Ms. Marks-McGhee,
you say the defendant needs to step up
and take responsibility, for your
two-year-old son Ahmari, because you know he is
your son's biological father.
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Wright, you claim
Ms. Marks-McGhee, didn't even tell you
about her baby, until he was
three weeks old, and you know
you are not the father. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. Wright,
why do you believe the plaintiff is claiming
you are the father? Well, I believe,
the other guy
she had in her life, didn't want anything
to do with her
or the baby anymore, so she decided
to push the baby
off on me. (AUDIENCE MUTTERING) Is that true,
Ms. Marks-McGhee? No, that's not true. I mean,
I did tell a couple lies,
play a mean game, however, I know that
Mr. Wright is Ahmari's father and I just want the truth
to be out. So that my son
can get to know his family and you know, be a part
of his family's life. JUDGE LAKE: So, tell me
what was the nature
of your relationship? Uh, the nature
of our relationship was, he was religious, supposed to be something
for me to get over
someone else, but things went further
than what they were
supposed to go... Oh, he was first
just a convenient distraction? MARKS-MCGHEE: In my mind, yes. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIM) WOMAN: Oh, okay. But, um, you know,
like I said, things went farther
than what they were
supposed to go. JUDGE LAKE: When you say
went further... I started getting
feelings for him. So, it was supposed to be
a rebound, then you start
having feelings for him. Real feelings. Mmm-hmm, yes ma'am. I mean, I didn't have
feelings in the beginning, because,
you know what I'm saying,
when I first met her, I was introduced to her
by a friend. In the beginning though,
she was telling a lot of lies, you know,
that I always
picked up on, you know? But, if you knew
she was lying,
why move in with her? (AUDIENCE MURMURS) WOMAN: Exactly. I was vulnerable. JUDGE LAKE: You were
vulnerable? (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) I was vulnerable. All right. Explain. (CHUCKLES) I was...
I had left for a minute
and came back... You know,
when I came back here
and I met her, you know what I'm saying,
I really didn't have anything. You had a place
in your life where you needed
somewhere to stay. I guess
you could say that. Okay. Was it a relationship, or was it,
"I'm just gonna
stay here for a while." What was the plan? Yes, it was
a relationship. And then at some point
you realize you're pregnant,
Ms. Marks-McGhee. Tell me what happened, um, Mr. Wright, when she told you
she was pregnant? Well, she always used to
joke around saying that
she was pregnant a lot, like she said it
plenty of times. Like she would joke
about it right now,
"No, I'm not pregnant." Then, "I'm pregnant."
to the point where... You just like,
now in the back of my mind, "Oh, she's always lying when
she's talking about that,"
you know. Me, being in my position
hearing that constantly, what would you think? So you moved out? Right. Okay. Apparently, she started
messing with somebody else. And, that's who
she tried to put
the baby off on. Oh, in the beginning
she told someone else
they were the child's father? In the beginning,
I told Mr. Wright,
he was the father, but the someone else
was the one that
I was trying to get over, by even starting anything
with Mr. Wright. Oh, so the ex,
came back in the picture. Right. Right. After Mr. Wright moved out. Right. But see,
he was away. Like, far away. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. And, you know,
after I found out that
I was pregnant, was when my ex came back, me and Mr. Wright
had no contact,
we weren't speaking, after I told him, you know,
I got rid of the baby, and I got re-pregnant
by someone else. Did you say re-pregnant? Yes ma'am. Yes ma'am. (AUDIENCE LAUGHS) so, you text... WRIGHT: I was like,
"Girl this guy's acting up." (JUDGE LAKE READING) Oh! (WRIGHT CHUCKLES) Then she says back, "Who?" Now, mind you... Females are smarter
than what people really
give them credit for... Now you know... (AUDIENCE LAUGHS) Well, Mr. Wright, I'm glad
you filled me in
on that today. (LAUGHTER CONTINUES) ...is that,
"What do you mean, who?" That's the first thing,
"Why you said who?" Who else? Like, who that...
Who's with... So, your spidey sense
is up now. Yeah. 'Cause if it was
only you, she would have
just responded. Right. JUDGE LAKE: Okay,
then what happened? So, I text back...
