Please be seated. -Hello, Your Honor.
-Hello. This is the case of<i>
Beckley v. Allen.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. [audience] Good day. Ms. Beckley,
you are in court today
to prove Mr. Allen is
the biological father of your one-year-old daughter
Ita'lei Beckley. -Yes, Your Honor.
-You say Mr. Allen has only seen
his daughter one time
since she has been born, and you want him
to take responsibility
starting today. -Is that correct?
-[Beckley] Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Allen, you say
you are more than certain you are not Ita'lei's
biological father, and claim
Ms. Beckley's accusations
are driving a wedge between you and your fiancee. -Is that correct?
-Yes, Your Honor. So, Ms. Beckley,
how do you feel that Mr. Allen has only seen
your daughter once? I'm very angry,
I'm very frustrated. He's been neglecting her
from day one, since I got pregnant with her. And I'm just sick of it,
and I just want him to... [audience] Aw. [crying] To take
responsibility of something we both made. It makes me feel angry.
I'm angry. She... She's without
a father, you know. And it's just...
It's terrible that she has to
go through that, and I'm raising her
on my own. I just feel like
you should be a dad to her 'cause you are her father. And you feel like
he's just neglecting
your child? Yes, ma'am,
he's neglecting her, um, with the other
two kids we have. And it's like,
he's in their life,
but you're not in hers, and it makes me
feel like, "Wow." Like, "Really?"
Look at her. Mr. Allen, are you
neglecting Ita'lei? Why are you not
in her life? Your Honor, um... The time of conception
made me have doubts,
strong doubts, um, that the child
is not mine. So, where was
your relationship? What was the nature
of your relationship
during the time when Ita'lei was conceived? Well, me and Ms. Beckley
had separated. We were co-parenting,
we were still good friends. [Beckley] That's not true. On Germany's second birthday,
he wasn't staying with me, but he ended up
coming back on her birthday. We had sex, unprotected. It wasn't baby-making sex,
it was angry sex. It's not about
baby-making sex.
Sex is sex. -It was angry sex.
-Sex is sex. -It was a...
-Whether it's baby-making,
love-making, hate-making, sex is sex.
And she's still here
as a baby. It don't matter
what type of sex it was. <i> It was unprotected.
Period.</i> -[Allen] Your Honor...
-Yes? It was angry sex.
I was mad at the fact that she put me
out the house that I had been there
taking care of her
and the children. She put me out the house.
Four months later, I come back
on my daughter's birthday, then a day or two later,
you tell me
that you're pregnant. -I want a DNA test.
-It was your
daughter's birthday, you came over
to the house
to celebrate and you ended up being
intimate with Ms. Beckley. -You admit that?
-I wouldn't say intimate, but I would say
we did, yes. Sex is intimate. Uh... -You had sex?
-[Allen] Yes. Angry, happy sex,
confused, <i> all those make babies.</i> [Allen]<i> Yes, Your Honor. Yes.</i> -Did you use protection?
-[Allen] No, Your Honor. All right.
So, how long after that did you find out
she was pregnant? -Within a day or two.
-[Judge Lake] A day or two? -That is a lie.
-Yes, Your Honor,
within a day or two she told me.
Yes, Your Honor. How can I tell you
a day after we have sex
that I'm pregnant? That don't even make sense. That don't make sense. One or two days after,
you're like, -"She's already pregnant."
-[Allen] Yes, Your Honor. There ain't no telling
who else she done let hit
before I hit. You feel me?
So, I'm like,
you know, like... -You need to stop lying.
You're a liar.
-[Allen] Your Honor... [Judge Lake] So, wait,
I wanna understand
from you, Ms. Beckley, how long after
you had sex, when it was your
daughter's birthday
and he came over, was it before you found out
you were pregnant and let Mr. Allen know? So, it was after a month,
when I found out
I was pregnant, I called to let him know
that I was pregnant, and from then
it was like,
"Oh, you're..." "That don't make sense.
