Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of Davis v.
Gilbert-Jones. Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone.
AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Davis, you say that you are convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Mr Gilbert is your son Corey's father.
You feel the only reason Mr Gilbert is denying paternity is because he has been brainwashed and manipulated by his meddling sister. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: Mr Gilbert, you admit you once believed you were Corey's father, but began to have doubts once your family heard rumors that her son was fathered by another man. You are here with your sister to get down to the bottom of this and find out the truth, is that correct? Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: So, Ms. Davis, you're blaming his family for this doubt? Yes, Your Honor.
Explain. We planned this baby, and then, when I got pregnant, he was there. And it was like, when he told his family I was pregnant, that's when they turned against me.
And they had put in his mind that he's not the father of my son. You were in a relationship? Yes, ma'am.
Tell me about the relationship. We met in my old neighborhood. It was like love at first sight.
We was friends first. When we was in love, I didn't wanna get pregnant, but he wanted a child. And so, wait, you're dating, you say you fall in love, and he says, "I want a child.
" He wants you to have a baby? DAVIS: Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: And you say, "Okay.
" Yes. We planned. And you all purposefully try to get pregnant?
Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: And were you committed? Were you boyfriend and girlfriend?
Yes, ma'am, I was committed. I haven't been with nobody else. JUDGE LAKE: Mr Gilbert, did you tell her you want to have a baby?
Yes, Your Honor. So, why doubt the baby? 'Cause it's like, the friends she hangs out with, I don't agree with 'em.
None of 'em. So, it made you feel like birds of feather may flock together? They always do.
DAVIS: But I'm my own person. I'm my own person, I know who I want. So, you admit that your friends are kind of out there, Ms.
Davis? But you say that you aren't? No.
So, I don't understand how this beautiful relationship went wrong to the point where now, this 7-month-old baby. . .
He knew I had friends when he met me. He knew that I was friends with them when he met me. He knew about them.
How long were you together before you got pregnant? DAVIS: Four months. Four months?
Y'all are acting like y'all was together for four years. Four months! (ALL LAUGHING) You already decided you want her to be the mother of your children?
Four months! Yes, ma'am. So, why do you doubt paternity then?
DAVIS: He wrote a love song about me. JUDGE LAKE: You're a singer, Mr Gilbert? Yes, ma'am.
And you wrote a love song about her? Yes, ma'am. So, I don't understand how you're doubting her.
Thank you. It's not doubting her, it's just doubting the situation at hand. It's like, my family don't feel like he mine.
They don't know me. My family don't feel like he mine. Maybe it's the persona she gave off.
You know? They don't know me. She gave me different vibes.
They was cool with me at first. That's how I got pregnant. And how did you find out you were pregnant?
I was sleeping all day, and he went to go get the pregnancy test for me. He told me I was pregnant before I knew. You remember this day, Mr Gilbert?
Yes, ma'am. And you go get the pregnancy test? Yes, ma'am.
You take the test, and what happens? It came up positive. JUDGE LAKE: And you found out you're pregnant?
Yes, ma'am. At that moment, did he express any doubt? DAVIS: No, he was happy.
Mr Gilbert, did you have any doubt? No, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: So, now I'm looking at this photo.
. . You look happy.
You look like you in a relationship, you all look like you a couple. And so. .
. Ooh, this is you. Oh, I always love these shots, you kissing the stomach.
So, you went through everything, and you thought this was your baby. He knows it's his baby. JUDGE LAKE: What upsets you, Mr Gilbert?
His family. (SOBBING) 'Cause I want it to be my son. .
. JUDGE LAKE: You want it to be your son? And they hurt his feelings 'cause that's the only thing he's happy about in his life, and they want to take it away from him.
JONES: That's not true. 'Cause you remember that moment, and that means a lot to you? That you were there for the entire pregnancy?
For this baby, and you had no doubts at that time? And when you see that picture. .
. DAVIS: They know it's his baby. JONES: We don't.
JUDGE LAKE: . . .
it just upsets you, 'cause you really want this baby to be yours? Yes, ma'am. Where did this go wrong?
JONES: The streets, the streets talking. She was messing with other people at the time, Your Honor. That's why.
. . What other people?
You don't even know me. We heard from people that she was pregnant. .
. Where? When and where?
. . .
before she started messing with my brother. And my brother. .
. No. If he could have kids, he'd have six of 'em.
That's my first child, my only child. He hasn't had any. And that's why we're in denial, 'cause my brother, he's sick, and he hasn't conceived any kids.
The baby don't look like anybody in our family. He doesn't look like us. .
. DAVIS: Yes, he does. Nowhere.
He doesn't, he doesn't look like my brother at all. He doesn't. Did the doubt happen while Ms.
Davis was pregnant? When she was pregnant, she used to be in my Grandma and my Momma's house all the time. We started denying it.
. . We never believed it because he's sick.
We never believed it. (OVERLAPPING ARGUMENTS) He's sick? What're you talking about?
He was told by a family member that he was sick with scarlet fever where he couldn't produce kids. Every girl that he's been in a relationship with, they was supposed to be pregnant. .
. Every girl wants my baby. Every girl.
