Died of a Heart Attack, But Was He the Father? (Full Episode) | Paternity Court

You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello.

This is the case of Beversdorf v. James. Thank you, Jerome.

Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms.

Beversdorf, you have opened your case against Ms. James to prove that her deceased son Darryl is the biological father of your four-year-old son Dakari. You say that once you prove paternity, Mr.

James better accept you both or she will never see Dakari again. Mr. James, you say that your deceased son had constant doubt about the paternity of Dakari and you know he's not your grandchild.

You state that you asked the plaintiff to take a DNA test three times, but Ms. Beversdorf refused. You have come to clear your son's name.

Ms. Beversdorf, you say that this paternity denial is affecting your son. Explain.

BEVERSDORF: They just. . .

It's the whole denial thing that's affecting my child and me. They don't accept him, they don't accept me. I'm just ready for him to have acceptance, love.

I want it to be real, not fake. I want him to. .

. You know what I'm saying? That's all family, everybody's family.

Not just my side, not just their side. I want it to be genuine. And I just know once I get these test results, it will be genuine.

And everybody will really know the truth. I want him to know, and to really have proof, that that is his father. I'd never want him to doubt that.

And I know. . .

JAMES: We would not have to have proof, if we wouldn't have had the doubts. The doubts were brought because of you. (AUDIENCE GASPS) Yeah, but.

. . JUDGE LAKE: Mr.

James. First, I'm sorry for the loss of your son. Thank you.

I am, and I would like to know. . .

You say the doubts were brought because of Ms. Beversdorf? Yes, because of the relationship that they'd beheld, in the time that he was with her.

Then they always fighting, breaking up, her seeing other people in between the breakup. BEVERSDORF: Nobody has proof of that though. I've never been seen with anybody else.

I've never been with anybody else. (TALKING OVER EACH OTHER) You were gone. You gone two weeks, and I'm like, "Where's Cayla?

" No, I was gone two weeks. Where? With someone.

. . With my sister.

At my sister's house. And when my son came to your house, she came outside to talk to him, but she wouldn't let him in the house, and she made him leave. WOMAN: Oh.

. . Do you remember that incident, Ms.

Beversdorf? BEVERSDORF: No. I know who my baby dad is.

I know. And I'm just so ready to prove it. JAMES: Well, I don't.

How long where you together, you and Mr Stevenson? BEVERSDORF: Four and a half years. JAMES: I don't know nothing about four and a half years, Your Honor.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) . . .

because I never knew her name until the day he brought her to us And then after he brought her to us. . .

One year. . .

Next year, she. . .

We got a baby. So the day he brought you to meet. .

. Brought her to meet you, he introduced her as his girlfriend? Yes.

JUDGE LAKE: Okay. JAMES: They had broken up in two weeks. She was gone, and then she came back.

The next week. . .

I was already pregnant, Your Honor. I was already pregnant. She came back, Your Honor, and now they're telling me that she was pregnant.

And you want me to say, "Well, okay"? I was already pregnant when me and him split up for the two weeks. But I mean, respectfully, how does Mr.

James know that? JAMES: Correct, because you and him, they'd had a fight. Her and him had a fight.

She leaves for a couple of weeks. Comes back. Next thing I know.

. . Son.

. . Her and my son, sitting in my kitchen, telling me she's pregnant.

And I'm looking like, "By who? " (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) So he's like, "Mom, we're gonna have this baby. " I'm like, "Okay, son.

"I'm with you, whatever it is you're doing. " He says, "Mom, until I find out it's not mine, "that is what. .

. I'm gonna stick by her. " But if you don't know that that's your child, why are you in the hospital?

Why does he have your last name? JAMES: Because he loved you! BEVERSDORF: Why did he cut the umbilical cord?

Why do all that, if that's not your job? JUDGE LAKE: Did he sign the birth certificate? JAMES: No.

BEVERSDORF: No, because when the nurse came in. . .

No. When the nurse came in to the hospital room, he was at home, taking a shower, getting clothed. He only left the hospital for maybe two and a half hours.

And so, for the two and a half hours he left, was the one time that they came in with the birth certificate for him to. . .

La-di-da! (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) JUDGE LAKE: And so, did he. .

. So when he came back to the hospital, did you say to him, "Hey, babe, you missed the birth certificate"? BEVERSDORF: That's when I called him.

. . And then he.

. . I said, "Hey, you missed the birth certificate signing, "but she's gonna come back to our room for you to sign it.

" He said, "Okay. " By that time, we were so excited bringing in the new baby, we didn't even remember about the birth certificate. JAMES: I asked him prior.

. . Almost two weeks to him dying to sign that birth certificate because.

. . She didn't know when he was gonna die.

I didn't. I'm just saying. She did not know.

I wanted. . .

And you know that I told him. So two weeks prior, that has nothing to do with that. JUDGE LAKE: No, no, no.

What she's saying is. . .

She doesn't have to know the date he was going to pass away. Correct! She's saying up until two weeks before it happened, She had been saying.

. . JAMES: To him.

