Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Milner Sr. v. Heath.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE:
Good day. Mr. Milner, you claim
the defendant Ms. Heath
deceived you into believing that you fathered her
three-month-old son, Zecharrio Milner Jr. Yes, Your Honor. You say, you love her son, and would be devastated to find
out that you've been loving
another man's child, <i>which is why, you have
petitioned the court
to order a paternity test.</i> Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Heath, you admit there
was another man. But claim Mr. Milner signed
the birth certificate
acknowledging paternity and therefore there's no reason
for a test to be ordered. The court must determine if
there is enough evidence
to warrant ordering a paternity test. So, Mr. Milner, why do you
believe Ms. Heath has been
deceiving you this entire time? I feel like she been deceiving
me, because when I first met
her, I told her straight up,
what I want. And that is I want a family,
I want to be a family man. I'm done running the streets.
I'm really tired of that. And I feel like as soon as
I said that a light came up
above her head, like, bing, I got me a duff,
you hear me? I finna gonna pluck this man
for whatever I can. And that's why I'm here,
I really need this test. Oh, you thought like,
like a light came
on like, I can use him up. I got one...
I can tell anything to. Yeah and get away with
it, yeah. Your Honor,
that wasn't the case. Um, when I met Mr. Milner,
yes he did say he wanted
a family, of course, I wanted the same
thing, I have other children,
you know. This was not a part
of the plan, you know
I didn't just... Man. Just see him and was like
"Oh I got somebody "that's gonna sit here and do
the family things
and take care of my kids." JUDGE LAKE:
And so how did you meet?
Tell me that. MILNER: I can tell you
straight up. I arrive with a friend,
she was with a family member. Her little family member done
stopped my homeboy. And that's when I seen her,
I see, "Ooh! Will you look
at this little thing!" I just moved to Texas,
you hear me?
I'm from Louisiana. The day when I seen her...
I needed some, ya know what
I'm saying? (GIGGLES) I needed me a female to
talk to and get to know. JUDGE LAKE:<i> Oh okay.</i> HEATH:<i> Wasn't just
that easy, now was it?</i> MILNER: (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) And so, I think I understood
that testimony. So, you met. You exchanged numbers. MILNER: Yes, ma'am. And uh, you know, I get to
talking to him, to feeling
him out a little more. Um, and I felt like
he was intelligent, like he wanted something
out of life, you know. I had seen something in him,
that I thought, you know, that we could make something
out of this. Okay. Were you in a committed
relationship or were you just
seeing other people, too? MILNER: No, comm... HEATH: No. As far as I was concerned, Your
Honor, within a couple of days,
we were in a relationship. So you all decided, it's just
gonna be me and you,
let's do this? Right. So now, you're going well,
everything's going great. What happens you find
out you're pregnant? Okay, well,
I was intimate with Mr. Milner. Um, I felt... Normally,
you know, with all my kids,
I felt it almost immediately when I was pregnant, you know, and I kinda had this
bodily feeling,
me and Mr Milner were joking, um, about, you know, what if
you are, what if you're not,
I''m just like, I don't wanna be, you know,
I got three kids, I don't need
another one, you know, this was not a part
of the plan. Mr. Milner, I wanna hear from
you, when you found out
she was pregnant, what was your response? I mean, I was happy.
I was excited. (STAMMERS) And then, I started
having doubts, I'm like, dang,
hold up, hold up... HEATH: He didn't have
a response, Your Honor. MILNER: And... What made you say, "hold up,
hold up, hold up"? We just met and you pregnant
two-three weeks later? His family members
is the reason why. No. Yeah. JUDGE LAKE: So this happened
quickly after you met. Yes, that's what I was saying. Quickly, it was very quickly. Quickly? We met in August,
you pregnant by August 14th. The relationship was quick. Well, I mean, it could
happen like that. First of all, it was the first,
the condom broke
the first time. It did. The first time and
the second time. It did. So, okay. JUDGE LAKE: So listen.
So listen, you proud of that,
huh? (LAUGHS) No, ma'am,
I'm sorry about that. So, Mr. Milner, I want to
understand this,
why do you have doubt? After everything that happened,
we got ourselves an apartment. She sitting there, we watching
TV, her head is in my lap. Me and her is talking real
well, next thing I know, she
just bust out the tears. I mean, she goes straight
to crying. I don't know if the baby
yours or not. (IMITATES CRYING) That's not true, Your Honor.
That's not true, Your Honor. So, I'm lying. He doesn't have it correct. JUDGE LAKE:
Okay, how do you see it? How I don't have it correct? Um, I kept trying to make sure
with the doctor that I have the
conception dates right. Um, when the date
got moved back. I was like, maybe you know,
in my head, I was like maybe it could be
another, uh, the other
gentleman. JUDGE LAKE: I thought you all
were in
a committed relationship. It happened prior
to Mr. Milner, that's why
I don't understand it. I understand his doubt, but I
don't understand
the fuel to his fire as like I cheated on him.