No babies, Your Honor. (LAUGHS) (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) Every girl wants your baby? GILBERT: Not every girl.
. . (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) I guess he was trying to get other women pregnant, but it never happened, but I was the one that it happened to.
That's basically what she's saying. Okay, so, wait, Ms. Jones.
What reason would she have to claim that your brother. . .
Because what he has going on. DAVIS: You don't even know me. He's trying to be a rapper.
I was in the music business for a long time. People who are trying to be rappers, they don't have any money. JONES: Yeah, that's what I'm saying, but people think.
. . (LAUGHING) I know they don't have any money.
But people think they're going to make it, so of course they try to pin the baby on you. Oh, you're saying she thinks he's gonna make it. Yes, ma'am, that's what I'm saying.
I know he don't got no money. She don't know me. (OVERLAPPING ARGUING) JUDGE LAKE: Look.
Look, look, look. She thinks Ms. Davis believes you're going places.
And so, her thing was, let me attach myself to him via this baby. She did it. Yes, ma'am.
Then, your family sees the baby and tells you, "This is not your child. " You were together four months before you found out you were pregnant? DAVIS: Yes, ma'am.
Were you sleeping with any other guys? Before that time? No.
No, I still haven't slept with nobody else. Okay, Ms. Jones, what proof do you have that Ms.
Davis was sleeping with other people? JONES: First of all, the neighborhood that she's from, our family has grew up there, so they know. Of course, this is my brother, so I'm gonna defend him.
If somebody is coming to me with information about my brother, that they're saying that it's not his baby, of course, I'm not going to believe it, 'cause I don't know her. I need you to be specific as to what you heard. First of all, she was having threesomes with men.
She was already pregnant before she met my brother. That's what I heard. JUDGE LAKE: Okay, okay.
Let's go one at a time. Ms. Davis, is that true?
No. They can't even tell you that I talked to anybody. Why you sitting up here doing all this?
I don't know that, I don't know what she was doing. I don't know. .
. With anyone. With who?
JUDGE LAKE: So, now you even doubt? I planned my child. But you slept with me, though.
Yes, Your Honor, I planned my child. If you felt that way, why you was with me for? Why you was with me for?
Again, wrong. 'Cause you a female and I'm a male, of course. Okay, listen, listen.
One at a time. One at a time. DAVIS: Okay, but you made me have your baby though.
I still love you, so what you saying? I could say a lot of stuff he did with so-and-so. I never pinpointed him for anything 'cause he was hanging around that person.
JONES: I don't want my brother to be hurt. We want to know the truth. This is my brother, and I love my brother.
What're you talking for? (OVERLAPPING ARGUING) You're irrelevant. I want to know if this is my nephew.
Ms. Davis, if you all were in a relationship, you planned the baby, why didn't you ever get to know his family? I tried!
When I got pregnant, everybody turned on me. I tried. Your honor, she was at our house while she was pregnant.
And I can see that really hurt you. Because you felt like in the beginning you were accepted. And now, everybody turned on you, you say?
Yeah. Yes, ma'am. GILBERT: I didn't turn on you.
Nobody turned on her. . .
JUDGE LAKE: And you got the baby. . .
DAVIS: He's got doubts within himself, so I want. . .
I got doubts within you. Just read the results, 'cause they're gonna tell it all anyway. Thank you, Jerome.
You're welcome. JUDGE LAKE: Describe to the court what this shows. DAVIS: How they look just alike.
So, this is a picture of Corey. . .
DAVIS: Baby Corey. JUDGE LAKE: Baby Corey. DAVIS: And his dad as a child.
JUDGE LAKE: And you say his dad, on the other side. Yeah, that's me as a baby. And you say you see the resemblance?
DAVIS: Mmm-hmm. They just don't like me, so of course they're not gonna like my son. It's not about liking.
He asked me did the baby look like him? I told him, no. I don't think that's your baby.
So, Mr Gilbert, tell the court, what is your relationship like with Baby Corey? (SOBBING) I changed my life for that baby. I changed my life for him.
JUDGE LAKE: And he has your name. GILBERT: Yeah. JUDGE LAKE: You're on the birth certificate?
GILBERT: Yes, ma'am. I was there. JUDGE LAKE: When he was born?
GILBERT: Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: And now, the doubt that your family has, it's eating away at you, and you're starting to believe because of her associations that some of this doubt may be reasonable, in light of what you've heard about her? And didn't she try to get a DNA test?
Yes. So, Ms. Davis, how has his relationship changed with Baby Corey, since all of this doubt came into the picture?
He'll still be there for him. JUDGE LAKE: He's still there? He'll take care of him.
He'll be there for him. But you know he has the doubt? DAVIS: Yeah.
JUDGE LAKE: And you say it's because of his family. The truth it, if in fact he is Corey's biological father, the way you say, that's his aunt. JONES: Right.
And another thing, she was lying anyway, saying was getting a DNA test while we was in Missouri. Never did nothing. I never said that!
How does that make us feel? 'Cause they told me he wasn't on no birth certificate. (OVERLAPPING ARGUING) Hold on!