"Are you going to sign that birth certificate? " "Son, you need to sign that birth certificate "in case something happens. " And you know you've heard me tell him that.

I've told him that in front of you. Why didn't he. .

. JUDGE LAKE: So even though he expressed doubts to you, it was still your position, Ms. James, that he needs to go sign that birth certificate in case anything happened?

Yes, Your Honor, for the simple fact of now, I have tried to get his DNA. Three times! BEVERSDORF: She never tried three times.

JAMES: Yes I have, Your Honor! You know why she don't know about the three times? She never tried to get no DNA test.

Because she never shows up. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) JUDGE LAKE: What happened? She never met me nowhere.

We never even. . .

I didn't have to meet you nowhere. She never called. She never told me anything.

I told you where the place was. JUDGE LAKE: Mr. James.

. . Take me through each time.

You say, three times. JAMES: Yes, Your Honor. Tell me about the first time.

JAMES: Okay, Your Honor. The first time that I recall telling Cayla, about getting the DNA, my son had crossed over, he had died. In the process of him dying, Your Honor, two weeks, I told her, "Go get his Social Security.

" Then we went down there, they told us, "We need his DNA, "so that we can, uh, prove that he was his, "because he didn't sign the birth certificate. " Why would I deny that? If I'm so confident, why would I deny.

. . Why didn't you come and.

. . It doesn't make sense, Your Honor.

I would never deny a DNA test when I'm so confident to come on here to prove about my son's father. JUDGE LAKE: So you're saying you've never even been asked. No!

JAMES: Your Honor, that's a lie! BEVERSDORF: Never! I've never been asked.

So. . .

I wouldn't deny it if I was asked. I would never deny that. Just like I didn't deny coming out here.

But Mr. James is saying you. .

. JAMES: You brought us out here, because I told you I was not gonna put him on my 401k, and now that my brother has died. .

. I brought them on here. .

. I wasn't gonna put him on my insurance. .

. . because my father actually watches your show every day.

And since I wasn't gonna put him on my insurance, you got mad. . .

(AUDIENCE GROANING) . . .

because you felt like he needed Darryl's money. So, Mr. James, tell me about the second time you requested a DNA test.

I've heard about the first time. Tell me about the second. She never requested a second time.

Yes, I did, Your Honor. (LAUGHS) On a Monday. .

. Over the weekend or whatever, this particular second time, I asked her, "Hey, let's go "through legal aid, help us. .

. " Somebody to get us DNA so we can get Social Security started. We were supposed to do the test, like, Tuesday or Wednesday.

I didn't see her till Friday. She allowed me to take Dakari, with me to see the brother that just passed. We was probably gone a week.

I'd say, over a week. And I decided I wasn't gonna be a mother. Because I was retired.

So I got money, I could sit on my butt and enjoy it. Okay. So, she says, "When are you all coming home?

" They were never supposed to go to Omaha. They were. .

. You knew I wanted to go see my brother. They were never supposed to go to Omaha.

Your Honor. . .

She kept my son for like, two and a half weeks. . .

I surely did! I surely did, Your Honor. And that Sunday that she brought him, either she was gonna bring me my child Sunday.

. . I sure did.

. . .

or I was gonna call. . .

You did call the police on us! Child Protection Services. No, I didn't.

You don't even have a case. If I would have called the police, you would have a case against you. For taking, kidnapping my child for two and a half weeks.

JUDGE LAKE: All right. If this was my son's son. .

. If this were my seed, I should have some kind of. .

. Of paperwork. .

. That's why we're here today. (TALKING OVER EACH OTHER) JUDGE LAKE: Oh!

So, hold on, hold on, I want to understand this. So once you took the baby to visit when your brother passed away after all of the issue of, "Bring him back," and. .

. You said the police was called, you felt like. .

. "If this is gonna be my grandbaby, "I need to have something. .

. " JAMES: Paperwork. ".

. . that shows this is my son's child, "so it's not like I just went and got somebody's baby.

" Right! I didn't know about no test, Your Honor. BEVERSDORF: I would have.

. . Darryl's money.

. . But I've never, ever.

. . .

. . don't go to Kari unless he's Kari's.

My insurance. . .

The money wasn't an issue. Why would I wait until four and a half years later? My son's four and a half years old.

JAMES: That's right! Why would I wait this long about some money? JUDGE LAKE: Ms.

Beversdorf, with all due respect, that's exactly what Mr. James is saying. If you are so sure, and you know this is his baby, why wait four and a half years.

. . Because I was never asked about a DNA test before I.

. . Why should I have to ask you?

JUDGE LAKE: But if you weren't asked, even if. . .

Yeah, but she says she asked me three times. She never asked me once. I just asked you this year!

JUDGE LAKE: Listen, listen. . .

Okay. The point is that even if you disagree with the assertion that she's making, that she asked you to take DNA tests, even if you say, "No, you never asked me that. " Why have you not asked, and why have you not pursued?

Because I know who his dad is. It's not that serious. A piece of paper doesn't determine if he's my son's father or not, because I know.

. . It does legally!

. . .

that he's my son's father. For her. .