I did not. Oh, so you're saying, it could
be another guy, before him? Prior to him. So I went ahead
and told him, 'cause
I've never lied to Mr. Milner. I was honest with him
from day one,
about any and everything. What am I lying about? (STAMMERS) I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. The gentleman that he always
claims has nothing to do with
the matter, like it's always something
about me, but I'm always
catching stuff on him. All right, Mr. Milner, after
you heard this, this really
substantiated your doubt? (STAMMERS) It kept working me.
It kept messing with me,
especially when I'm at work. I'm over there, adding up
August, September, October,
November, December, January, February, March, April,
man, that's only eight months! (STAMMERS) It's just, the time
wasn't adding up. It vexes me,
it's really getting on my
nerves. I just need to know.
I gotta have this test.
I need to know. If you want more episodes
of Paternity Court Make sure to subscribe
and click on
the notification bell. Zecharrio
has your name. Yes, ma'am. So, why did you sign
the birth certificate? (LAUGHS) (STAMMERS) I mean, 'cause like
I said when I first met her,
I want a family. And I know we was doing the
giggity-giggity, you know,
the condom broke. So, it could be mine. I don't know, I'm just,
at the time... I love her, and I, I... I want that family,
and when I see him I just... I want, I want a son. I already got two daughters,
I want a son. I want that more than
anything else. But you have this doubt that
just won't go away. It won't. I'm hoping he mine,
but like I say,
at the end of the day, I don't know.
If the mother done that,
what am I supposed to do? If the timing ain't right,
what am I supposed to do? Ms. Heath, you submitted
a calendar to the court... Yes, ma'am. ...that I would like to review. Zecharrio Jr. was born April
eighteenth. Yes, ma'am. MILNER: 7/18/99. <i> You had sex with Mr. Milner
on August the second.</i> <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> You had sex with
the other man... the week of July 23rd
through 26th. Well, no, ma'am. I had sex with
the gentleman on the
23rd. I ended it with him on
the 26th. But you know you were intimate
with him on the 23rd. Yes, ma'am. So, let me quickly pull up
my conception calculator. If you put in Zecharrio's
birthday of April 18th... the window of conception would
calculate to be... MILNER:<i> Twenty-fifth to
the 30th.</i> JUDGE LAKE: July 20th through
July 30th of 2017. (INDISTINCT CHATTER) Hold on, if we go back
to the calendar, you submitted. Yes, ma'am. That is during the window
of time when you were intimate
with the other man. Yes, ma'am. It points directly
to that time. My conception date was July,
the 31st. That my doctor gave me. Um, but she said that
it would
have been the gentleman closer to that time,
which would have been
the second with Mr. Milner. So you're telling me that, July, the 30th, is when
the baby's supposed to
the conception time or whatever and the closest man
to it is me.
No, the closest man to... Okay, but I used condoms.
But I used condoms prior
to Mr. Milner, I even contacted that
gentleman. You even told me to... I made sure...
I made sure... You told me the condom broke. I never said the condom broke.
When did I say that?
No, I did not. Order! I never told him the condom
broke... (STAMMERS) So, Ms. Heath,
did you ever not use condoms with that other man? No, ma'am,
and when I contacted him,
that was my question to him. While we were intimate, did
the condom break at all? Was there any mishaps or
anything? This gentleman told me no,
so I told him,
I don't have anything to say. What are we talking about? JUDGE LAKE:<i> I'm asking you
that question
because I have...</i> I'm asking you that question
because I have a note here
in the record. That one of my court
employees, when she was taking notes
on your statement... Yes, ma'am. ...she heard
something different. HEATH: What's that? Jerome, can you please escort
Lemans Mebane into the court? Yes. Please stand right here. Hello. For the court record, Lemans Mebane works
for this court, and Ms. Mebane, in the process
of taking the statement
from Ms. Heath, it's in the record that you
heard her say testimony that differs than what she is
presenting in court today. Yes, Your Honor. What did she tell you about
her relationship
with the other man? She told me that sometimes
they used condoms,
and sometimes they did not. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) Your Honor, I have a situation
to where I cannot just
not use condoms. So, I have condoms on
the whole time. Ms. Mebane, when you took that
statement, you asked her simply, did she
use condoms the entire time? Correct. She said "sometimes
and sometimes not." Correct. She said "sometimes, we did,
and sometimes, we did not."
