,
one time when she
did come out, we're supposed
to take a DNA test, and like, 2:00
she had call me... Mr. Jones is this
what you're about
to testify to? Is this the timeline
you submitted to the court? Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: All right,
go ahead, let me look at it. Okay, so, I say about roughly,
2:30 we was talking, <i> going back and forth
about me coming
to do the DNA test</i> <i> and she had
a rental car
at that time.</i> So, come, 4:15, 5:00, I go to where
I think she's at. JUDGE LAKE:<i> Okay.</i> <i> So, I call her, I call her,</i> <i> I call her 15 times,</i> <i> ten texts,</i> from 4:15 to at least 4:30,
I'm sitting there
waiting on her. JUDGE LAKE:
At the DNA testing facility? No, no, we had
a home DNA test. JUDGE LAKE: Oh, okay,
so, you're waiting for her to come over? MR. JONES: Yes. We was going
to do the mail in. I waited to a bit after 4:45, <i> maybe 5:00.</i> <i> No answer from
Ms. Brown, no text back,
no nothing.</i> Come 10:00 that night, here come Darrissa. <i> I was asleep.</i> <i> I gave the baby a bath
and fell asleep.</i> <i> My phone...</i> MS. BROWN:<i> Lies...</i> ...because she had
every excuse but... Lies, lies, lies. How is that lies? Lies, Your Honor.
(CHUCKLES) MS. BROWN: What happened? What happened Ms. Brown,
he said... I came, I wasted my... Oh, my gosh,
I wasted my
time, basically. I went and got a rental car, like, to just go ahead
and get this, before we came here,
to go and get this out
of the way, so, he can step up and be a man. You know, and help me
with our child. I go, I get the DNA test,
the home DNA test, I drive to Charlotte. You know, I'm up
in Charlotte
for like, three days. "All right, Mr. Jones,
I'm here, "you come to where I'm at. "I'm at my daddy's house,
you know where he lives." You went to your dad's,
you're a liar. MS. BROWN: So, he never comes. So, I go get a room, where we stayed at
once upon a time, you know, I was like, uh,
I'm at the place where we use to live
with the full kitchen
and stove and refrigerator, and two beds. Okay, okay. MS. BROWN:
I'm waitin', I'm waitin'. "Call me when
you get outside." Phone never rung. Phone never rung.
So, I call him. "Where you at?
Where you at? "Where you at?"
"I'm here, I'm still
in the same place." "You're in the
parking lot?" I walked
outside the parking lot, I don't see him. So, then his cousin
called me, and her words were,
"We was going to come
but you didn't answer." I'm like, "So, you all
never showed up. We went to the wrong place. You all never came. MR. JONES: We weren't at the
right place... So, wait a minute.
So, when you
got the ride, you're saying
now you went
to the wrong place? Yeah, 'cause I didn't know.
Like I said, I just moved
to North Carolina, so, I didn't know... He said he was
calling you. Did you
get his phone call? Ryan did not call me. (SIGHS) Somebody's lying. Mmm-hmm. JUDGE LAKE: Were you
trying to call him? I called him one time. "You're outside?
Where you at?" At 10:00.
She... (STAMMERS) She tell on herself,
she lie so much,
she trip over words. She... JUDGE LAKE:
Okay, well, wait a minute, was it 10:00 Ms. Brown? MS. BROWN: I don't remember
the exact time, I just know I told him
he need to hurry up... Okay, wait, remember this, I told him to hurry up
and get here because... why ain't my name
on the birth certificate? I told him he need to hurry up
and get here... Remember this. Because you're not there! You're not a man!
You wanna be a little boy. You wanna stay with your mama. You don't wanna
do nothing
for your daughter. I wanna stay with my mama? Exactly, you don't
wanna do nothing. You wanna keep on doing
what you're doing. Why you up there lying? Ain't no lying nothing. I don't know my mama,
why is you lying? (MS. BROWN CHUCKLES) Death gonna strike you, I'm telling you,
you better watch out. Listen! Ms. Brown,
Mr. Jones... This isn't getting
us anywhere. No, ma'am it's not. It's not. One thing I wanna know
is if that's my child. And that's what I have,
the results are here. MS. BROWN: Thank you. Thank you, Lord. Jerome, the envelope, please. Here we go. Thank you. You're welcome. These results were
prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows... In the case of<i>
Brown v. Jones,</i> when it comes
to two month old, <i> Journey Brown,</i> it has been determined
by this court. Mr. Jones, <i> you are her father.</i> MS. BROWN: Thank you. What? MS. BROWN:
Thank you, thank you. Congratulations.
(CHUCKLES) MS. BROWN:
Thank you, like, thank you,
Your Honor,
thank you. JUDGE LAKE: What do you
feel in this moment,
Ms. Brown? Like, I'm relieved,
I'm happy. Hopefully,
he can step up, get people out
of his ear, face reality. How's it feel, Mr. Jones,
to know you have
a beautiful little girl? I'm happy, I'm scared,
I'm happy, I'm excited, um... I appreciate the fact
that you stood there
and just said "I'm happy and I'm scared." 'Cause there's nothing
wrong with that. And so, now, I want you
to channel all those emotions
that you have into her. Do you understand? Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: All right,
I wish you the best of luck. Court is adjourned. MS. BROWN: Thank you. Ms. Brown! I'd like to see you
in my chambers. Yes, ma'am. Now, Ms. Brown, during
your testimony, you testify to the fact
that you had been so in need, that you had
to steal diapers. And you were
arrested for that. That really bothers me
because I don't want any woman
to ever think, that it is appropriate, to go out and commit
crimes and steal, when you don't have
for your child. And so, I have
something for you. Okay. All right? Jerome's
gonna bring it in. JUDGE LAKE: This is for you. Thank you. That should cover for you
for a little while, until we can get
everything on track. Okay.