You got pregnant too fast." Well, of course,
we, you know... So, you have other children
that he accepts. Was he supportive
during the pregnancy
with Ita'lei? Was he there for you,
doctor's appointments? No, ma'am.
I had an emergency
C-section. I was at the hospital
by myself. <i> He was not there.</i> <i> He was not there.</i> <i> I have evidence,
Your Honor.</i> -I'd like to see it.
-He signed, um, Germany's and Xa'Zayvier
birth certificate. Hers is not signed. So, the first one is for
Germany Jacqueline Ann Allen. <i> Father's name is there.</i> Second one Xa'Zayvier Dantez
Tyrell Jerome Allen. <i> Father's name is there.</i> <i> Third one,</i> Ita'lei Lisa
Alexandria Beckley. -[audience member] Hmm.
-No father listed. You didn't even give her
his last name. -He don't deserve it.
He don't deserve it.
-Your Honor, I was there for my other two children
by her. I even raised her
other daughter,
Your Honor. How could you tell me
I don't deserve something -when I stood my ground
for you and your children?
-You wasn't there. How she deserve
your last name? Did I not call for
a DNA test, Ms. Beckley? [Beckley] You did not. -You denied me
a DNA test twice.
-[Beckley] Okay. Twice. And now you telling me
I don't deserve it? I have children,
and all of them
have my last name. I didn't have
my biological father
in my life, so it would be a shame for me
not to step up for mines. -It would be a shame.
-You denied her from the point I told you
I was pregnant to now. Hold on. The point is,
I'm trying to understand
your doubt, Mr. Allen. She denied me the DNA test
not once but twice. That's what gave me
further doubt. For the fact
the way she told me
that she was pregnant was too fast.
The time of conception, she said that the baby
went full term April 1st. The baby was due March 11th. [Beckley]
I didn't go full term, I had her at 36 weeks,
Your Honor. My due date
was at April 1st. I had her March 11th.
Emergency C-section. She was not full term. [Judge Lake] At this point,
Ita'lei is here, and you have
two older kids together. So, how do you come
and see the other kids,
Mr. Allen, but not spend time with
or bond with Ita'lei? Well, Your Honor,
I have questioned
Shamiea about Ita'lei. You know, I ask,
"Can I speak to her?"
She say, "No." You know, I ask,
when she come... Well, while us
having visitation
every other week, we have swap and exchange
at a police station. She don't bring Ita'lei. She don't...
She don't make Ita'lei
a factor to my life. -She gave her...
-If you're denying her, why would I bring her
to see you? -That don't make sense.
-She gave Ita'lei
her last name for the simple fact that
she want to hurt me and break me down
as a father. -She wanna break me down
as a man.
-That's my child, that's why. Like I said, I didn't have
my biological father. He was murdered
the year that I was born. So, it would be a shame
not for me to be there
for my children. -That's why I'm here today.
-If I'm here raising her, going through
the pregnancy by myself, going through all this stress-- -You denied me a DNA test
for a whole year.
-You don't deserve it. I didn't deny you nothing. [overlapping argument] -[Judge Lake] Hold on.
Let's get some order.
-[gavel banging] Let's get some order. Let's get some order. Because I'm starting
to understand
what's going on here. This is a dance y'all do. You know this choreography. Arguing and dysfunction
and yelling and back and forth, you all do this well. Your Honor, I stepped
away from her. And this little girl
is the one suffering because she's a year old
with no father. -Yeah.
-[audience] Aw. Your Honor, I would
just like to say, as a man,
I have been... I have been really struggling
to make things work co-parenting with Shamiea. There's... There's
straight disconnection. She's nothing
but the biological mother
of my children. There is disconnection
in communication. You got a lot of nerve. You owe child support
for two of your kids,
forty-five a month, you can't even pay that. [Allen] Like she said,
she has me on child support. She get all the assistance. When my babies don't have
and she don't come
and pick them up accordingly, I struggle financially, and my fiancee
and her mother step in. So, I can't turn off
being a parent. So, talking about
you're tired... But you can turn off
making babies. -[Allen] Yeah, you're right,
Your Honor.
