You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Schenck v. Robinson.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Schenck, you claim that when
your daughter, Serenity,
turned two, Mr. Robinson began
to doubt paternity. Yes, Your Honor. Since then, you claim he's
pulled away from your child, and it's now
breaking your heart
to watch her suffer. Yes, Your Honor. AUDIENCE: Aww. Mr. Robinson, you state
from the moment
Serenity was born, you were actively involved
in her life and developed
a very strong bond. Yes, Your Honor. However, when Ms. Schenck
suddenly stated you may not
be her biological father and started to
pursue DNA testing of another man,
you pulled away. Yes, Your Honor. (AUDIENCE GROANS) JUDGE LAKE: So, you're
hoping DNA results prove you are
Serenity's father so you can once again feel
close to your little girl? Yes, ma'am. So, Mr. Robinson, I want to
understand. What happened that
changed everything for you as it relates to
your little girl? Well, Your Honor, up to two years
of Serenity's life,
I was there for her <i> and Mrs. Schenck.</i> <i> Until about five months...
She was five months pregnant,</i> she told me that I may
not be her father, because she
slept with a friend. So, hold on,
take me back. You said you were
there for her, meaning when you found out
Ms. Schenck was pregnant, you thought you were
having a baby? JERMARRIO: <i> Yes, ma'am</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> It was never
ever mentioned to you,</i> that there could possibly
be another father. Yes, ma'am. And when you
say you were there, give me details. Um, I was there
through all her
doctors' appointments, um... Each and every doctors'
appointment, I was there. <i> Even for Serenity
when she was born
I was there for her,</i> <i> helping her out with her.</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> Were you two
in a relationship?</i> Um, not in an actual
relationship. We were dealing
with each other off and on. JUDGE LAKE: Off and on? Yes, ma'am. Sexual relationship? Yes, ma'am. Okay. And so she told
you she was pregnant,
you believed her. You said,
"Okay and I'm there." Yes, ma'am. Doctors' appointments,
everything? Yes, ma'am, I was there. JUDGE LAKE: And then about
five months, what happened? She told me that she had
slept with a friend of mine, (AUDIENCE MURMURS) and didn't know if
I was the father, or if
he was the father. JUDGE LAKE: So,
she came clean? Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: So, Ms. Schenck,
that happened? Yes, Your Honor. Please talk to me.
Fill me in. When you found out
you were pregnant, did you think he was
the father, or did you
know right off the bat there could possibly
be another father? I didn't know, um... When I first found out
I was pregnant, he was there,
like he said. We were in an
on-and-off relationship. Um, around the time I had
slept with him, I did sleep
with somebody else. AUDIENCE: No... We did use protection,
the condom did break,
that's why... I, um... Didn't...
(SOBBING) So, it was just...
I understand. I know,
I know this is difficult. And I appreciate
the fact that you are
here to tell the truth, 'cause that's what we need.
To get down to
the bottom of this situation. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) JUDGE LAKE: Um, so, you were in an
on-and-off relationship
with Mr. Robinson? Yes, Your Honor. But you did sleep
with someone else during the window
of conception? Yes. There was issue with
the protection you used... Yes, Your Honor. So... When you found out
you were pregnant, did you immediately say
it could be Mr. Robinson,
or the other guy, or did you say
to yourself, you felt like it was
just Mr. Robinson, 'cause you'd only been
with the other guy once? Yes, Your Honor.
Um... Was it just one time
with the other guy? Yes, Your Honor. So, when you
finally decided to tell
Mr. Robinson the truth, fill me in on that,
because Mr. Robinson says
he was there for you. He was going to doctors'
appointments. He thought
he was having a child. And what...
When did you decide
to tell the truth? Um, five months into
my pregnancy, he had went through my phone
and seen a text message
I had sent to my cousin, saying it was a 50/50
chance that he couldn't
have been the father. I'm missing some facts (AUDIENCE MURMURING) and I need you to fill me in, because you said when you
found out you were pregnant, you said to yourself,
"He's the father, "'cause I only had sex
with this guy, the other
guy, one time "and we used protection even
though there was an issue,
so he must be the father." What happened
during those five months that made you realize or do
the math and it added up to it really could
potentially be this other man's
child as well? It just...
It didn't add up.
(EXHALES) It didn't add up, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE:
What do you mean,
it didn't add up? It did add up,
because you wouldn't
have written that text, if you didn't think that. The condom broke, when I slept
with the other person. Okay, so what I'm saying is
when you found out
you were pregnant, you said you really felt
it was Mr. Robinson's baby. At what point did that
feeling change for you so that you would send
that text to your cousin? You were replaying
it in your mind? You can say that, yes. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. So, when the baby
was born, you were there? Yes, ma'am. I was there. So after she told you,
you said, "I don't want to
hear this news, "but I'm still
going to be there." Yes, ma'am. So that part of her
testimony is correct. Yes, ma'am. And so you continued
to be there? Yes, ma'am. Through the birth? Through the birth,
I was there. JUDGE LAKE:
There at the hospital? Yes, ma'am. <i> I was there through her
whole pregnancy. I was there
through her birth.</i> <i> Birth certificate,
my name is on it.</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> And then
now you have this
beautiful little girl,</i> and you step up
and you're her father. Yes, ma'am. Up until... You... ...the five... After...