Ladies, ladies. I will say this, Ms. Jones.
At the end of the day, if this is his biological father, Baby Corey, then you know, you are a part of the village. Yeah, yeah. JUDGE LAKE: And, at the same time, I have to say to you.
. . I want my apology.
. . .
I understand why you have doubt. She act like somebody's out to get her. She don't know me.
Nobody's out to get her. It's not about knowing you. (OVERLAPPING ARGUING) I'm gonna believe a person if they're saying something about her that don't actually know her.
What're y'all talking about me for? But, listen, you also have to understand, like she said, he's already on the birth certificate. So, under the law, he is the legal father.
The fact is this, for her to come into this courtroom and stand here and say, "I want to bring this case because I want to prove "that Mr Gilbert is my child's biological father. " She has put herself in jeopardy. Because, had she never come, he'd be required to pay child support.
By her being here, she puts her own assertion in jeopardy. It could be proven today that he is not the biological father. My point.
But DNA under the law doesn't mean anything. Well, yes, it does. (AUDIENCE GASPS) By the law, yes.
Under the law. But they don't have DNA. What you have to understand is you're saying, she's trying to attach herself to my brother because he's going places.
What I'm saying is your brother already attached himself to this baby when he filed the birth certificate. Right, that's what I'm saying. I don't know what they did.
The crowd just want to know the DNA test. I don't care what they did, what he signed, none of that. Mr Gilbert, Ms.
Davis, what's the nature of your relationship right now? We're working on it. JUDGE LAKE: You're working on a relationship.
. . JONES: Well, I heard she's pregnant right now by another man.
Oh, you're lying, you're lying. While they still together. Wait a minute.
Wait, hold on, hold on. . .
(WOMEN ARGUING) Hold on. Hold on! (BANGS GAVEL) I'm sorry.
JUDGE LAKE: I'm trying to understand this. Did you just say, Ms. Jones.
. . Yes, ma'am.
. . .
that you heard Ms. Davis was pregnant right now? By another man, yes, ma'am.
Ain't you trying to make another one? Oh, okay. Oh, okay.
If she's pregnant by me, then, yeah. But I ain't heard about this other person. Why you never even heard.
. . Why you letting her lie?
Why you letting her lie? I ain't letting nobody do nothing. Wait a minute.
Mr Gilbert. Mr Gilbert, were you aware that Ms. Davis could be pregnant?
Yes, ma'am. I'm aware of that. JUDGE LAKE: Oh, you're aware that she could be pregnant?
She hasn't told me that she's pregnant yet. I'm waiting on her to say she's pregnant. He's trying to get me pregnant.
We're both trying to get her pregnant. Mr Gilbert. This is not a joke.
GILBERT: No, it's really not. I mean, this is serious. When I saw you see the picture of yourself kissing her stomach and the way you burst into tears.
We have to be responsible in this life. Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: Hold on now.
We can't bring babies in the world like we baking cookies. Making cupcakes. "Ooh, yeah, we did that, now we gonna make another batch.
"Now we gonna make. . .
" That's not what it is. These are real, living, breathing people. Ms.
Davis, I have to ask you. . .
Ms. Jones has asserted that she's heard that you are already pregnant now. Are you pregnant now?
No, and if I was, it would be by her brother. Who you hear all this from? It don't matter.
JUDGE LAKE: Well, you said that you all have been trying to have another baby. Have you taken a pregnancy test? No.
GILBERT: No. JUDGE LAKE: So, you don't know? No.
We came here to get answers for Corey. If we could get other answers, we would have helped to get those as well. But, where we stand now, we have one child.
Eight months old today. So, I can't think of a better day to get the answer to the question that is lingering over his beautiful, innocent, little head. Jerome, I'm ready for the results.
Okay. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) JUDGE LAKE: These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows. (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) In the case of Davis v.
Gilbert-Jones, JUDGE LAKE: When it comes to 8-month-old Corey Gilbert, Jr. , it has been determined by this court. .
. Mr Gilbert, you are the father. (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) (INDISTINCT) If you want to stay over there you can, Mr Gilbert.
It's good. Ms. Davis, what are you feeling, honey?
I've been trying to get this out for so long, and it hurts. It hurts bad. JONES: Well, we got the truth now.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) So, you have the answer now. Can we get this baby's life on the right track by giving him a foundation? Yes, ma'am.
JUDGE LAKE: You say you've been working on your relationship. And now that this paternity question is all said and done, is it your intention to try to be a family, to be together? Yes, ma'am.
Yes. JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Jones, family ties begin to get strained in situations like this.
It's not just about you. It's about Baby Corey. Because he's going to come to love his auntie.
He's going to love to come to his auntie's house. When the family dynamic gets at odds, it'll become that thing of, "Well, I don't really want to go over there. " Or, "I don't want to go to the family reunion.
" More often than you know, your family unit is going to be your foundation when you need them. And you all have not lived enough life to know how often you will need you family. I hope you start knocking those chips off your shoulders 'cause they don't serve you.
They're not gonna serve the family. And they definitely don't serve the children. I wish you all the very, very best of luck.
Court is adjourned. ALL: Thank you.