You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of<i>
Knox vs Bailey/Bailey.</i> Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Knox, you are seeking
a DNA test to prove to your ex-boyfriend,
Mr. Bailey, that he is the father of your
one-year-old son Kash. You claim the only reason
he's denying your son is because of his
meddling mother. Not only do you want
to establish paternity, you are also suing for
child-rearing expenses in the sum of $3,480,
is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Bailey, you claim your
son is a famous dancer and is about to hit it big. Both of you claim Ms. Knox
is pinning a baby on your son because she is after his fame
and future fortune. TANYA: Yes, Your Honor. So, Ms. Knox, what has
Mr. Bailey done for Kash
since he's been born? Your Honor, for the past year
that I've had my child, I had to struggle
to take care of him alone. I pay for everything. TANYA: That's because
you wanted to, little girl. That's because... No, ma'am. I paid for everything
because he didn't... No, ma'am. He quit his job
in June of 2014. He did not quit his job. I asked him when will he
start to pay for something
and he said he will. I always had a job... July 13, 2014, when he came, he didn't
help with anything, in
the hospital or nothing. I paid for everything. TANYA: Because
you wanted to, baby. You didn't have a job, so how
were you going to pay for it? (ALL ARGUING) Okay, hold on. You didn't
have a job. (ARGUING) JUDGE LAKE:
Let's get some order.
Let's get some order. You don't have
any money, so. (BANGING GAVEL) (ALL ARGUING) Let's get some order. TANYA: I've got more than you. No, you don't. You've got to listen
to the judge, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE:
Let's get some order. I'm sorry, Your Honor. Do you have receipts... KNOX: Yes, I do have receipts
of all the stuff ...that will substantiate? that I had bought
for my child. Jerome, may I see
those, please? I had to buy wipes,
car seat, strollers,
I had to buy everything. I haven't seen anything
from, uh, Mr. Bailey. So these are receipts for... KNOX: A car seat. JUDGE LAKE: <i> Walker,
car seat, swing.</i> Baby expenses.
They total $6,960. Yes, ma'am. Half of which is $3,480, which you say he would
be responsible for... Yes. ...to help raise the child
that you claim is, in fact,
his biological child. Ma'am, soon as my
potential child was born, I paid to get his,
um, circumcision. TANYA: Circumcision. I paid for that. That was $200
outta pocket, no question. Why, if he's not your child? No question. If you didn't think he was
yours, why pay for it? EDWARD: The same reason why
I bought everything else. You ain't do nothing
for your own son, so I don't even know
why you're here. You didn't take care of him,
so why are you worried
about my child? (ALL ARGUING) JUDGE LAKE: All right,
all right. Enough. JUDGE LAKE: Let's get
some order. (BANGING GAVEL) (ARGUING) You didn't take care of him. Let's get some order.
Let's get some order. Listen, I'm not going
to entertain this. The next time I have
to hit this gavel, I'm just going to dismiss
the case and we won't have
any answers today. Mr. Bailey, you knew this
was your potential child, but you did not
know for certain. Correct. That's why you
say "potential." Correct. JUDGE LAKE:<i>
After the child was born,
did you stay involved?</i> EDWARD: <i> No, I really didn't
get a chance to.
She took off to Texas.</i> Ms. Knox, you left the state? EDWARD: Two days. Yes, ma'am, I left to go
to Texas because I needed
help to raise my child. I couldn't go to your mother
because your mother
didn't even raise you. JUDGE LAKE: Why do
you think she left? Only she knows the real
reason why she left. So, when she left... EDWARD: I have evidence. I'd like to see that. This... This... What is this evidence, sir? I have evidence showing that
you only got those things
to stack up because I said I was going to put
you on child support. That's some of the stuff. No, ma'am. Yes, ma'am, I have it, too. Let's get some order. Mr. Bailey, you say this
is evidence of what? That's me, that's just, like,
some of the stuff I had
around the house, you know, that I purchased for Kash. <i> Some of the stuff he wore,
some of it he wore,
some of it's brand new.</i> <i> Still, you know, still
have tags on them.</i> KNOX: I have evidence showing
that he only did that because I said I was putting
him on child support.