I was still in character
as her. <i> I text back,
"Who do you think?"</i> And I was just waiting,
I'm waiting... Just like, "Okay,
what is she about to say?
What is she about to say?" A whole different name
popped up, I was like... JUDGE LAKE: Who is that? WRIGHT: You see
how you looking right now?
I was stuck just like that. (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) I don't think
Ahmari's mine at all. JUDGE LAKE: You don't? No, ma'am. Tell me why? I mean, if you want to,
you can bring up,
I don't see him in me. Like, I don't see
me in him, like... He doesn't
look at all like me. It was just
too much going on, it was just...
It was just
too much going on, she was messing
with some other guy. You know?
And I just don't feel like
none of this add up. Even while...
Even after he was born,
you know? I tried to reconcile,
you know,
try to be around. She would disappear
all the time,
I couldn't find her. 'Cause she won't
answer the phone. She's never around.
Like, she says
she's at work. They say she never came in. But, she'll leave
with a full work uniform... No. There's never been a time
that I have
never went to work, because, like I said,
I was the one
paying the bills, paying the rents,
by naturally
taking care of my kids. So... How many children
do you have? Your Honor,
I wanna say this. I have five boys. She cut me off, you know? Five boys
at 24 years old. Yes, ma'am. (AUDIENCE MURMURING) JUDGE LAKE: In the case of<i>
Marks-McGhee v. Wright,</i> when it comes
to two-year-old
Ahmari Marks-McGhee, it has been determined
by this court, Mr. Wright, you... ...are not his father. (CHUCKLES) JUDGE LAKE:
What are you feeling,
Mr. Wright? I don't know
if this is a sad feeling or angry feeling that
I'm feeling right now. So, I was saying, he wasn't mine,
I did build the bond with him. JUDGE LAKE: Yeah. It's been two years. You know what?
Ain't nothing gonna change. Ain't nothing gonna change. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) That's still
my little boy. Ms. Marks-McGhee,
I have to ask you, do you know,
who Ahmari's
biological father is? Yes, Your Honor,
I do. Is it your ex? It has to be,
because they were
the only ones. Ms. Hillman,
you and your mother
are appearing today because you claim the defendant got you pregnant and has
since refused to do anything for your
13-month-old son, De'Marcus. You've petitioned the court
for a DNA test to prove that he is De'Marcus' father. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Mr. O'Neal, you say
you are 100% certain that you are not her son's
biological father and you plan
to prove it in court today. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Hillman, what type of
relationship does Mr. O'Neal
have with your son? Well, Your Honor,
he don't do nothing
for him. They don't have
no relationship together. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) Like when I hold him,
Your Honor, and my baby go
to reach for him, he ignore him. Does he provide
for the baby financially? No, he don't do nothing.
My mom and the baby's godmother is the one that actually helps
me with everything. And that's not right on
my son, because he didn't
ask to be here. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. O'Neal, you haven't done anything
for the baby? I got my doubts. I got my doubts. I ain't doing nothing
for the baby. So, you mean it. Nothing. No changing no diaper,
no pampers, no nothing. 'Cause I ain't gonna take care
of nothing that ain't mine. But that is yours. I done been through
that experience before. I ain't gonna be no dummy
two times. Oh, the last time you went
through it, it was not
your biological child? Yes, ma'am. But that ain't got nothing
to do with us, so... But I got my doubts. But you know that's your baby. I got my doubts. All right, so take... I want to understand. I mean,
Mr. O'Neal has admitted he is not doing anything
for this baby, and he means it. How did
your relationship start? Me and Mr. O'Neal, we met
through two mutual friends. The first night we met,
you know, we chilled
and all that. He told me
I was his girlfriend. He didn't ask me,
like, he told me,
he demanded that, "Okay, you're my girlfriend.
We're together." So, the second night me, him, and the same
two mutual friends, we got together and we chilled.
That's when I conceived
De'Marcus. Second night, though. JUDGE LAKE: So,
it was the second night... I had one made me wait
about two, three weeks. Don't say you weren't
attracted, 'cause the first
time me and you met, you sat in our car and
you begged, literally. You begged for it.
