You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is a case of<i>
Goddard vs Harrison.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Goddard, you and your
mother claim the defendant
Da'mon Harrison, purposefully impregnated you to trap
you but has since avoided
the responsibility of taking care of your
daughter, Aniyla, since
she was born. GODDARD: Yes, Your
Honor, that's correct. You're suing for a paternity
test and for $900 for college expenses you lost when
you were forced to drop out. Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Harrison, you claim
you've tried to get
a DNA test for months because you know you are
not Aniyla's father and today's results
will clear your name. Yes, Your Honor. All right, so, Ms. Goddard,
why do you believe that
Mr. Harrison purposefully got you pregnant. Your Honor, I know that
he purposely got me
pregnant because he told me himself,
Your Honor. Did you get her
pregnant on purpose? Yeah, I got her pregnant
on purpose, Your Honor. You did? Yes. JUDGE LAKE: And why? <i> Because we were in love.
We were planning to
have a baby.</i> But she didn't want to
have it. She wanted to
go to school. And... So, let me understand
something. If you say you got her pregnant on
purpose, why are we here? Why aren't you claiming,
honoring and taking care
of this child? I know the child's not mine, because... You say you know the child's
not yours and yet you also say you got her pregnant
on purpose. (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) We were going together for
a year. We were in love. So, I decided, you know,
I wanted to start a family. So, I tried to start
a family in which I... Assumed that this baby is
mine or not. I don't know
to be honest. She cheated on me,
basically, she cheated
on me with another guy. A couple of my friends
walk up to me and
they tell me that, "You know she was cheating
on you since the beginning?" Of everything, since we've
been going together. So, I wanted to know if this
baby is mine's or not. So you start to hear rumors? Yes. A lot of rumors. Not just one person, not two,
but multiple. A lot. So, I wanted to know if this
baby is mine's or not. GODDARD: Your Honor? JUDGE LAKE: Yes, Ms. Goddard? I admitted to Mr. Harrison that I had intercourse with
another man as we were
together and he still proceeded through my pregnancy
and the birth knowing that. So, you admitted that you had
had sex with someone else? Yes, I did. And he stayed with you? Yes. Because he said that he knew
that was his child because
he purposely did it. And he knows it. I don't think you all
understanding that you can purposefully try to
get somebody pregnant but if you sleeping with
somebody else too, it could
be the other person's. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) You understand that right? Yes. You're saying,
Ms. Goddard, this cost you the opportunity
to go to college. Yes, it did, Your Honor.
Also, I... How? I have here the payment that
I made for orientation and the
supplies also that my Mom spent for me to go to college. Jerome, may I see that please? And here, Your Honor, here's
a defer from my college stating that I had to
leave and that they
were gonna give me a chance to come back
in another year but because I had... I got
pregnant, I could not go,
Your Honor. Jerome, hand me that other
piece of evidence Ms. Goddard
is handing you. This is uh... An itemized list of
college expenses. Your dorm supplies,
bedding, towels, personal care items totaling $400 and then a summer
orientation fee of $500, which totals $900. Correct, Your Honor. <i> All the things you've bought,</i> <i> getting ready for college.</i> <i> Yes.</i> This is the proof that you
were actually admitted
into school but they deferred your
admission because you
weren't able to go. GODDARD: <i> Yes.</i> You're asking for those
expenses and those costs to be returned to you because you
feel like you lost them because Mr. Harrison got
you pregnant on purpose. Yes, Your Honor. So, Mom, this is really
difficult for you, because... Yes, it's very difficult. Your daughter was on
her way to college. Absolutely. Not only was she on
her way to college, my daughter had an
extremely hard teen life, and she got in a lot
of trouble in school, she learned her lesson,
she turned her life around, she then went on to school,
got on the principal's list, had Honor's classes, went
forward to go to school, got
accepted into Harvard... She paid her dues by
taking responsibility for what she did,
which he has lacked. He said, "Why you gotta
go to college for? You could
go to college right here. Just go to a regular public
school or whatever and just
get it done like that." He didn't want me to go on
campus, Your Honor, he didn't want me to do better
for myself. Your Honor, I don't remember
saying any of that. All I know is, Your Honor,
I know a lot of females that get pregnant
and go to college. My cousin, she went to college
and stayed on... Okay, let me just say this. ...campus while
she was pregnant. I heard a man say, yes
he attempted to get you
pregnant on purpose. What I also heard is you,
a young woman, also say that,
"I was sleeping around with him but I also was sleeping
around with another man." Unprotected. The man that could potentially
be the child's father as well. If you were serious about
getting your education you wouldn't have been
engaging in those activities. Because women, young girls
that live with purpose, conduct themselves in
a certain type of way and that
includes protecting yourself. Yes, Your Honor. He could not take away
any opportunity you had unless you failed
to protect yourself. Do you understand? Yes, Your Honor. Now, granted if that was his idea of creating a family. He's a compulsive liar. Your Honor... He's a compulsive liar. Not only was she going
on to do better... He also lied and said he'd
been trying for months to get a DNA test and
I know that firsthand
that that's also a lie. Because I've been there when
they tried to do a... Your Honor... Uh-uh. No. No. Go ahead. I've been there when
she's tried to do it. I've heard phone calls. I've had to coach her,
coach her, for trying
to be there and be there for her child. And not go down in a slump
because he's not there to do what he's supposed to
do, and because of that I have
to pick up the slack, I didn't get a hump, a bump
or a kiss and none of that, so it's not fair that
I gotta do it and he