I have evidence. JUDGE LAKE: Let me
see your evidence. I have the walker. I've never seen the clothes
but besides your... And this is evidence
you've submitted. It is a tweet that he says, <i> "I wonder how many more
receipts Imma need,
before I go to court."</i> KNOX: Right. What? What kind of tweet
is this, Mr. Bailey? What? It's a joke,
because who does that? Like, what type of father?
I have two kids. KNOX: You. You wrote it. JUDGE LAKE: No, did
you tweet this? Yes, ma'am. What is it about? I mean, it's me making a joke. Like, I have two kids. Like who does that,
who keeps receipts? I don't keep receipts
on my children. So, what, you're being
sarcastic in this tweet? Right. Your Honor, he... I never had to do that. Mr. Bailey, I want to
understand your doubt because you say
you're at the hospital. <i> You went through the
pregnancy with her.</i> <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> <i> You signed the
birth certificate.</i> <i> Yes, ma'am.</i> So when did
you start doubting? When his mother started
talking, Your Honor. I started doubting
when she, like, (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) when I start seeing her
actions, like, who does that? Around the time when I first
had doubts, right? I'm not no phone-checking
type person,
that's not my style, okay? But I just so happened
to go through her phone. She was texting me and this
dude around the same time. It was like the same
conversations, right? Like, minutes apart, not even,
you know, like, minutes apart. So, after the last
text message said, um, "I'm gonna come give you
a hug and a kiss," right? From the other guy
and my text message said, "I'm on my way
to come get you." So, it's pretty much
whoever got there first. If he would've got
there first, if she
was already pregnant, that probably would've
been his baby. She probably would've
been saying it's his baby. Wait a minute! What? EDWARD: She probably
would've been at his house. Wait! Wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait. One more second, Your Honor. Stop! I need you to start that again 'cause I'm not
understanding
this doubt. Okay. You're saying from a text message you saw... Before I got pregnant,
he said, Your Honor. Before she was pregnant,
you saw a text message
in her phone. KNOX: Mmm-hmm. EDWARD: Yes, ma'am. That's correct. EDWARD: Several. Several? So it was your
text message to her followed by another man. Yes, ma'am. And that other man's
texts had a... Intervals, our time intervals
was, like, right there. And it seemed like there was
something intimate going on
with the other guy? I mean, it was clear as day,
she was just, like... So what you're saying is that
that said to you in your mind, "She's having sex
with both of us." I think she was pregnant
when she met my son and the reason why I say
that because every time
somebody went over there, she was under the cover.
You don't... It's a shotgun house,
it was my house. I left it to him. So when you walk in,
you're in the living room, the proper thing
to do, little girl, is to get up and
acknowledge your guest... I wasn't going to
acknowledge you. You wasn't even there! I don't even like you. JUDGE LAKE: So hold on,
Ms. Bailey. I don't care If
you don't like me! Ms. Bailey, talk to me
because I want to understand
what you're saying. You said you believe
she was already pregnant... Already pregnant when
she met my son, and the reason why
I say that is because you on the "social
media", okay? So, obviously you saw what he
was doing for his other kids and maybe even what's
going on for him. KNOX: Your Honor,
he does not have a career, I don't know what career
you're talking about, but he was nothing when
I met him, he's nothing now. TANYA: And like you nothing. It was your house. Calm down. Ms. Bailey, explain
to me why you believe she was pregnant before
she even met your son. Because when we actually
did have a conversation, she's going to say, "Oh, well,
I'm three months pregnant." KNOX: Lies. And I'm like,
"Three months pregnant?" And that was in November... JUDGE LAKE: You brought...
