Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello.
This is the case of Johnson v. Rice. Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms.
Johnson, you have summoned the defendant to court today to prove that he fathered your six-month-old son, Jeremiah. BRIANNA: Yes, Your Honor. You are furious that he never met your baby, and plan to prove paternity today.
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Mr Rice, you say you are 100% certain you are not her child's biological father, and you claim to know who is.
Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: All right, so, Ms. Johnson, Mr Rice has never met your son?
No, ma'am. Since he was born, he wasn't at the hospital, nothing like that. Um.
. . He hasn't been there since I was two months pregnant, actually.
Mr Rice, you haven't seen the baby not once? You haven't come to see the baby once? No, Your Honor.
Why would I come see a baby that I don't believe is mine? I have my doubts for a reason. Tell me what happened?
How did this relationship start? Take me back. Okay, back in.
. . I wanna say June, end of June, um, me and my boyfriend, um, we broke up, and I was in my feelings, so I took comfort in Mr Rice.
And we. . .
We were friends prior to that. Um, but it went further. .
. Than expected. Uh, we had.
. . We had sex, and I found out I was pregnant in September.
Back when we first met, back in high school. I've always had a crush on her, you know. When she needed something, you know, I would be there for her, you know.
Even when she needed a shoulder to cry on, I was just that person to be there. Okay, so you all have a history. Yeah, and I finally got my shot and I decided to take it.
JUDGE LAKE: Okay. (LAUGHING) Like the old folks say, "Tell the truth, shame the devil. " Let's just tell it.
What happened? So you all start having a sexual relationship? BOTH: Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: How long did it last? Uh, it lasted about two months. Three?
Three? I mean, two to three months. Tell me what happened when you found out you were pregnant.
Uh, I had just a regular doctor's appointment. I wasn't feeling good. And when I got in there, she said, she was like, "Ms.
Johnson, you're pregnant. " And I was like, "What? " She was like, "You're pregnant.
" At first, I was in shock, like I was freaking out, like, "Okay, I'm pregnant. " And, um, me and him had already. .
. Me and Mr Rice had already talked about, you know, he said he wanted kids and. .
. I didn't think it was a problem. I thought he would be happy that I was pregnant.
I wasn't. He was happy, but. .
. Then, I just. .
. I don't know. JUDGE LAKE: Then what?
I got in my feelings and we. . .
I broke up with him. I think it was more. .
. Yeah, we broke up. I realized that my feelings wasn't as strong as they should have been, so I told him that I didn't wanna be with him.
So, Mr Rice, tell me your side of the story. She tells you she's pregnant and you say you're happy at first? Yes, I was excited about it, until she decided to tell me it could be her ex's baby or it could be my baby.
So, tell me the story. Tell me exactly what happened. She comes to you.
. . How did she tell you that she's pregnant?
Well, first of all, I had left my phone in my brother's car. I was at school. JUDGE LAKE: Okay.
And he came and told me about it. And then I got on the phone with her, and she told me. So, how did he tell you?
Was it on your phone? She was calling my phone. I messaged his friend, because I knew him just like he knew him, so I messaged him with, like, "Have you seen Mr Rice?
" And he was like. . .
He hadn't seen him. But when he does, he'll tell him, you know. .
. I told him to tell him I was pregnant. And he told him.
And so, I call her. I got on the phone with her, and I was talking to her. And I was excited about it, you know.
I was thrilled and I was happy. This is something I always promised myself to do 'cause I was left as a child of my own. My mama raised me on her own.
Okay. So you had in your mind. .
. If I ever had kids, I'mma always take care of mines. So.
. . So, go ahead.
Tell me what happens next. Well, we go on, I go about. .
. I go to about one doctor's appointment with her. And after that, she tells me she has an STD.
(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) I said, "Okay. " So I go to the doctor, I get checked, I take the medicine, but the doctor calls me the next day and tells me, "Sir, you don't have an STD at all. " That doesn't make sense to me at all, Your Honor.
Because, I mean, I wasn't. . .
But if it doesn't make sense. . .
I wasn't having sex with anybody but him during the time, so there was no way that he didn't have it because I wasn't sleeping with anybody else. She was there when I took the test. Yeah, I was there through everything.
I'm the one that told him to go. . .
And so you were told you don't have the STD? Correct, so I called her and I asked her, and the first thing she said when I told her I didn't have the STD, she told me, "I didn't cheat. "I promise, I didn't cheat.
I won't do you like that. " It's the truth, I didn't. I didn't cheat.
So what would that tell you in your mind? If your significant other tells you, you have a STD and the doctor tells you you don't have it? That would tell me there's a problem.
KESTON: There's a major problem. And we've never had protected sex, not one time in our relationship. So, there's my.
. . There's my problem.
JUDGE LAKE: So at that point, the doubt rears its ugly head? Yes, Your Honor. And Mr Rice has never laid eyes on the baby?
