You may be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello.
This is the case of Lusk v. Paige. Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms.
Lusk, you and your mother say you have no doubt whatsoever when it comes to knowing who your three-year-old daughter Symari's biological father is. Yes, Your Honor. Unfortunately, the man you claim is her father has died, and now you find yourself facing off against his mother, who is just as convinced that she is not your daughter's grandmother.
Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Paige, you say there's no way in this world Ms.
Lusk is being truthful. For starters, you contend your son was in a committed relationship with another woman and until he passed away you had never heard of Ms. Lusk.
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. So, Ms.
Lusk, describe to the court how difficult this situation has been for you and your daughter. It's been more than extremely difficult being pregnant at 16, having to still go through school. These past four years, everything has been on me and my mother and I feel it's completely unfair, because he has a whole other side.
She has a whole other side to her family. My daughter is beautiful, and you missed out on four years. .
. Almost four years of my child's life. Okay, Ms.
Lusk, everybody is a single parent. Not only me. .
. You're not the only one. You're absolutely correct.
But you were a single parent as well. It happens every day. All day.
You raised Desmond by yourself. JUDGE LAKE: Order. Let's have some order.
You raised Desmond by yourself. You're. .
. Was now pregnant by yourself. So you should feel where I'm coming from.
Okay. Okay. But not only that.
. . JUDGE LAKE: Let's make some order, ladies.
LUSK: You're absolutely correct. I am, I'm doing a good job. I mean, I have two jobs!
Let's get some order. I have two jobs! Going back to college in August.
You're absolutely correct. You're absolutely correct. But you should be on my side if anybody, because you've been there.
Ms. Lusk. Ms.
Lusk, calm down. Calm down. Ms.
Lusk, you were saying, your daughter Symari is almost four. She's three right now? Yes, ma'am.
JUDGE LAKE: And you're saying, you believe Ms. Paige's son is her biological father. LUSK: Yes, ma'am.
Unfortunately, her son is deceased so this has been an ongoing paternity issue for the past three years, related to this beautiful precious little girl. And you're saying you need help. They're out for money.
I had insurance on my son. What money? I had an insurance policy.
. . That we knew nothing about.
JUDGE LAKE: Let her speak. No. No.
Unless it's proven, it's not my son's baby. . .
You never posted it on Facebook. . .
JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Lusk. .
. We knew nothing about her. You said you have an insurance policy?
Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: And so this insurance policy is in the amount of $50,000. You submitted that paperwork to the court.
It is your testimony today that Ms. Lusk is attempting to get a portion of that money. PAIGE: Yes, Your Honor.
And that's why she's claiming your deceased son is her child's biological father. Yes, Your Honor. I never heard of Ms.
Lusk. Never. My son was in a committed relationship.
That we knew nothing about. Ms. Lusk was never brought up, talked about or brought around.
That we knew nothing about. Who is Ms. Lusk?
And the crazy thing is. . .
The last time we were intimate, you knocked on the door. You interrupted us. Yes, ma'am.
I was in your house. It's in her head. It's in Ms.
Lusk's head. I was in the room. .
. I never heard of Ms. Lusk.
You came and knocked on the door. Ms. Lusk, explain to the court what happened that day?
It was a normal time scheduled routine that I would actually come over there because, we had times that I would come over to see him because he only stayed a few blocks from my school. And during certain periods, whether it was gym or my lunch period, I would go. I would walk.
He would meet me halfway. When was the first time you physically saw me? The first time I actually saw you.
. . When you proclaimed you were pregnant, you was very petite.
No stomach. Looking like an innocent child. (INDISTINCT) You had gone to the school to see my child.
You had to go to the school. Of course she wasn't showing. She was just pregnant.
You went to see Ms. Lusk at school? PAIGE: Yes, I did.
Yes, I went to see her at school to talk to her and to find out what was going on. She didn't look pregnant. She was holding her head down.
She had no stomach, whatsoever. But at the same time, this was my first time meeting you, Ms. Paige.
Her exact words were, "You look like his type. "You're very pretty. Very small.
" Ms. Lusk and Ms. Anderson, my son didn't have a particular type.
He was in a relationship. Ms. Paige, you're saying your son was in a relationship with a different woman, a long-term relationship?
Yes! For years. LUSK: More than one.
Another young lady came out to pin the baby on him and I did a DNA test and it was zero probability. No. I'm not claiming no baby.
No! JUDGE LAKE: Now, listen. .
. You said you had never seen her before until you went to her school? Yes, Your Honor.