. It does legally! .

. . it might mean the world.

Yeah! But to me, and I know who my son's father is. .

. Then I don't have to get a piece of paper saying, oh, that this is his. .

. I know who it is. JUDGE LAKE: And so you have no doubt in your mind.

. . No, not one.

. . .

Mr Stevenson is Dakari's biological father. No doubt. Not one doubt in my entire mind.

Well, I do. Not one doubt. That's why we're here.

'Cause she doubts. JAMES: We surely are. We didn't get to the third time, but we're not.

. . (JAMES AND BEVERSDORF TALKING OVER EACH OTHER) Why didn't she write you?

Why was it all me? If she's so determined to get a DNA test, why was it me who wrote you, the one person who can help? Why was it me?

JAMES: Your Honor, ask her. . .

Ask her when did we go to the Social Security office together? Did you go to the Social Security office together? To see about getting Social Security started.

When we went there, they told me that I would need a DNA test, but because he doesn't have any real brothers. . .

Because he doesn't have any real brothers, that they cannot go through the mom, that they'd have to go through a real brother or sister, but he doesn't have any real brothers or sisters. So then they. .

. That put a halt on me even getting Social Security. They didn't say anything about giving her a DNA test.

Nothing about that. They said he doesn't have any. .

. JUDGE LAKE: But you. .

. But you did meet about getting a DNA test. BEVERSDORF: We met about getting Social Security.

We never met about getting DNA. . .

Which, a requirement is to have a DNA test. JAMES: All right! Your Honor.

Your Honor. I don't have it with me, and I wish I had it. .

. But that's because, she lives with me in my home, and, when she came. .

. She lives with you now? JAMES: Yes!

AUDIENCE: What? Whoa! Temporarily.

Mr. James, why. .

. Why did you take Ms. Beversdorf in, if you don't believe Dakari is your son's biological child?

By gosh, no! It don't have nothing to do with that. My son loved her and that baby.

And if there's anything in this world that I can do, for that kid not to feel any kind of difference. . .

He already got a strike against him. Then I did what I felt was right in my heart. That sounds good, but.

. . JAMES: And that was taking him in.

JAMES: It's her I don't want. If there's a legal battle to the point that he is ours, then I feel they'll give me certain visitation rights, without her. Oh, you are hoping that there are grandparent rights.

. . JAMES: I don't know, Your Honor.

. . .

in your state. Your Honor, I'm really just hoping that he's ours. I'm really hoping he's ours.

Because I am not sure that he is our child. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) I'm just not sure. There's just nothing else you can tell me.

. . There's nothing you can tell me, until you open that envelope, that he's ours.

So the truth is, you're hoping that Dakari is your grandchild, but because of the doubts your son expressed to you openly, before his passing, you have doubt. Because you were told by him that he had doubt. JAMES: Yeah.

And you were told by him that the reason why he did not execute that birth certificate for 11 months is because he didn't know. It wasn't 110%. .

. JUDGE LAKE: He loved them, but he didn't know. He loved her, which means.

. . He knew.

Well, my mom said, you take the big cookie, you take all the crumbs that go with it. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING AND APPLAUDING) JUDGE LAKE: Well. .

. That's a word for church today. Take the big cookie, you take all the crumbs that go along with it.

I'm gonna use that again. Uh. .

. Jerome? JEROME: Yes.

With that said. . .

Let's get the results. Yeah, Judge. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Here you go.

Okay. These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. Because there wasn't a blood card available to test the DNA of the deceased, Darryl Stevenson, we performed a DNA test with his surviving parent Jacquelyn James.

With that being said, the results determine if there is a viable relationship between the child Dakari Stevenson and Jacquelyn James. In the case of Beversdorf v. James, when it comes to four-year-old Dakari Stevenson.

. . It has been determined by this court, the percentage of relatedness between Mr.

Jacquelyn James and Dakari is. . .

Ninety-nine percent. You are related. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) (CRYING) I'm sorry, Cayla.

I'm sorry. I really am sorry. I'm sorry.

This is all we got. . .

I'm sorry, Your Honor. Thank you. There's no more doubts.

No more doubt. JAMES: That's the only grandbaby I got. AUDIENCE: Aww.

. . 'Cause, you don't know, Your Honor, that was a blessing, all by itself.

The burden of the last couple of years looking at him, wanting him to be ours, 'cause of all the animosity that I had against her, was because I wasn't sure. JUDGE LAKE: We could see that. And even without being sure, you still tried to do the right thing, by opening your home to her and Dakari.

And most importantly, even though you all might fuss and fight, or whatever it may be, we could still see the love you have for that child. This is a turning point. We've now turned the page to a new chapter.

And I would like to know, Ms. James, if you would like to see your grandson. .

. JAMES: I would. .

. . in my chambers because you now know it is your grandson.

A hundred percent. And I'm sure he would love to see his mommy and his nana. JAMES: Without fighting.

Without fighting. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Right? All right.

I'm gonna have Jerome go and get him, and I will meet you all in my chambers, all right? JAMES: Thank you, Your Honor. Court is adjourned.