Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Brown v. Washington.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Miss Brown. you claim the defendant
got you pregnant, then used allegations
of promiscuity to deny he fathered
your four-year-old son, DeAndre Gray Jr. You have petitioned
the court for a DNA test, to prove that he is
his biological father. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Washington, you claim you need
today's DNA results because you were recently
ordered to pay support for a child who is
another man's junior, and you know you are
not the father. Is that correct? Yes. So, Miss Brown,
you say you are fed up because Mr. Washington
has denied your son for four years. Yes. Tell the court. Yes, Your Honor, I'm fed up because my son
is four years old and I am a single parent,
and I'm raising my son
on my own. <i>I don't have no support
at all.</i> <i>Birthdays, Christmas,
holidays, wherever.</i> Mr. Washington sees
my son and don't even
acknowledge the boy. Look how handsome
my son is. Everywhere I go,
everybody say
how handsome he is, and that hurts inside
of me as a single parent that don't have
no support system. No help, no anything. And I'm tired of it.
Four years, I mean,
it's terrible. And he needs
to be a parent. Four years, Mr. Washington? Your Honor,
I do not believe DeAndre is my son at all. Okay? BROWN: You're a liar. And what's really
frustrating is, having to go to court
in Michigan and paying all this money
for a kid that I know
isn't mine. <i> Especially, seeing
the situation...</i> JUDGE LAKE: So, you say
you know definitively that DeAndre is not
your biological child. You know that? Yes. I know it. You have no doubt
in your mind? No doubt. And, so how can
you be so sure? Terrieyana has done a lot. And I'm not
the only guy that
she's been dealing with, and that's how I know
that he is not my son. Your Honor,
she is a sendoff. Once I found out... BROWN: And what did... Wait a minute,
what's a sendoff? BROWN: And what are you? Your Honor, once we started
hanging out and I found out
how she truly was, that's when I decided I really
don't want to be dealing
with this woman. No. What is a sendoff? I have never heard this. Have you heard this, Jerome? JEROME: No, never. Someone's who will say,
"Oh, well, we're gonna
hang out today, and this and that,
and get you all ready, and you're prepared to go
hang out and spend time
with this person, and then they never show up. It's another term
to say a person that tells you something
and never follows through on
what they say they gonna do. Oh, no follow through.
Send off. Right, you sent me off.
Sent me up the rift. But you're with another
female, so you don't
answer the phone. JUDGE LAKE:
Oh, so you're saying... Other females? Well, let me understand this. You're just talking
or whatever... WASHINGTON: Right. ...and you say you began
to see these "send off"
moments happening where you say, okay,
let's do this tonight. She agrees, next thing you know,
she'll never show,
and disappear. WASHINGTON: Exactly. And what would
happen is, because I live
in Illinois, so she would come
out there, you know, once she got a little
money or whatnot, she'd come out there,
and we'd hang out
or whatnot, and then that's when
I really found out exactly why I was
being sent off. See, it wasn't just me
she was coming
out there to see. BROWN: You lie. You lie. You're lying, you're lying.
He lying. Your Honor, it got to
the point to where when I rolled with her
to the gas station... He lying. ...every guy that was there
was walking up to the car. You are lying. They know me. I'm in the car... (BOTH TALKING AT ONCE) While I'm in the car,
saying, "Hey, check it out." You're lying. I'm sitting in the car,
so what do you mean
"Check it out"? You're lying. How did I get drunk? Shut up. Who bought the alcohol? Me, 'cause you ain't
had no money. Came all the way
from Michigan to buy me... My point. My point. JUDGE LAKE: Whoa! ...to buy me alcohol.
Me and plenty of
other gentlemen. BROWN: Whatever. You... All right! You had no money when
you came out of town. I didn't need money. Hold on, hold on. You never have one. Let's get some order. Let's get some order.