lay up like he the man. The devil is a liar. No. You said you tried to get her pregnant
on purpose and then when she
actually has the baby because you hear rumors
you don't step up, you don't provide
for the child? Your Honor, I was there
when she gave birth. I stayed the night... LATONYA: Late and then left. I stayed the night. Your
Honor, I stayed... And never came back. I stayed there, Your Honor. I had to threaten you
to come back. We was in... I called you on the phone and
say, "Get your punk behind
back here to this hospital, "right now!" Your Honor, that's
after she had... And he slept the whole
time there, Your Honor. Your Honor, that's after she had the baby, Your Honor. LATONYA: And let's not talk
about the birth certificate. When we were... You'd rather go get high with
your cousins and your friends than come there and sign
the birth certificate. JUDGE LAKE: Is that
true, Mr. Harrison? Your Honor, I overslept. Tell the truth 'cause you
know you're lying. I overslept. I overslept, Your Honor. I overslept. You overslept for? Your Honor, the day... On the day that you
were supposed to... BOTH: Sign
the birth certificate. Yes. And I have my son. Did you sign it? Did I sign the birth
certificate? No. And to this date you
haven't signed it? I haven't signed it. I cut the umbilical cord. Nobody never came up to
me after that they moved Aniyla to the incubator. Where she was, you know,
she was doing a little bad.
They moved her there. "A little"? He wouldn't
know because he wasn't
there, Your Honor. He wasn't there at all. Your Honor... I watched my baby
go from a cold bed That's me, Your Honor. <i> And they had to throw
her onto a warmer.</i> <i> That's me.</i> <i> That's me, Your Honor.
Right there.</i> Well, what happened
afterwards? So, that then... LATONYA: That was
the first day. What about after that? I just want to see if
this is my baby. It does not stop there. It doesn't stop there
and it's not fair to her to be without her father
because you're selfish. That's not fair to her. Your Honor, I... Your
Honor, when I was born my father passed away
when I was a baby. I have a son. I have a four-year-old son. BOTH: That he don't
take care of neither. I take care of my son. Your mother takes care of him. I pay child support
for my son. Your mother... I take care of my son. His mother does
everything, Your Honor. Your mother does that. I take care of my son. JUDGE LAKE: Okay, all
right, hold on. Go
ahead, Mr. Harrison. They... How would they know
if I'm taking care of my son? I was your girlfriend,
we was in love, remember? Okay, you was at the house. Where were you
at all the time? Watching your son while
you were outside. Where were you at all
the time? Tell the truth. JUDGE LAKE: All right,
all right, let's get back
to the child in question. Mmm-hmm. Because ultimately this does not add to our argument, and it only furthers questions
in my mind is if you were with a man that didn't take care
of the child he already had, why would you have sex with
a man unprotected where you
could potentially get pregnant by him again? (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) And expect anything
different to happen. When did these people tell
you that she was cheating? They told me after
she had the baby. I told him myself. I admitted
to him when I first found out
I was pregnant. When I first told him,
I didn't tell him the
guy's name. He went through my phone
another time, and that's how
he found out the guy's name. I never found out the
guy's name, Your Honor. I just found the
text messages. JUDGE LAKE: You went
through the phone? I went through the phone
and I seen that she was talking to another
guy and they was talking
about having sex and they was talking
about being together
with each other. Was this during the
window of conception? Your Honor, yes
it was, one day, yes. Okay. But I was sleeping with
him before and after,
Your Honor, how I know, I marked down on a calendar
myself when I was sleeping
with Mr. Harrison. Not only that, Your Honor,
yes, I did have intercourse
with someone else one time because Mr. Harrison
has cheated on me multiple times. It only takes one
time, Your Honor. I just wanted him to
understand how I felt while he
was doing it to me. Yes, it was wrong
and I do realize that. What is this evidence
you have? I have a calendar. Where I marked off all the
days before and after, Your Honor, when I got
custody of my baby. Thank you, Jerome. Mmm-hmm. <i> All of these dates
you have circled...</i> <i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> <i> Are dates that you
were intimate</i> <i> without protection
with Mr. Harrison?</i> <i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> And then the baby was
born on November 6? Yes, Your Honor. When were you intimate
with the other guy? On February 28th. So, February 28th... It was the weekend of
my birthday, yes. So, now on February 28th
is where you say you had
sex with the other guy? Yes, Your Honor. How did you end up hooking
up with this other guy? Because, Your Honor,
as I stated, he has
cheated multiple times. This was a friend
of mine. I came to him and I confided in him and
I started letting him know
things that were going on. And me and this
other gentleman we had intercourse with
each other and that's how
it happened, Your Honor. How are you so certain Mr. Harrison is the child's
biological father, if you admittedly had sex with
this other guy unprotected during the window
of conception? Your Honor, because me
and Mr. Harrison had sex
multiple times unprotected throughout the day,
Your Honor. It was non-stop. But you do acknowledge
that there is a potential that this other guy could be your
child's biological father. Yes, Your Honor,
I'm well aware of that. So, when you were pregnant,
did you tell the other guy
that "I'm pregnant and <i> "you may be my
child's father?"</i> <i> Yes, Your Honor.</i> <i> What was his response?</i> <i> He stopped talking to me.</i> He wouldn't have
no contact with me. So, ultimately, Ms. Goddard,
you believe this man basically
just ruined your child's life? Yes, I do. I believe that
she also, like you said,
had a choice in that, but I think for him to
do it intentionally, which
makes it worse, because not only did you
do it intentionally but
you just walked away. You came, you dropped your
luggage, you didn't even
unpack. You left the responsibility on
her to do your dirty work. That's not fair.