Wait a minute. This is your evidence here? This is my board, ma'am. Please step over to the
exhibit and show me. Can I please show it to you? Three months. It was November,
she told me she was three and
a half months pregnant. She met my son in October. Either way, whether it
was November, December, <i> it don't matter,
little girl,
it don't add up.</i> So at this point,
I'm looking at her... Now, mind you,
she never one time got out of the bed every
time we'd go over there, she's always covered up. So, when I see her she's,
like, maybe in between here. JUDGE LAKE: <i> So you're saying
she looked like she was five
or six months pregnant.</i> When I physically saw her,
when she told me she
was three months. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. TANYA: Me even meeting her,
I had my doubts. Okay, you can step back
over to the podium. When he came and, you know, he was
trying to get me to talk
to the little girl, I said, "I don't think so,
there's just something
about her that I don't like." From day one,
I kept telling him. KNOX: That's what I say,
Your Honor. (SNORTS) Because he's about
to really make it big
as a dancer, you... TANYA: Yes he did take
a few trips to Hollywood. And came back with nothing. He was in Hollywood and he
came back with nothing. You don't know what he came
back with, you didn't get
nothing! He came back a week later.
If you go to Hollywood... He didn't come back
no week later, Your Honor. You're not going to come back
a week later to do this? What is that? Your Honor! That's not a career. TANYA: He did not come back
a week later. KNOX: <i> That's not money, 'cause
he's shaking his shoulder.</i> Hold on, baby. That's not a career, baby.
Come up with something else. Have you ever requested
a DNA test? Three times. I asked her three times
and we haven't seen Kash ever since I brought that up. And then every time
we want to see Kash, Edward has to
give her something. "Oh, well, if you give
me a case of diapers,
you can see Kash." JUDGE LAKE: Okay. KNOX: Your Honor, I still
don't receive the stuff. The reason why I don't give
him to him because, first off, their house is not
even properly...
It's not even a house. It's dirty,
it's filthy. It's... You're lying! You didn't... I still don't trust my child
with you because you didn't
take care of your own child so I have a problem with that. You are a liar, little girl! If you didn't take care
of your own kids, why would I, like, just freely
give my child to you? But you understand
that if he's in fact
the biological father of this child, he has a legal
right to see the child? He does, but if you're
not doing anything for him, there's no reason for
you to come get him. TANYA: Hold on. If you're not taking
care of my child... Listen, this is a good
legal lesson for you. Just so you know, Ms. Knox,
'cause if he's not
the biological father and somebody else is,
it doesn't matter. The right, the legal right
to see your child is separate
from your legal responsibility to take care of them. Okay. Meaning, a man can be
behind in his support, that happens, it does, but that does not
in any way affect, cut off his right
to see the child (AUDIENCE APPLAUDS) because ultimately it's about
the child's best interest. I'm trying to understand,
Mr. Bailey has gone through
this entire process, signed a birth certificate, he's seen some text messages
that he maybe says he feels like you might've been
with somebody else. But I just have not
gotten to this doubt. <i> I want to understand
what this doubt is.
Now, Mom, I heard you.</i> I get your doubt.
Mr. Bailey, I want to
understand yours, fully. I mean, she even, like, she goes as far as to
dealin' with my friends, like, a couple of my friends. I don't know she think
I know about it or not, but they always tell me,
they always come
back and tell me, "Son, your baby mama tore up,"
she trying to talk to me like, all the time, like, you know?
I know how dudes is. Never heard of it, Your Honor.
That's something... Wait, she tore up?
What do you mean? EDWARD: Like, a THOT. TANYA: She messed up. Out here, you know? KNOX: That is basically... Jumping around,
like, first of all, she constantly threatens me,
"Imma put you
on child support," then double back
couple days later, "I never do that to you.
I never do that to you. "I'll never put you
on child support." I'm, like, "All right."
Then she even tweets, like, she even tweets <i> how good of a father I...