Exactly. Thank you very much. MEBANE: You're welcome. So, Ms. Heath, did you ever
tell the other man that he
could be the biological father? No, ma'am, when I called him,
I strictly asked him
about the condom. Period. Point blank.
He was like, "no, you made sure
that I used condoms." (STAMMERS) We stopped messing
around before this,
all of this transpired and he said,
that nothing happened
with the condom. So, I was like, I won't contact
you, I won't say anything
to you. The other gentleman
is married, ma'am. Yes, he's married, (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING) And I didn't know.
Yeah, he's married. Married? Your Honor, while I was
messing with this gentleman, I was not aware that
he was married until my relative came to me
after I had already started
a relationship, "relationship" because we never
treated it as such. She said, well, you know,
he still messing
with his wife. I was like, "Well, why you
didn't tell me this, prior," 'cause I don't mess
with married men. That is not my cup of tea. Is it that you don't believe... this... married man could've been
Zecharrio's biological father, <i> or is that you didn't want
him to be?</i> Both. JUDGE LAKE:
Because he was married. It was both, Your Honor,
because that man,
he had too much going on. So, can you tell me with
one hundred percent certainty, one hundred percent, that you know Mr. Milner
is your child's biological
father? With time, Your Honor,
I can't. (STAMMERS) I cannot be sure
on anything and I have
to be honest with myself. And I've been honest
with Mr. Milner. I don't know for sure,
I can't be for sure, that's why I need this test
today, because you know, even though, he say he'll
be there for him, every time we get into
an argument, it's like,
well, I don't. "He's not mine, it's an ex.
He's this, he's that." And I'm tired of hearing it,
I am. JUDGE LAKE: All right. So, you both... have testified today that you have doubt surrounding
the paternity of beautiful
Zecharrio Milner Jr. It is for this reason,
this court is going to order that you submit to DNA testing as it relates to the paternity
of Zecharrio Milner and you report back
to this courtroom
for the results. Is that clear? Yes, Your Honor. Yes, Your Honor. I will see you back here.
Court is adjourned. (APPLAUDING) We've reconvened in the case of<i>
Milner Sr. v. Heath.</i> In our previous hearing,
testimony was submitted, involving the paternity of
Zecharrio Milner Jr. and this court determined
there was sufficient evidence
to warrant DNA testing. and we are back here
for the results. Before I go to the results, is there anything either of you
would like to say? I can't wait. I can't wait
to get my results
and go about my business. Have you prepared yourself
either way, Mr Milner? Because I think the love you
have for this young boy who is your junior, you've expressed that so
beautifully in the
last hearing. If it is determined you are not
Zecharrio's biological father, do you intend on trying to make
the relationship work? No, I can't do it, I'm sorry.
I mean... Call me what you want
to call me, just don't call
me late for dinner. I'll be out of there quicker
than a wet Jheri curl,
you know what I'm saying? I can't do it. Well, that page turned,
didn't it? JEROME: Yes, it did. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) So, truly, there's a lot
at stake here. Of course, we have been on
rocks for a while, so... You know I can understand him
saying that he's not going
to stay because... I have to live this everyday. So, you've been warned? He's told you? Well, there is a lot at stake. And I think, it's time we
get the results. Jerome, may I have
the envelope please? (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics, and
they read as follows. In the case of<i>
Milner Sr. v. Heath,</i> When it comes to
three-month-old,
Zecharrio Milner Jr. it has been determined
by this court, Mr. Milner, you... are the father. Hey! Yeah! (SMOOCHES) (GIGGLES) Yeah. Oh, wow, I haven't seen you
smile like this, Mr. Milner. I feel good, feel great. (LAUGHS) How does it feel to finally
get the truth, Ms. Heath. It feels good, it's closure,
I can live my life
peacefully. And we can be happy
how we were. But you know, you all,
you got to get it
together. BOTH: Yes, Your Honor. And you got to keep it
together. MILNER: Oh, yeah. It's not going to be easy. We strong, we're gonna make it. JUDGE LAKE: Good. You know, ain't nothin'
but a little hump in the road. That's great to hear. (LAUGHS) Hey look, listen, listen,
listen, listen,
it was a huge hump. (LAUGHS) Yeah. But at least we over it. MILNER: We over it. And that's what matters. You know, you have
so many different textures
in the fabric of life. And it's what you said,
it's just trying to hold
it together and remain strong. And today's a new day because
we have the truth to stand on. Yes, ma'am. And that is solid rock.
That is foundation. That's how we go forward,
so I want you all to talk
to Dr. Jeff so that you can grow your
relationship the right way and take care of this beautiful
baby boy. I wish you, the very,
very, best.
He's so handsome. (LAUGHTER) Court is adjourned. (APPLAUDING)