No, Your Honor. And you believe her ex is Jeremiah's biological father? That.
. . That means she was cheating already.
I haven't cheated on him. I haven't been with anybody else but Mr Rice. But it doesn't make sense, 'cause right after we broke up, maybe a week or two later, she was right back with her ex.
BRIANNA: But he knew that. She told me. .
. He knew, he knew that I wanted to be with my ex. He knew 'cause I told him, She told me.
"I don't have feelings for you. " She told me this out her own mouth. I said, "I care about you, "but I don't love.
. . like, I'm not in love with you.
" So I went back to my ex because that's what my heart wants. But she told me this out of her own mouth. When she told me she was pregnant, she told me she didn't want it to be James' baby because she didn't wanna be with him.
Did you tell him that, Ms. Johnson? Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: So you did say that? Right, but I wanted to be with my. .
. My ex. But, no, I did not want the baby to be his during the time because.
. . That's another story.
So, now, at this moment, Mr Rice, you believe Ms. Johnson's ex-boyfriend is the father of Jeremiah, not you? Because when she told me she was a month pregnant, it was in October.
But if she was a month pregnant in October, the baby was supposed to be born in June. The baby was born in April. Oh, so what you're saying is, the timeline was off from the conception date she gave you.
Yeah, she told me at the beginning, when she go to the doctor and find out how long she is, whether she's two-month or one-month, if she was two months pregnant, it will be James' baby. But if she was one-month pregnant, it will be my baby. And she told me out of her own mouth, "I do not want it to be my.
. . "I do not want it to be James' baby.
" So you believe she manipulated the facts to make the child point to you being the father? Yeah. But then, when you heard about the STD.
. . That just.
. . That just made it worse.
JUDGE LAKE: The doubt? That just made the doubts worse. You got a little smirk on your face, Ms.
Johnson. That's because he lying, but. .
. JUDGE LAKE: You don't think he's telling the truth? No, we didn't get together until.
. . We literally didn't start dating.
The first time we had sex was July 17th of 2016. JUDGE LAKE: All right, so. .
. BRIANNA: First time. So, the bottom line is you're sticking to your story, BRIANNA: Exactly.
that during the window of conception, you were only sleeping with Mr Rice. That's correct. All right, I would like to hear from this other man in this saga.
Jerome, please escort Mr Williams into the courtroom. Sir, come with me. You're going to go up to the witness stand next to the judge.
All right. Mr Williams, thank you for joining us today. How you doing today?
You know, we are here to discuss the paternity for baby Jeremiah, and we are here talking to Ms. Johnson and Mr Rice about their brief relationship. And Ms.
Johnson believes Mr Rice is her child's biological father. Yes, ma'am. Tell me what part you play in this.
Well, we got together, back together, like, September, I've been there since day one. Like doctor's appointments, changing Pampers and everything. Mr Rice believes that you and Ms.
Johnson were still sleeping together during the time they were sleeping together because she admitted she got an STD and he did not have it. So. .
. Did you have one that you could pass to her? No, ma'am, 'cause we had took a test, too, and I didn't have it.
You did not have it? Yes. So, Ms.
Johnson, was there somebody else? No, the only. .
. I've never cheated in any of my relationships. So, honestly, I don't know how neither one of them didn't have it.
So you're back in this picture now taking on the role of father, being there for the baby? 'Cause Mr Rice has admittedly said, "I don't think I'm the father, "so I didn't step up to take care of the baby. " He hadn't even laid eyes on the child for six months.
Yes, ma'am. So, Mr Williams, when Ms. Johnson was pregnant, tell me specifically, who did she tell you was the father of the child?
Mr Rice. JUDGE LAKE: She told you Mr Rice was the father? JAMES: Yes, ma'am.
I was angry at him because of a situation that we had went through before we broke up, so, no, I didn't want him to be the father. Hm. But then, you get back together with him?
Right. But, Mr Williams, you admit that you thought at some point that were was a real possibility that you were the child's biological father. Yes, ma'am.
Do you still, in the back of your mind, think that way, despite what she tells you? Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
JUDGE LAKE: You do? JUDGE LAKE: So you think this is your biological child? Yes, ma'am.
And so, Mr Rice, I can imagine that only furthers your doubt, hearing this testimony, even if you've never heard it before. It does, and I wanna tell you about my DNA test doubt. Please, step up to the monitor and tell me what this says.
Well, Ms. Johnson called me on the day Jeremiah was born. And she told me I could come up there and I can get my DNA test done, you know, whatever I needed to do.
I said, "Okay, I will come up there when I get off of work. " Well, maybe an hour or so later, she decides to text me and call me back saying that the DNA test people were not in the building. So I said, "Okay.
" She said, "You should come tomorrow, on a Saturday. " This was a Friday when he was born. So I called myself while I was still at work.
The DNA test people were in the building, on that Friday. They would not be there on that Saturday. JUDGE LAKE: And so.