She's happy, like,
that I've been there.</i> That I've been there,
and that I've been taking
care of my son and so on and so forth. But I received the letter
saying that she went down, she must've went down
there and filed and took
me off child support. Why would you do that? The only reason... So you're saying you got
a letter in the mail that you were gonna be
taken off child support? No, that my case would
no longer be pursued. I didn't even know... JUDGE LAKE: So, when you
got that letter... The only way they'd
close your case is if somebody,
that she went down there and claimed somebody
else is the father, and she put somebody
else on child support or she just went down there...
Like, why would you do that? why would you take me out
if... I don't understand. So, Ms. Knox, yeah, I mean, if you had a case
pending against him and then they said they
were no longer gonna
pursue that case, did you go down and say... No, Your Honor, I filed for it at first and then... I really didn't
want to do it because
I feel like you grown, I shouldn't have to go through
child support in order for you
to take care of a child
that you helped me make. So, I did it
and then I took... I just ain't respond
to the case no more. So that's how
the case got closed. I didn't go down and say,
"Close the case." I just didn't respond to it
at all, but I recently... Why, though? I did it because I did not
want to have to go
through that process. I do not want to have to sit
around and wait on no check
that you do not have. You don't even have no
money to give me, you don't
even have a job. So I'm not trying to go
through no child support, I'm not trying to make
you go through it. That's why I did not
go through with it
the first time. But once I realized that
the year's just gone by and you're really not gonna
help me take care of my child, now you're back on child
support and now the process
is going to start, it's going to continue. It don't go like
that, dummy. How? Did you not receive
your papers?
I just came from court. What papers? What papers? You're going to receive
one in the mail. JUDGE LAKE:
Ms. Knox. All right! With that said, I think it's time
for the results. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDS) Thank you, Jerome. These results were prepared
by DNA Diagnostics and
they read as follows. In the case of<i>
Knox vs. Bailey/Bailey,</i> pertaining to one-year-old
Kash Bailey, it has been determined
by this court, Mr. Bailey, you are Kash's father. (APPLAUSE) TANYA: That's fine,
you still a tramp. JUDGE LAKE: You seem
emotionless. How does it feel? EDWARD: That's my son. I'm going to move forward with, you know, what
I got to do as a father and I'm not going
to let her bring me down, I'll just keep doing
what I'm doing,
'cause I know the truth. You both are going to have to figure
out how to parent this child. Now, as it relates to
your suit, Ms. Knox, you came in saying that you
had spent $6,960 by yourself caring for this child. Yes, ma'am. However, Mr. Bailey's
testified and you've
acknowledged he did pay $200 for
the circumcision as
it relates to baby Kash, he's going to
get credit for that. That brings the total expenses
for you alone to $6,760, half of which
will be $3,380. KNOX: Okay. My judgment is for $3,380
for you, the plaintiff. Because in fact, Mr. Bailey
is Kash's biological father and, Mr. Bailey, you have
a legal responsibility to
help care for that child. Let me give you
a newsflash before we go. As you begin to take
care of this child, keep receipts for
everything you buy. Have that there, if in fact
she proceeds with
the child support case, you'll be responsible
for that as well, but if there's ever any issue
about what you buy, you're going to be allowed,
if you buy clothes
for your child, or if you want to keep those
clothes at your house, you are completely, you know, that's fine
if you want to do that. But keep proof of what you
are doing for the child. If this comes up,
you will need it, if you have to deal
with this issue again. I wish you all
the best of luck. We have counseling
resources for you, take advantage of them. Figure out how to co-parent
with this child and Ms. Bailey,
you're a grandmother now. The two women here, I don't know what you all
think is gonna come of this
interaction that you all have, but the only person that's
going to suffer is this baby. KNOX: Oh, no. 'Cause nobody... Nobody wants to
see their mother... EDWARD: Your Honor... No, no, everybody's done
talking except me.
Everybody's done talking. The only person
that's going to suffer, if their mother and their
grandmother don't get
along, is the child. So let's get that
in check quickly, so he doesn't have
to sit through what
I just sat through. With that said,
court is adjourned.