I want to understand this very interesting
testimony. (FAINT LAUGHTER) Hmm. I want to understand. So, Mr. Washington,
just to be clear, and to recap, you started dating
Miss Brown, and you said you felt
like she was
inconsistent sometimes, you didn't understand why, until she came
to visit you. You were riding with her
to a gas station
and realized that all the men there
knew her, and were basically
trying to say, "Hey, what's up with you?"
And it triggered something where you felt like, "Oh, this young woman
is dating other people, or also being intimate
with other people as well." Exactly. Miss Brown, I want to give you
a chance to respond, 'cause those are
strong allegations
about a young woman. He says you were
sending him off. He says that you were
with multiple men, when you were also
with him. When you found out
you were pregnant,
who did you tell? Um, I called Mr. Washington
when I was in the hospital. And at the time I was
in the hospital, he claimed he was
at a job. Which he never had a job. So you're at the hospital
getting the pregnancy test? Yes. They tell you,
"Miss Brown, "we've determined
that you're pregnant." Yes. The first thing you do
is call Mr. Washington. Yes. You say what? I say, "Hey Ryan,
I'm pregnant." And he said, "What?" I said, "You heard me,
I'm pregnant." He said, "Miss Brown,
I ain't got time to talk
to you right now." And I said, "Why not?
This is your child." And he said,
"How do you know that?" And I said,
"Because, you goofy, "I've been having sex
with you... (LAUGHTER) "...since September
and October." And I said, that was like
two or three times
a week with him. And when I conceived
and went to the hospital, and they told me
I was pregnant... It was not... Yes, we were.
Yes, it was! Stop lying. It was not two or three
times a week, Your Honor. One-night stand? No. And when she told me
she was pregnant, she was not
in the hospital. I was six weeks pregnant. She was not
in the hospital. Yes, I was. When she told me
she was pregnant, it was almost too late. No, it wasn't. And then at that point,
that's what made me
have the doubt. And I said, "Well,
the whole neighborhood
knows you, "so how can you be so sure
that I'm the one that
got you pregnant?" You're lying. So, hold on,
Mr. Washington, I want to understand
this assertion. You're saying, when she
told you she was pregnant, you immediately said
you weren't the father because you knew
of other men, and you said the whole
neighborhood knew? Yes, ma'am. We had
all been talking. He's lying. Everybody knows her. Didn't nobody know
I was pregnant
but my mom and you. Everybody knows
from that area. No. If you want more episodes
of Paternity Court Make sure to subscribe
and click on
the notification bell. I could go to a gathering
and she would show up. I would get wind
that she showed up. And there it is,
we started talking, I said, People know me. "Man, you know her, too?" "Oh, yeah, you know,
we was doing
this and that." Your Honor, she called me
and told me, No, you're lying. she was on her way
to my house. I was standing with
my family member
at that time. And she says,
"Well, we gonna hang out." When she pulls up, she pulls up with
one of my friends
driving her car. She's sitting in the back seat
of her own car... You're lying. ...he in the front, drinking, and she's sitting
in the back seat. I said,
"What's going on here?" You're lying. BROWN: You're lying. So, hold on. She's pulling up with
my friend in the car,
at my house, with him driving your car, but you come to see me. I didn't have nobody
in the car. No, I did not have
anybody in the car. And he had another
chick in the front. She was in the back seat
by herself. No, that's not true,
Your Honor. Of her own vehicle. Okay, so hold on,
Miss Brown, WASHINGTON:
That was it, right there. Miss Brown, listen. Listen. Mr. Washington got
a lot of details. Yeah. And he's telling
the court these stories, what he feels happened, I need you to
tell the court what you think happened. And one of the reasons
is, because I need
to understand the timeline with which
DeAndre was conceived. Mmm-hmm. Right. Now, you submitted
a calendar to the court. Mmm-hmm. And this calendar outlines when you believe
DeAndre was conceived, and most importantly, why you believe
Mr. Washington is
his biological father. So, for this calendar... On November 11, it was confirmed that
you were six weeks
pregnant, is that correct? BROWN:<i> Yes.</i> <i> All right.</i> <i> So, now we go back,
and if you count back,</i> you say, in September
and October is when
you were having sex consistently
with Mr. Washington. Yes. Count back six weeks,
window of conception, <i> September, October,
you fall right
within the time.</i> Further, DeAndre's
birthday is July 3rd. Yes. So, when you count back, all of this makes
sense to you. Yes. And so you did the math, and you said this is
the person I was
intimate with, consistently for the months
of September and October. <i> That's why I believe
Mr. Washington</i> is DeAndre's
biological father. BROWN: Yes. Mr. Washington. As you look at this calendar
that was presented to
the court by Miss Brown, is this a correct assertion of what happened
in the dates you were
intimate with Miss Brown? I don't think, uh,
that's accurate,
Your Honor. Because during this time, before Miss Brown
got pregnant, and through her
whole pregnancy, Terrieyana was dating
another gentleman, his name is DeAndre.