-No. -You're right, Your Honor.
-This is where you gotta
be on... Stop talking! -This is real.
-[Allen] Yes. -You seem like
an upstanding young man.
-Most definitely, Your Honor. -And you seem like
you have good intentions.
-Yes. I'm not gonna feel
sorry for you because you are
putting yourself
in this predicament. Once you knew
there was a potential that Ms. Beckley's baby
was yours, you gotta hit
that pause button. That's pause. "I already have
two with her. I may have another one. I don't need to entertain or put myself
in another situation to create another life until, number one,
I figure out
if this one is mine, and if I'm responsible,
legally, for her," because you are. "And am I in a position
to bring any more children into the world?" -I understand where
you're coming from.
-Listen, I get -what you're saying.
-But how could you tell me-- Don't talk over me! 'Cause if you had the answers,
you wouldn't be here. -I just don't like
being put down.
-Hold on! -I don't like being
put down about my kids.
-[Judge Lake] No, no, no. -'Cause I asked her
for a DNA test.
-You don't like -being told the truth.
-[Beckley] Damn. You like to...
You like to tell
your truth. But, Mr. Allen,
you've sat here
as a dad and expressed
with good intention your desire to be the dad
you never got to have. And what I'm saying
to you is that doesn't mean
that you've got to create more children to be
the best father. That just means
be the best father
to the children you have. And until you are
financially able
to have more, don't create more. It is about being
the quality of father
you can be, not having a quantity
of children. -[applause]<i>
-And that's just the truth.</i> [Allen]<i> I work hard
for every dollar I get</i> to provide
for my children. If that's the case,
I wouldn't have
my beautiful fiancee with me. She knows that I work hard
as a man to provide
for my children. Mr. Allen,
you brought a witness.
I'd like to hear from her. Ma'am, please stand. Before she says anything,
Your Honor, she has nothing
to do with it. Whatever she says,
it's false
and it's irrelevant. -[Judge Lake] All right.
-She don't know me,
I don't know her. Okay, let me be
the judge of that
since I'm the judge. State your name
for the record. Cheyenne Montgomery.
I'm Darius' fiancee,
Your Honor. She has told Darius
that he was not the father. It's been said that
she's told another guy
he was the father. Okay. Y'all got
proof of that? And if you're the fiancee,
where the ring at? -Girl, mind your business.
-Where the ring at? Right. -You have no business,
that's why you're here.
-I'm not talking to you. [overlapping argument] [gavel banging] [Judge Lake] Let's get...
Let's get some order. Take a breath. Unfortunately,
he's moved on. Oh, that's somebody
else's problem.
I don't want him. -[Judge Lake] Well...
-I was robbed of
my pregnancy experience because of her
and her madness. [Beckley] How? How were
you robbed of anything? 'Cause I always
take care of your kids... -You came in after I had my...
-[Judge Lake] Ms. Beckley,
listen... -Ms. Beckley...
-What you talking about? [Judge Lake] Ms. Beckley,
it doesn't help. See, this is why we shouldn't
go around having folks' babies
for sport. Because when you have
children with people,
you're tied to them. Baby's only 12 months old. Even if he's not
the biological father, you've convinced yourself
that he is. So, you're just so tied. And everything about them
just enrages you, and you just can't
control yourself. And all I'm saying to you is
it's not helping, it's not making this process
go any faster. It's not getting you
to the answer you want. It's not getting
the healing. And I just want you
to take a breath. -Ms. Montgomery.
-Yes, Your Honor. You testified
that you heard
Ms. Beckley had been sleeping
with another man. -Yes, Your Honor.