That's not fair. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) And it bothers me more than
anything because I get it.
I get it. As women, <i> yeah, we should do
better because it's us,</i> and they walk away and don't
take the responsibility. I had her, I was 16 years old
and this is the last thing
that I would want for her to have to go through the same
thing. 'Cause to me I consider
it to be a generational curse to go from child to child to
child to have to deal with
suckers like this. Excuse me, Judge. Sorry. You used a word that
I could live with. (AUDIENCE CHUCKLING) And so what are
your hopes today? I just want my daughter
to know who her father is. And I want him to be there for
her because I know what it's
like to not have a father. And how about you
Mr. Harrison? I was raised without
a father too. My father passed away
when I was a baby, and basically I'm just
trying to be a better guy. Take care...
I'm trying to be... No, don't be a better guy,
be a better father. I'm trying to be a father
to this baby if this
baby is mine. Don't try. Do it! Do it! JUDGE LAKE: So you're
saying... The loss of your father and
living without your father
in your life, has affected you? Yes, my mother
had to be my father. My mother had to raise me, by herself. She has a father. He's not dead. He's not gone. My father is gone. So I want to know can I be a father to this baby, if it is mine? Do you know how
to be a father? Yes, I know how to be a
father. I take care of my son.
I take my son to the store, I take him to the park,
I do everything for my son. I got him
shoes and everything. Just because my mother helps
me, that's called helping. My mother helps
me to take care of this baby. Your Honor, he can't tell you
anything about his son. Anything about his son at all. Every time Shanterria
was over at my house... Shanterria could tell you. She
was always in the basement. My son was always upstairs. Either I'm with her,
taking care of her,
rubbing on her belly. I'm spending time with her
and not spending more time
with my son so I realize I need to spend more time
with my son so I started
doing that. I started spending
time with my son. My mother goes outside,
she does what she wants to do. Simple as that. And so, ultimately,
you saw the void not having a father
left in your life, and you're attempting to break that cycle
with your son. Yes. Yes. And will continue to try
to do that, if I'm correct, if it's determined that
Aniyla is your daughter? Yes. I will continue to do that if Aniyla
is my daughter. And if she is not your
biological daughter? I will go to continue
taking care of my son. Okay. I think it's time for the
results and then I will
rule on the lawsuit. Thank you, Jerome. Mmm-hmm. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics and
they read as follows. In the case of <i> Goddard v. Harrison,</i> when it comes to
eight-month-old Aniyla Harrison, it has been determined
by this court, Mr. Harrison, you are her father. (AUDIENCE CLAPPING) Now you know. Yup, l and I will be
taking care of her. As a real man should. So, despite the
arguing that has transpired today. The three of
you have something in common. And that's Aniyla. So, from here you've gotta use
that same energy that you
used to cut each other down. You've gotta figure out
how to now build Aniyla up. So, Ms. Goddard, you were suing for the
paternity test but also because you felt Mr. Harrison
had prevented you from the opportunity to go to
college by impregnating
you on purpose. You haven't proven today
that this man said in his mind, "I'm gonna
purposefully get her
pregnant for "the specific purpose of "keeping you from
your education "and that college
opportunity."
HARRISON: That's not true. And let's be honest even
if he said he did there
was another man on deck. So, for the reasons I stated,
judgement is for the defendant and I know that was an
opportunity that you really
wanted for yourself, and you will have to one day
just simply own and say, "No man can take away
an opportunity "that I give away because
of my irresponsibility." Yes, Your Honor. And now you, will have the opportunity
to think differently as
you get older and wiser. And you won't let
that happen again.
All right? Court is adjourned.