How did you get the news that she potentially was pregnant? Well, I'm thinking that someone told me via Facebook or something like that. ANDERSON: No, ma'am.
JUDGE LAKE: So, please respond, Ms. Anderson, how do you know what happened? I contacted Ms.
Paige through Facebook to tell her to call me. She called me, and that's when I broke the news to her about my daughter being pregnant by her son. Okay.
And so you had a conversation and during that conversation what was said? The very first thing she said to me is, "My son is a legend. "My son has women coming out the woodwork.
" She seemed proud. He's always gonna be a legend in my book. She then had the nerve to say to me that.
. . Always.
. . .
her son had no reason to be doing whatever he was doing in his past, and. . .
Your Honor, we have never asked her for anything. At all. Once, she suggested bringing over a used walker, we declined her walker.
She went into one of her little, "Oh, that ain't my grandbaby. "Make sure you find your baby's daddy. " And she's publicly putting it on Facebook.
My child's name. Also to the point where I can't defend myself because she'll have me blocked. .
. Mmm-hmm. .
. . or she'll have it where I can't post comments.
And I don't slander her on my Facebook. Not once have I ever said anything bad about this woman. Ms.
Paige, are you posting things about Ms. Lusk, this young girl, on Facebook? She inboxed me, and me and her went back and forth on Facebook.
. . But what led up to that, Ms.
Paige? (INDISTINCT) What led up to that, Ms. Paige?
JUDGE LAKE: One at a time. PAIGE: I don't know anything about a stroller 'cause I'm not providing a stroller for a child. .
. ANDERSON: It wasn't a stroller, it was a walker. Whatever, I'm not buying nothing.
Once Symari was born, did you allow Ms. Paige the opportunity to see her? Did you say, "The baby is here now.
If you'd like to. . .
" No, ma'am. Because prior to that we were already where she was on Facebook saying, "You need to have your daughter find "the baby's daddy. My son is not it.
"You're not allowed to put the baby in the last name 'Paige. ' "You don't have my permission. " Like we really needed it.
(INDISTINCT) Like we needed. . .
We didn't need your permission. But, okay, but, the daughter's name is Symari Dior Anderson Paige. So you gave Symari Desmond's last name.
Without my permission. LUSK: We don't need your permission. It was permission when I lay down and was intimate with him.
PAIGE: No, no. . .
That's permission. That's permission. It's not being proven.
But it will be today. But it will be today. You're not his wife.
You're not his wife. You're absolutely correct. I don't have to be.
And you're not either. You wasn't in the room, Ms. Paige.
I'm his mother. Okay, and I'm his baby's mother. No, you're not.
Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. You're a wannabe.
What I'm not understanding is it seems like you all have had consistent contact with one another. Has Ms. Paige had an opportunity to see Symari?
LUSK: No, ma'am. Never? I seen her one time by accident at an acquaintance's birthday party.
So you've never had the opportunity to come by and spend time with her? She held my daughter at that party. She also had the opportunity, yes, ma'am, she has.
Yes, Ms. Lusk, I held her and I got a picture taken. .
. (INDISTINCT CROSSTALK) You posted it on Facebook. You posted it on your Facebook page.
To be honest, I don't. . .
This is my first time seeing you, Ms. Anderson. Yes, it is.
And my first time and hopefully last seeing you. (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) The feeling is mutual. Okay.
Because we don't want. . .
JUDGE LAKE: Listen, but if. . .
Listen! Listen. If the baby is Desmond's.
. . This will not be the last time you all see one another.
And that's why I don't know why we're carrying on up in here today like this. You all could both be the grandmothers of this beautiful, beautiful little girl. I'm definitely the grandmother.
This is my child. We know that. PAIGE: Mmm-hmm.
The statement was that, both of you all could be, meaning, Ms. Paige could be as well. Mmm-hmm.
So, at the end of the day let's just focus on the facts. . .
Yes. So we can see how we go forward. Now, I've done enough of these cases to know Ms.
Paige is grieving. She doesn't even have a person to review these facts with. Let's be clear.
She can't say to her son, "Desmond, I need to talk to you about this, this and this. "So I can get an understanding. " And so, I'm sure, much of this animosity, ma'am, and I hope I'm not speaking for you incorrectly, but much of this pain and animosity that is coming out in your testimony is 'cause you do feel like you have a situation before you and you have absolutely no one to ask a question about it.
And you've lost your son in the process. Is that true? Yes, Your Honor.
(SNIFFS) The only facts you can go by is the positioning of your son, what you were able to see prior to his passing, and that is what you were told and you thought he was in a relationship with someone else. A long-standing relationship. Am I correct?