. . So after she gets out of the hospital, she says, uh, "You can get a DNA test done, "but I don't have $200 to $400 to pay for it.
" I said, "I will pay for it. " So, when I finally get to one, when I found a clinic that will take the test for her for about $200, I never heard back from her. AUDIENCE: Oh.
So you actually found a place that could do the DNA test and were. . .
You were prepared with the money to take the test. Yeah, 'cause I was ready to. .
. And then she went, as we learned in this courtroom, is called "going ghost". KESTON: Ghost.
Ghost. I didn't hear from her for a while. All right, thank you for that evidence.
I wanna come to you, Ms. Johnson. Is what Mr Rice asserted here in this monitor true?
The first part is true. Um, I did call him when I gave birth and I told him that, um, the DNA test people weren't there because that's what the nurse told me. I kept asking her, you know, "Are they here?
Are they here? " She said, "No, they're only here on the weekend. " So I told him to come Saturday.
Right. And when I texted him Saturday, he told me that something was going on with a family member, so I just left it alone. And yes, after the fact when I left the hospital, he said that he wanted a DNA test and that he would pay for it, but he never contacted me after he said that he would pay for it.
He. . .
We had not spoken, we barely speak to each other. And if we do talk, it has nothing to do with the baby. So now, Jeremiah's six months old.
BRIANNA: Yes, Your Honor. And he has your last name. Yes.
But what's interesting is I did notice when I looked at the birth certificate, baby Jeremiah has a middle name, "Semaj". . .
BRIANNA: Yes, ma'am. Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Which is "James" spelled backwards.
BRIANNA: Yes, Your Honor. And that's Mr Williams. Yes, Your Honor.
I felt like since he was there from day one, that he should get some kind of credit for, you know, being there and taking care of him. I didn't feel like that was a problem. We ain't in school, this ain't an extra credit.
BRIANNA: You're right, you're right. We not. .
. We not dealing with the extra credit for, uh. .
. This is a very real situation and I'm gonna be honest. I mean, this is a beautiful photo.
And it's beautiful that you appreciated what Mr Williams was doing, but I mean, of course, this child will grow up and wonder, he will definitely wonder, "Mama, where in the world did you get 'Semaj' from? " KESTON: But, Your Honor, this is what. .
. This is what she texts me and tells me on Facebook, you know. A few, about a few weeks ago, she texts me and asked me to go buy diapers, Pampers, and something from the store and bring it to her and she will give me the money for it.
Okay. So did you do it? No.
'Cause I'm not gonna do it. I've been trying to. .
. I've just canceled all communications with her for. .
. For one reason. I don't know if it's my baby, so I'm not gonna take care of something that's not my job.
JUDGE LAKE: But, but, okay, but. . .
You have to also consider, because there was a question of the conception dates, and you do say that you were sleeping with her without using protection. What if Jeremiah is your child? If Jeremiah is my child, at the end of the day, I'm gonna take care of my son.
And you understand that you've missed his birth, you've missed the first six months of his life, the bonding of that, because of the doubt. You're willing to accept the fact that you've missed that part of his life? I can't do nothing but accept it.
But if he is my son, all I have to do is make up for it. If he's my son, I gotta take care of my responsibilities. I live on my own and I work two jobs.
If he's my son, I'm not gonna leave him out there like my daddy left me. JUDGE LAKE: Amen to that. So you've never laid eyes on this child?
No, ma'am. You've never even had an opportunity? You've never even said, "Hey, you wanna see Jeremiah?
" She texted me and told me I can see Jeremiah. I've done it but he doesn't want to because he doesn't, he's not. .
. Like he said, he's not sure, so he has never came. All right, you know what?
It's time to get down to the bottom of this. Jerome, I'm ready for the results. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) There you are.
These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics, and they read as follows. so I'm not gonna take care of something that's not my job. JUDGE LAKE: In the case of Johnson v.
Rice, pertaining to whether Mr Williams or Mr Rice is the father of six-month-old Jeremiah Johnson, it has been determined by this court. . .
The biological father is. . .
Mr Rice. JUDGE LAKE: You are the father. How does it feel to know for certain?
I feel better to know that he's mine. I know I can move on now and know I got a responsibility to take care of. Mmm-hmm.
He needs that. And I know from your experience, as you've been so honest in this courtroom about growing up without your father, and saying in your mind, being determined about if you ever have a child, you're gonna be there for him. He needs you there.
So, now, we have to break this cycle, Mr Rice. KESTON: Yes, Your Honor. Right?
Yes, ma'am. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) Ms. Johnson, I have to ask you, for baby Jeremiah's sake.
Would it be okay if Mr Rice saw his son in my chambers for the first time? I mean, I've never had a problem with it 'cause I've known from the beginning. Would you like to see your son?
I would. JUDGE LAKE: Good. I will meet you in my chambers.
Court is adjourned.