Don't try it. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) So, wait a minute. So, Mr. O'Neal,
what you're saying now is, you told her you wanted her
to be your girlfriend... Yeah. ...but now you say since she had sex with you
the second night after
she met you, you don't believe that
you're the only person
she was sleeping with. I think she was pregnant
before she met me. You said you caught her
with her ex and you saw
text messages? No, he didn't. He's lying. What did you see? "How you doin'?
What are you doing tonight?" "Oh, nothing." (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) "Can you come chill with me?" "Oh, my old man here." So, Mr. O'Neal, did you ever
physically catch her
with another man? Yeah, on her mom's porch. HILLMAN: Why is you lying? With her ex. Your Honor, let me
tell you what happened. And I looked that same night
and I think they laid around.
That's why I got my doubts. My three-year-old... JUDGE LAKE:
Tell me what happened. I'll give you a chance
to respond. I was in the front room
playing a game with
her cousin and it was about 10:00,
11:00. But I had walked on the porch and I seen her mama, her and her ex sittin' right here. And now all of a sudden,
"You want to come outside?" Why you even been
coming in and tellin' me? Mr. O'Neal, do you have
any reason to believe
that she was still having sex with her ex? I think he stayed
the night when I left. Marcus, don't do it. You know what, I'm just going
to say it like this. You was a deadbeat, and you
know that baby is yours. He look just like y'all. You should step up,
whether or not... If you wanted this,
why wait till he 13 months? You should have did it
in the beginning. The beginning! You should have
did it in the beginning. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Therefore, we wouldn't be going
through this right now. Me and my homeboy,
we were in the park, chilling. A random guy,
he walked by first,
he didn't say nothing. Walked by the second time,
and looked me up, and he was like,
"You Laneja's baby daddy?" I said, "Yeah, why? "What's the problem?" "Oh, that's my homeboy's baby.
Did she tell you that?" (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) Your homeboy, baby... His homeboy. Boy, cut it out. So, wait, Mr. O'Neal,
you were in the park with a friend, just hanging out
at the park and some stranger
walks by you and says, "Are you Ms. Hillman's
child's father?" You say, "Yes." With pride. With pride! But you say
he ain't yours though.
What is it, he is or he ain't? JUDGE LAKE: Was she pregnant
or was De'Marcus born
when this happened? She was... He was already born. So, at that time, you were
accepting him as your child? JUDGE LAKE: You told
the man yes. At the time,
until he got
a little older. JUDGE LAKE: And then
when he got older,
what happened? He started not looking like me. He prob... (VALARIE AND HILLMAN
SIGH IN EXASPERATION) You... Look at that. Now look at yourself
in the mirror.
He look like you, like all your family.
All of y'all got big eyes,
big lips, big nose. Look at the cheeks. He got bags
under his eyes just like you
and your mama. Tell the court. It ain't my child. And I say it is. JUDGE LAKE: And it seems like
that kind of bothers you
when you say that. VALARIE: Don't front. That baby look just like you. We'll find out. HILLMAN: We is gonna find out. So, listen, was Mr. O'Neal
there when the baby was born,
at the hospital? No, I was. O'NEAL: I was home. HILLMAN: He left me... Why be there when I got... When I had doubts! HILLMAN: Can I talk? Why be there at the hospital? So, he wasn't there to sign
the birth certificate? No, I got evidence right here. Let me see that.
Jerome, will you hand me
the evidence, please? Thank you. You're welcome. This evidence is De'Marcus'
birth certificate. And under "Father's name," <i> there is no father listed.</i> HILLMAN:<i> And Your Honor,
it's embarrassing.</i> <i> 'Cause like, when he
go to the doctor,</i> they look at me funny like, "Oh, just another person
who don't know
who their daddy is, "or their daddy wasn't there
to sign the birth certificate." That's embarrassing. That really is embarrassing. HILLMAN: That is. And he says he's so hurt.