-[Judge Lake] Where
did you hear this? From a neighbor of hers. [Judge Lake]
A neighbor of hers
told you this? A neighbor of hers
contacted him
and told me and him that she was telling
another guy that
he was the father. Yes, Your Honor. Thank you.
You may be seated, ma'am. Ms. Beckley,
were you made aware that there was
someone saying that you told another man
he was the father? I wasn't aware,
and I never said that. -Okay.
-Never. Is there another man
who could potentially
be the father? -No, Your Honor.
-So, during your break-up, you never slept
with anybody else. I didn't sleep
with nobody. No. Jerome,
the envelope, please. [applause] These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics and
they read as follows. In the case of<i>
Beckley v. Allen,</i> when it comes to
one-year-old
Ita'lei Beckley, it has been determined
by this court, -Mr. Allen...
-Yes, Your Honor. ...you... are the father. [Beckley] Told you. You, too, fiancee. Step-mama.
Step-mama. [Judge Lake] Stop, stop. -[Allen] Your Honor...
-[Judge Lake] You all
are still very much tied. Everybody in this room
can see it. You may not want
to acknowledge, but you two
aren't finished. -And I don't mean physically.
-We're finished, Your Honor. -[Judge Lake] No, I don't
mean physically.
-We're finished. -I don't mean physically.
-No communication.
No nothing. There's too much
energy there. -[Allen] That's why...
-You all have to learn how to resolve
the relationship in a mature way so that you can understand
what to do with that entire thing
you created with all of these children. How many children
do you have? -Total?
-Today Ita'lei makes
seven, Your Honor. -[audience exclaims]
-[Judge Lake] Right. You in way over your head. But, Your Honor, I have... I have took care
of every last one
of my children. [Judge Lake] Hold on
'cause I'm ready to go because I see a man -who wants to do
the right thing.
-I've been a daddy. -I do for my babies.
-That's where-- And for Shamiea
to come here today and see her
talk about me like this, and for me to get put down
for having seven kids -as hard as I go
for my babies...
-Okay. [overlapping argument] I don't think
you were ever put down. -You were told
that you can't--
-[Allen] For you to tell me -to stop making babies.
-You can't. If I wanted
to have another baby and not take care of them,
that's my business. -[Judge Lake] But can you?
-Yes, I can. You just cried out
that you were struggling -and that her mom
has to step in.
-[Allen] But even though I'm struggling,
do that mean stop? -That mean go--
-[Judge Lake] Yes! -No, it don't.
-[Judge Lake] Yeah. -[Allen] No, it don't.
-[Judge Lake] Yeah. Does that mean
you stop providing? -Does that mean--
-[Judge Lake] Oh, no. -That's not what we're saying.
-Exactly. That means
get another job. That means you go
work harder. -[Judge Lake] Yeah, honey.
-That means
you cut some grass. That means
you paint a house,
you build something, you fix a car. You provide
for your children. You make sure them kids
have morals instilled in them. Right. And that was...
That was beautiful. But-- [Allen] I'm sorry,
but I'm just angry because I have seven babies that I put my life
on the line for. -[Judge Lake] Do you take care
of all of them completely...
-Yes. Yes. ...with absolutely
no public assistance -from any of the mothers?
-[Allen] Yes, I do! -[Beckley] No, he don't.
-Yes, I do. -I get no assistance.
-He tried to get me put off... -[Allen] I get assistance
from my fiancee.
-[Judge Lake] Okay. That's what I thought.
No, really, y'all need help. This is sad for me.
You do. It's okay to need that. And I need both of y'all to
stop raging against one other because you're gonna
bring it to the children. -It's her and them.
-[Judge Lake] And it is. But that's why
Dr. Jeff is here. And please take
advantage of it. Please talk to him. We don't want these babies
standing up somewhere screaming and yelling
at the top of their lungs because that's all
they ever saw both their mom and dad do. All right, I wish you all
the very best. Come on, let's do this. Court is adjourned.