The same name as the kid. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) DeAndre the baby,
he is a junior. Now, this man,
she moved him
from my area up there to Michigan
with her, and he's been with her
from the beginning
to the end. And right there,
that was certification. BROWN: Yup. This man hit me up,
Your Honor. He texts me.
We was talking. He said, "Because I'm
tired of the games." I'm tired of
the games, too! BROWN: Yeah? Okay. WASHINGTON: This is
what he tells me. JUDGE LAKE: So, what did
this man say? He says, "Look, bro,
you know, she's been
playing the both of us. "And this has been going on
for quite some time now. "Telling me that
this is my baby, "then telling you it's yours,
and other people." Me and him just so happen...
Oh, Your Honor, we're from the same area,
too, the same guy that
I'm telling you about now. We're from the same area. Okay, anyways,
at the end of the day,
I was dating DeAndre. But at the time
that I got pregnant, I know when
I conceived that child. And when... WASHINGTON: DeAndre was living
in her house, with her... JUDGE LAKE: Hold on, hold on. ...during this whole time. Hold on. I want to
make sure I understand
this testimony, 'cause Miss Brown,
I gave you ample chance
to talk. Every time
Mr. Washington asserts all of these things
against you, I say, "Miss Brown,
please respond." Mmm-hmm. And you have never said
to me up until this point that you were also
dating another man at the time you were
seeing Mr. Washington. Yes, there's a reason. And now the child is called
DeAndre Gray Junior... Yes. ...but you're saying
Ryan Washington is the father.
I've never heard of such. WASHINGTON: And he's
been there the whole time.
So, what's going on here? At the time I was
pregnant and I told Ryan, Ryan told me to kick rocks.
Me and my son to kick rocks. He didn't want to have
anything to do with
me and my son. WASHINGTON: Well, you're
with him and your junior. Why would I want to have
something to do
with your junior and the other man? This is what DeAndre said. He said, "I know
that's not my child," and I said okay. He said, "Don't worry
about nothing. "I'm going to take care
of that baby regardless." After they broke up. Mr. Washington's remarks
to DeAndre was, "Man, do what you
want to do.
That's your child. "I don't even care.
I'm going to take care..." No, no, no, no... Hold on. Let me be clear
of something. You said you told
Mr. Washington that he was the father. BROWN: Yes. Mr. Washington told you to
kick rocks. In other words... Yup. ...he didn't believe you
and he didn't want
to be involved. Yup, and that's why... Did you ever tell
this other man, Mr. DeAndre Gray Sr. he was DeAndre's
biological father? No, I never told him that. So, after I told him... When he contacted me,
that's what he said. He said he's tired
of playing games. No, I did not. And that's what... And that made my doubt grow. He contacted you because
he said he was... All right. Hold on.