When she told me that she had slept
with somebody else,
that's what made me push myself away
from Serenity. You knew there was
a 50/50 chance when she was
five months pregnant? Yes, ma'am. But you still said
you'd be there? Yes, ma'am. So, at what point did you
begin to step back from Serenity after
she was born? And why, because you already
knew at five months. I found out that
she was having
the other guy tested, or she wanted to
get tested, and didn't
have me tested. You made plans to
have the other man tested? Yes, but we
couldn't find him. AUDIENCE: Ooh. 'Cause when my daughter was
first born she didn't look
anything like him. She looked just like
the other man.
(SNIFFLES) AUDIENCE: Oh! And so, as Mr. Robinson
was bonding with the baby, really stepping up
to the plate as father, <i> in your mind, you're looking
and you're saying,</i> <i> "My baby looks just
like the other guy.</i> BRITTANY: <i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> JUDGE LAKE: <i> "And I need to
have him tested."</i> You actually have another
child with Mr. Robinson? BRITTANY:
Yes, Your Honor. Okay. So you guys
were on and off again, but you have another
child together, and that child, you say,
looks like him. Yes, Your Honor. Now, you say,
Mr. Robinson, now treats
baby Serenity differently <i> than your other child?
Explain.</i> BRITTANY: <i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> Um... He'll call
and talk to my son. Um, sometimes he'll talk to
her, tell her he misses her
and he loves her and sometimes when he
calls, like, when he is
with his family doesn't even ask to speak to Serenity. AUDIENCE: Aw. Um, an example is
a couple of weeks ago they came and got...
Him and his mother came
and picked up my son, and my daughter was devastated
'cause she couldn't go. AUDIENCE: Aw! She cried for about
20-25 minutes. Even sometimes when
my son talks to his
father on the phone, and after he gets
off, Serenity says,
"I want to talk to Daddy," and my son says,
"That's not your daddy." How would a child know
to tell another child,
"That's not your father"? See, that's a child in
"Grown folks' business." (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Where he
doesn't belong. That's TMI for a child. So now, your son
looks at your daughter, and says,
"That's not your daddy." BRITTANY: Yes. And she's broken hearted. Yes, Your Honor. All right, I want to
hear from your witness.
Ma'am, please step up. State your name
for the court. I'm Donna Schenck,
I'm Brittany Schenck's mom. Okay. Ms. Schenck, thank you
for joining us today. What have you observed
of this situation? Well, first I'd like to say
that I'm here today
to support my daughter. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Um, I totally... I totally understand why
Mr. Robinson pulled away
from my daughter Serenity. Granddaughter Serenity. I was in a similar
situation with my son. And after five months of
bonding with this child, to find out that
it was not
my grandchild, it... It broke my heart. AUDIENCE: Aw. So, I don't want
my granddaughter
to be 21, and find out that
this man is not her father. So, as you look
at Serenity, your granddaughter,
do you see Mr. Robinson? Your daughter says
she doesn't see his face. When, um...
At first I didn't, which is why I understood
why my daughter wanted to have someone
else tested, because
Serenity looks like him. My grandson is
very dark-skinned. Serenity is brown skinned,
like the other man. They have the same facial
features, the eyes, the nose. <i> And as she grew teeth
and got a little older,</i> she's now beginning to
look like Mr. Robinson. So, I just want
an end to the question so, that they can begin... JERMARRIO:
Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Yes. I think that Serenity
looks like me. I have a picture of
the both of us. JUDGE LAKE: Jerome, will you
hand me that, please? And this is, sir? That is Serenity
and myself. JUDGE LAKE: <i> As babies?</i> JERMARRIO: <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> AUDIENCE: <i> Aww.</i> <i> And you say you
see a resemblance?</i> <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> <i> How about you, Ms. Schenck?</i> DONNA: I can say, "Yes,"
and I can say, "No." I think Serenity
looks like him, they both have a prominent
gap in the teeth. We, don't have gaps
in our family,
in our teeth. And he and
his mom do. So, like I said,
as she has gotten older, she is starting to
favor Mr. Robinson. But I mean, we...
You can't go by that,
we know that. We, definitely have
seen in this courtroom, there have been many
times when a child, we believe,
we want to believe, the child looks like
a certain man,
because we want that man to be their father,
because he wants to be. Right. But, it often,
does not turn out
the way we hoped. Um, I wanna ask
you, Ms. Schenck, have you noticed at all,
Mr. Robinson, treating
Serenity differently? I know, of late, your daughter spoke
of him not picking her up. Yes, ma'am. Have you noticed the effects
it's had on Serenity? It has caused
a lot of confusion. You touched on earlier,
about my grandson. He's four, but he's 44. So, um, he is
very intelligent. And he...