No, I'm hurt because
you knew we was doing it. If you be faithful,
we wouldn't be
going through this. How are you going to talk about
somebody being faithful, when just a couple of days
before we came here, a female was sending
pictures to your phone. But you didn't tell that
to the court, now, did you? It doesn't feel good
when the shoe on
the other feet, eh? Child, boo and bye. So, wait a minute.
You all still dealing
with each other? Somewhat. Off and on. So you still see De'Marcus?
You see the baby? You just don't do anything... When I feel like it. JUDGE LAKE:
When you feel like it. HILLMAN: But he
don't do nothing. Because this is what
paternity doubts do...
This is nothing new. We see this all the time. When you meet
a man on a Monday, and you in the bed with him
on a Tuesday, you don't know him well enough. You don't know his intentions
well enough, you don't know his capabilities
of being a father well enough, you do not know whether he is
compassionate enough, you don't know his finances
well enough, and you don't know his
background well enough to know. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) VALARIE: Well, I... JUDGE LAKE: Hold on! You don't know any of that
information well enough to know how he's going
to respond in a situation like this. There's also
another point to this, is that he's never
been a father, and he may not
know how to be one, and he may not care to be one until he knows for certain. So there's a part
you play in this. So, as you say to him
he's a deadbeat,
he's a this, he's a that... You're 20 years old, having sex in your mother's house.
I got a problem with all that. 'Cause, mom,
what that lets her know is that's okay. Hold up, Your Honor,
because the same kids that he said is not his,
he's been raising them kids. JUDGE LAKE: But, listen... Doing for them. But this is the point
I am making. You are
so angry at him and you have a right to be. But you also have to identify the ways in which you could
have changed your behavior so it doesn't happen again. You got another baby, right? An older baby, right? And then
you have De'Marcus, right? How many kids do you have? VALARIE: He do
for the older one. I have two, but... He do for the older one. He'll help me
with my oldest son.
But not him. Because he knows
that child is not his. Don't you all see his logic? As flawed as it may be, he will do something
for the older child that he knows is not his because he's not going to
get attached to that child the way he may get attached
to De'Marcus. VALARIE: What? You're not understanding
the logic. Listen... But Your Honor, he gets
attached to the two
that he knows for a fact that it's not his. That's what I just said,
which is proof you're
not listening. I just said that. But what I'm saying to you
is as a young woman, I don't want this to happen
to you again. So what I'm saying to you
is you got to look at this. That's how we learn
our lessons in life. You got to live it. You've seen it now, "I done laid down with a man,
14 years older than me,
at my mother's house, "had sex, let him have fun..." No. When they first lay down,
it was not at my house. But what I'm saying, you said
you know this because you said,
"They were in my house, "hunching all the time." Wait. That was after. When they
first did it, they was
over his people's house. HILLMAN: We was
living together. JUDGE LAKE: Listen. Listen, that's fine,
but even at the time that you were at your mother's
or wherever you may be, you did not know him
well enough. In the case of<i>
Hillman v. O'Neal,</i> when it comes to one-year-old
De'Marcus Hillman, it has been determined
by this court, Mr. O'Neal, you... Are the father. (VALARIE LAUGHING) Can I see him? JUDGE LAKE: You're the father. You did all that. Can I see him? Ms. Hillman, would it be okay if Mr. O'Neal saw his son? That's fine. I'm happy. JUDGE LAKE: You look happy. I'm so happy, I want to cry. Can I say something,
Your Honor? All I want him to do is step up and help. I don't care if it's a pamper, a wipe,
a lotion, just... Help a little bit. Can he see his son
in my chambers? Yes, ma'am. Wonderful. I will meet you
all there. Court is adjourned. Miss Lee, you have
come to court today
with one goal in mind, to prove to Mr. Green that he fathered
your 3-year-old son,
Kingston. You say, Mr. Green
has denied your son from the moment
you got pregnant. But today,
his denial will end,
is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
Mr. Green, you say you know exactly who
Kingston's father is, and it's not you. It's Miss Lee's sugar daddy,
who's more than twice her age. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) So, Miss Lee, you say
Mr. Green is denying Kingston. MISS GREEN: Yes, ma'am. Explain. Mr. Green has been
denying my child
since day one. He's been denying him
for three years. He has never came around
like he's supposed to. I have to call, I have to do so much
to get this man into my child's life. But at the end of the day,
I just want him to step up. And Kingston is
three years old? Kingston's three.