We actually have a... Hold on. This court is about
getting to the truth, getting the answers
for the child. BROWN. Yes. Thank you. Yes. Yeah. We have a statement
from DeAndre Gray Sr. I'd like to read. BROWN: Yes. It says, "At first
I thought I was the father "because Terrieyana
told me I was. Yes. There it is. "I caught a bond, "I couldn't let go. "Plus, a real man take
care of a responsibility. "The doctors have told me
I couldn't have kids
for many years. "Every female I've been with "never had kids by me." And that's a statement
from DeAndre Gray Sr. Yes. First line is, "I thought I was the father
because Terrieyana
told me I was." BROWN: Yeah, I did. But I just asked you
a minute ago did you ever tell
DeAndre Gray Sr. he was the biological father,
and you said no. I mean, yes. Hold on, I'm going to
give you give seconds to get the story straight. BROWN: Okay. No, I'm serious.
Take a minute, think about it,
then tell me the truth. Mmm-hmm. Yes, I told him. Me, too. 'Cause I had no... JUDGE LAKE: Oh. I told DeAndre Sr. that
he was the father
'cause I had no help. He ain't the only one. There we go. Listen. We didn't come
all this way to lie. This handsome child
is four years old, Yes. <i> still dealing with a question
of paternity over his head.</i> <i>Mmm-hmm.</i> <i> We didn't come here to lie.</i> <i> No.</i> So, if that's the truth,
then say it. Yes, it is. The truth is, you did tell
DeAndre Gray Sr. he was
the biological father. Yes, I did. And you said it was
because... What? Ryan didn't help me. I told another man
that he was the father,
to get help. And who was at the birth? BROWN: DeAndre. And he cut the umbilical cord
and named him after him. And once she said she was
pregnant and I knew
what they had going on, I figured
that was his baby. My little incident,
one or two times, when we did something
compared to him being
there before and after, she moved this man down... Listen, we get in
this courtroom, people want to testify,
you know, I was just
once or twice here, but this person bookended,
he was there before and after. That has nothing to do
with biology. Right. But it does have to do
with the fact that there potentially could be
another biological father. So, DeAndre is four now. Yes. How long did he believe that DeAndre Sr.
was his biological father? For a while. Ryan's
seen him a couple of times. The whole time. And that was it. The whole time. And he didn't want to
claim him unless somebody
has some money, and the other day
he was like,
"That's not my son." I had to support him to
take in the baby. Unless somebody had some money. I didn't want to claim him. Why would I need somebody
to have some money... 'Cause you never
had no money
to buy the baby a happy meal, diapers,
pullups, nothing.
You asked me for the money. Mr. Washington, you've claimed in
your earlier testimony you found out you're
on child support now. Yes, ma'am. I am on child support
in the state of Michigan, which is also very frustrating
because through the midst
of this, now I'm tied up
in their court system now. So, I go down there,
Your Honor, when I get down there
to Michigan... What is this evidence?
Let me see that
first and foremost. This is the, uh,
child support order. Here, let me... I have
another one in this. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. BROWN: Mmm. And so, sir, you say
you were placed
on child support and now you're
in the system... WASHINGTON:
Right, so what happens is, I was living at
another residence
at the time, and I get some mail. My
grandmother calls me and says,
"You have some mail here." So, when I get the mail,
it's a letter from
the State of Michigan, telling me, you know,
"You need to come down here "for a second hearing,
because you missed the first." But again, I wasn't living
at the address that they
had on file that they mailed it to.
So, when I get down there, I'm thinking I'm going for
a paternity test once
they lay the whole case out. They say, "Well, if you want
to get the paternity test,
Mr. Washington, "you're gonna have to
pay for it yourself, "because you missed
your first court date." And I explained to them that
I wasn't at that residence
when they sent that. No, you're lying. They still said
that it was on me to pay for the DNA test. So, now... Hear this.
The judge is naming off different names that
she turned in, of who she told
was the father. No, it was just you. And I recognized a couple
of those names on it... It was just him. ...and one of them just
so happened to be my cousin. My blood cousin. No, you're lying! What? No, you're lying. No, he's lying. What? She messed around
with him, and when me
and him get together, he's telling me the whole
story. She put the baby
off on him as well. He's lying, I never
slept with your cousin. JUDGE LAKE:
So, wait a minute.
Wait a minute. Never. Wait a minute.