He doesn't understand
how now we're saying that your daddy and Serenity's
daddy, because that's
not what was told to him <i> for the last two years.</i> <i> So, he's confused.</i> What I'm hoping is that
he hasn't overhead
grown folks' conversations, 'cause I have
a 4-year-old too. DONNA: Exactly. And they know
what you're talking about. DONNA: Exactly. And they pick it up. (AUDIENCE AGREEING) And the very line you don't
want them to say
is the one they repeat. (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) So, all right. So, Mr. Robinson,
your mom sent in
a video statement, and we'd like to
hear from her. I think, Serenity may not be
Jermarrio's daughter, because Brittany went out and
cheated on Jermarrio with
one of his friends. Or associates
that he knew. So, and then,
she told Jermarrio that
the child wasn't his. When she gave him
the information that it may not
have been his.
He was really hurt. I mean, he was... Hurt. Crying hurt. So... Yeah, I did try
to express to him not to get too close
to this child
until he knew for sure. I did tell him that one day the truth
will come out. So, Mr. Robinson, you know,
we've heard your mother,
um, just speak on your behalf. And she says it really
broke your heart to
have to pull away. And that she
encouraged you to... JERMARRIO: Yes, ma'am. ...until, you know... How badly is it hurting you? I mean,
it's devastating,
actually. Like I said,
I never denied the child <i> and I hope that
she is my mine.</i> (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) JUDGE LAKE: <i> And so...</i> The truth is, your hopes
have remained constant. JERMARRIO: Yes, ma'am. You hoped she was yours
when you found out
she was pregnant. Yes, ma'am. You've hoped
she was yours when you found out
there could potentially
be another man. And you're still hoping
this baby is yours, even though you feel like
it was right to pull away
from her until you know for sure. Yes, ma'am. And, Ms. Schenck,
what are your hopes? DONNA: My hopes, um, is for these two to
begin co-parenting, um, and that we find out
an answer today, because my grandchildren
deserve to have the best
parents that they can get. And how about you, Brittany? Ms. Schenck, what
are your hopes today? My hopes today are
that Mr. Robinson
is Serenity's father. Um, I don't want to
see my baby go through (TEARFULLY) the same
things that I went through. And when you say,
you "went through." (BRITTANY SOBBING) I grew up without
my father, um... The last time
I seen my father,
I believe I was six. (AUDIENCE GROANS) Um, he just now
is reaching out to me,
so we're working on that but I want my baby to be...
To do better than me
and have better than me. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) That's understandable. Do you know where
the other man is, if in fact, Mr. Robinson is not Serenity's
biological father? I know where he is,
but I don't think
he's willing to do a DNA test. AUDIENCE: Oh. So, a lot's riding on
this result today, because you believe
if Mr. Robinson is not
Serenity's biological father, she loses that
connection to a father, because the other man
you say is not interested
in being involved in her life? BRITTANY: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: I think it's time
for the results. Jerome. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics and
they read as follows... In the case of<i>
Schenck v. Robinson,</i> when it comes to 2-year-old
Serenity Schenck... JUDGE LAKE: In the case of<i>
Schenck v. Robinson,</i> when it comes to
2-year-old Serenity Schenck, Jermarrio Robinson is her father. (BRITTANY SOBBING) How do you feel,
Mr. Robinson? I feel great. Good. I feel great. And so now,
when we go pick up
child number one, we also get our
little girl, too, right? Yes, ma'am. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Brittany, Ms. Schenck,
your daughter does
have the father she so desperately deserves. I'm so happy for you.
And I see how relieved
you are. Now, I see you're
having another baby. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. I have to ask... (CHUCKLING) I know
who the baby daddy is. We know
who the father is? Yes. And it's not Mr. Robinson? No, ma'am. So, you all are off now? BRITTANY: Yes, ma'am. No more on-off. Just off. And we're gonna learn
to co-parent, right? BRITTANY: Yes, ma'am. And take care of the
two beautiful children
we have together. Right? Yes, Your Honor. That's what I wanna hear.
The court has resources
for you if you need help pulling
all of this together. I wish you all
the very best of luck. And good luck on
the brand new baby as well. BRITTANY: Thanks so much. Court is adjourned. I'll go ahead and
walk you all out. JEROME: Congratulations. When I heard the results,
uh, as you can see, I was relieved, um... I'm really thankful
and I'm so glad that he's gonna be
in her life now. Mr. Robinson is
a great father
to my grandson, and so I know
he'll do just the same
for my granddaughter. I'm gonna be there,
just like I'm
there for Jay. I'm about be
the best dad for them. (EMOTIONALLY)
I'm just so happy.