He just turned three
June 3rd. So this has... MISS LEE: And he
didn't do nothing
for his birthday either. I tried
to meet her
half-way, but her attitude
is just... My attitude has
nothing to do with you stepping up
for your child. It's messed up. I tried to
reach out to her
several times, but she don't want
to meet me
in the middle. She's always giving me
some run-around excuse, other excuse...
You know what I mean?
It don't make sense. JUDGE LAKE: And so,
you're saying, Mr. Green, even though
you have doubt, you still have
made an effort,
in your mind. In some way. I tried
to meet her half-way as far as, you know,
taking the DNA test
and things like that. But at a point,
me and her
was talking, it was back and forth.
We was never
in no stable relationship. She knew I had
a girlfriend already. (AUDIENCE GASPING) MR. GREEN: She tried to
break me up from that. And I told her... He moved into my home. So, if I tried
to break him up, why are you
in my home? MR. GREEN:
Your Honor, she knew
I had a girlfriend. She even tried
to call my girlfriend. He knew he had
a girlfriend,
so, that's his problem. She knew it too. That ain't got nothing
to do with me. That ain't got nothing
to do with me. So, how did you explain
to your girlfriend you live in the house
with Miss Lee? Oh, he couldn't.
I called her. She did. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) Oh! MISS LEE: From his phone. So, yeah, I called the girl. Woke him out of his sleep,
and made him start talking. And then let him know
that she was on the phone until the end
of the conversation <i> to let her know,
"Hey, your dude's over here,
and I'm pregnant."</i> <i>You know, it is what it is.</i> JUDGE LAKE:<i> Whoa!</i> So, in your mind,
you knew you weren't really
in a relationship with him, but you thought, he was
trying to play both sides. Right. Before I got there, she had already was... She told me she was
back and forth
between some other dude. She didn't know
if he was his
or mine at first. Okay, wait, wait, wait. MISS LEE: I slept
with another dude.
Yes, I did. I slept with another dude
one time with a condom. And only one time, there's no two men
wanting to do nothing. So at the end of the day,
yes, I did go out. MR. GREEN: Your Honor,
she's on Facebook making crazy posts
talking about
who want who? "Who out here
got the best D?" And talking
about other men's
stuff like that. Wait, you got... MR. GREEN: Your Honor,
I got evidence right here. JUDGE LAKE: Oh, let me see
this evidence, Jerome. MISS LEE: Oh, he's
just saying... (SCATTERED LAUGHTER) JUDGE LAKE: You've
submitted to the court Facebook post from
Miss Lee that say, (JUDGE LAKE READING) (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) MISS LEE:
That's a question. That was recently. That's not when
King was born in 2015. Okay, and you
submitted another... And you submitted
another question. (JUDGE LAKE READING) MISS LEE: I wanna know
who got it. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) MR. GREEN: Come on now. I'm single. I'm single. MR. GREEN: She's advertising... I wanna know who got it. MR. GREEN: I don't know
who she's with. Me and her were just
friends with benefits. So, you find out
you're pregnant. What happens?
Do you tell him immediately? When I found out
I was pregnant,
I took a pregnancy test. And I told him
that I was pregnant. And then, I guess
he didn't believe me, so he took me
to the clinic. And, hmm,
they told him
I was pregnant. That paper don't lie. So, when he found out,
he denied right then
and there. She also had
some old dude
she was talking to, paying for the baby shower, he buys her
clothes and stuff, who does that
for nothing? He knew.
That was my father. MR. GREEN:
That was your father? MISS LEE: Listen,
when I came out...
I ain't gonna lie. I had came out
of my sugar daddy's
car one day. So, you do have
a sugar daddy? Yeah! I've got me
a good sugar daddy. My sugar daddy's
been there for 10 years, have never, ever
left my side. I would
never leave him. He come way before this. (AUDIENCE WHOOPING) MISS LEE: We'd never
had sex before. You know, he might
want some pictures.