Yes, Your Honor. And you didn't have any reason to know or believe your son was having sex outside of that relationship with anyone else. Is that what you're trying to say?
Yes, Your Honor. Okay. I am just trying to give you all an opportunity to calm down and to see that there are two sides to this story.
There really is. Now the animosity you all have built up, that, that is because you've handled the situation inappropriately. A situation this delicate, it had never need to play out on a Facebook.
Ms. Paige, I wanna understand from you, have you tried to asks some of Desmond's friends? Maybe some of your other family members.
"Were you aware that he was in a relationship with Ms. Lusk? "Were you aware.
. . "He may have had a child?
" I have asked everybody. Nobody even know of Ms. Lusk.
Nobody. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. Now, Ms.
Lusk, I wanna ask you, respectfully, were you aware that Desmond was in another relationship with someone else? No, Your Honor. I didn't find out until the day of and the day after his passing.
So how did you find that out? Facebook. Social media.
And that's when. . .
I believe, four. . .
Four days after his passing, that's when I took my own pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant. That was April 24th. His funeral was April 27th.
I didn't even get. . .
I didn't go to his funeral. I couldn't, because how can I show my face as. .
. (CRYING) Like how could I even go? I can't even support.
. . I didn't have time to grieve.
We haven't, either. I didn't have time for nothing! We haven't, either.
The day after my son was killed, his first daughter was born. And I had to deal with it! Okay, and I understand.
. . Are you serious?
But you are a grown woman. I was 16. The way you slandered me on Facebook.
. . Are you serious?
You called my premature daughter ugly. I did! She looking funny.
She didn't look. . .
She was three months early, Ms. Paige. Listen.
Listen. Three months early! And look at my daughter.
That is the spitting image of your son. LUSK: And it doesn't hurt me. It's gonna hurt that child.
One at a time. Ms. Paige.
Ms. Paige. Yes, Your Honor.
If, in fact, this beautiful baby girl is your late son's biological daughter, do you want to have a relationship with her? I can't answer that. And why is that?
Why is that? Because. .
. JUDGE LAKE: Give her a chance to respond. Ms.
Lusk, it's too much drama. And it's too much for me as well because you cause the drama, Ms. Paige.
Listen, listen, listen. I know both of you are grieving. I know both of you are just beyond yourselves.
In trauma, in grief. So I am trying to give you a moment to let it out but I'm not gonna let this train leave this station and leave this baby behind. And, Your Honor.
. . No!
It is uncomfortable to me from where I sit, Ms. Paige, to watch you shouting and shouting at this young girl. Because you are more than double her age.
ANDERSON: Double. JUDGE LAKE: And I'm saying this because, I know this is not really what you want to do, and I know your anger and your frustration is coming from this place of grief. But when I ask you, "If this is your son's daughter, "do you want to have a relationship?
" And you say, "I don't know "because I don't know if I can take the drama. " If that is your truth, I accept that. But what I will not accept, is you all operating as if this drama has to exist.
Because it doesn't! And that's all I want. Let's get the truth.
Jerome. (APPLAUSE) 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, Desmond Paige, we performed a DNA test with his surviving parent, Lawon Paige.
With that being said, the results determine if there is a viable relationship between the child, Symari Paige, and Lawon Paige. In the case of Lusk v. Paige, when it comes to three-year-old Symari Paige, it has been determined by this court, the probability of relatedness betweeen Ms.
Paige and Symari Paige, is. . .
99. 96% (APPLAUSE) LUSK: Four years. Four years, and I never ask nothing of you.
I never asked nothing. . .
PAIGE: For four years, my son has been deceased. (INCOHERENT) JUDGE LAKE: Stop arguing. Ladies.
Both of you all are in so much pain. Everything that comes out of your mouths is bitter. It's not helping you.
It's not helping that baby. And it definitely does not honor Desmond. Every child needs their parents.
And when unfortunate situations arise like this, where life is cut short. . .
All we have left for this child to understand truly who her father was. . .
His life, pictures of him. . .
That's you. And you want that little girl walking around this world having stories about her daddy. And that's how you keep someone's legacy alive.
And I'm not preaching to the choir. I know it 'cause I live it. People hear my son talk about my mother, it's like she's still sitting over here right now.
He know everything about her. What she like. How she laugh.
Where she went to school. He knows it all because I teach him that. Because that's how I keep her spirit alive.
He never laid eyes on her. She's never laid eyes on him except from the heavens. Do that for your son.
Do that for this little girl, so that she does not have to experience that level of loss you do. I wish you all the very best of luck. Court is adjourned.