(CHUCKLING) MR. GREEN: But... But, um... Oh! MISS LEE: Hey, pictures,
and something else
is totally... Sex and pictures are
totally different. So, yeah, I sent pictures. This sugar daddy paid
for the baby shower too? Baby shower,
he buys clothes for him, he does everything. Where were you?
You ain't bought nothing. You should be surprised
another dude is
doing something. Hmm. You should be happy,
applaud him. MR. GREEN: You know what,
Your Honor? On top of that, I knew her
three years
prior to this, She told me,
since I know her, she could never get pregnant
because she had a hernia. And so, all of a sudden,
you pop up pregnant. You're like,
where did this come from? And he believed it though. I did tell him that. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) Miss Lee! No, it must be God.
Hello. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) JUDGE LAKE: But now, Kingston
is three years old. Why have you not asked
for a paternity test before? I mean, I have,
several times. Your Honor,
I got a chart
right here. This is an exhibit
that you brought? MR. GREEN: Yes, ma'am. Please, step over, and show me what this says. Please do. All right, first of all,
he was born in June 3rd. I went to the hospital, I asked the hospital,
"Can we get a DNA test
done or whatever?" So few days later,
going back, she's telling me,
"Oh, it's too soon
for him to come outside. "He was just born,"
and this and that. She refused right then,
Your Honor. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) I refused 'cause
he was a day old. Here comes November.
I'm still asking. I'm like, "Okay, cool,
I wanna see him. "Let's go ahead and
get the DNA results done." "Oh, I'm all the way
out here in Douglasville. "I don't have a ride.
You gotta come get me." I'm like, "Why do I have
to come get you? Why you can't
meet me half-way?" So refused then,
Your Honor, too. MISS LEE: I have
text messages... JUDGE LAKE:
And another refusal. MR. GREEN:
Yeah, another refusal,
Your Honor. Then comes June 3rd, it's just being going on
for me, and "What's up
with the DNA testing?" "Oh, I lost
his birth certificate. "You need to buy
another one." I said, "Hold on. "Why would I give something
for something that you lost? "It don't make sense.
That's your responsibility
to get it." He's your child. MR. GREEN: You're supposed
to keep up with it. That was his birthday.
She refused again. JUDGE LAKE:
Kingston's three,
refused again. Refused again. So, this was the last time
right here in 2017. When it got to that point,
she's telling me, "I'm about to go
out of town soon, "I'm fitting to go
leave the state." She kept playing around
for the whole time. At that point, I was like,
"I'm done with you. "I did most
of what I could do." JUDGE LAKE:
So June 3rd, 2017... She refused every time. Again. MR. GREEN: Down the road,
she refused every time. So you're saying, Miss Lee,
you're comfortable to...
This isn't just about... "And I still wanna
be with him," this is, "I want my child to have
his father in his life, "I don't care
if I have to
cook the food, "bring the clothes, "get him over there to you..." Yes, Your Honor. That's how badly
I want my son
to have a relationship. MISS LEE: My other son
don't have that. The one that he babysat almost the whole relationship
we were talking, he nannied my child. So at the end of the day,
if he can do that with him, you should be
able to do that
to your own child. That's the thing
that's getting to me. So you're saying,
while you worked, he took care
of your oldest child. Oh, he did. Oh, he did,
and he did
a very good job. So I know he's capable
of being a father. He knows what I've
been through. Me, I've been
raised up in foster care,
you know what I'm saying? So, to have only... To only have two kids, where don't have a father,
but one lives 10 minutes
up the street from me... He lives up the street. We live in the same area. JUDGE LAKE: It has been
determined by this court, Mr. Green, you are the father. (APPLAUSE) Told you! I told you! Look at him. Look at him! Three years. You are the father. MISS LEE: Oh, my God. Whoo! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. But you ain't
got nothing to say, do you? No apology?
No nothing? I apologize.
I'm sorry. That's who
you need to
apologize to. At the end of the day,
that's it. (APPLAUSE)
