Please be seated.
Morning, Your Honor.
Good morning.
This is a case of Robinson v. Fuller.
Thank you, Jerome.
Your welcome.
Good day, everyone.
AUDIENCE: Good day.
Mr. Robinson, after a 12-year relationship with the defendant
she confessed that your three-year-old son, Brandon Jr.,
may not be your biological child.
Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: Now you say your engagement to Miss Fuller
is broken off and your heart is in ruins...
Yes, Your Honor.
...because of the possibility,
you may now lose your son too.
Yes, Your Honor.
AUDIENCE: Aw!
Miss Fuller, you admit that you were indeed sleeping with another man
at the time Brandon Jr. was conceived.
Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: Furthermore, you acknowledge you hid your doubts about paternity
from Mr. Robinson.
Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: Additionally, Mr. Robinson, you are asking the court
to award you $100
to pay the fee to change Brandon Jr.'s name if indeed
the results reveal you are not his father
and you have to move on without him.
Yes. Yes, Your Honor.
So, Mr. Robinson, how did you find out
Brandon Jr. may not be your biological son?
It was maybe, uh, six months...
Six months... My son was six months,
we had to separate because we had to move.
JUDGE LAKE: So you all were in a relationship.
BRANDON: We were in a relationship.
JUDGE LAKE: Baby was...
What? Born?
BRANDON: Born. Yup.
And we were living together.
And six months in...
Six months in we had to move,
we fell on some hard times, okay.
JUDGE LAKE: Okay.
Respectively we moved back to, I moved back to my mom's,
she moved back to her mom's, okay.
The day that it happened, it just so happened
to be a birthday party also, okay.
I take him to the birthday party.
Later on after the party is over I drop him off at his grandmother's
where I thought Miss Fuller would be, okay.
When she didn't come down, that was fine, it was okay.
I just dropped him off to his grandma. The next day comes
and I, um, call, no answer.
So I'm like, "What's going on?" I'm like "Okay."
So another day pass, I'm calling all day the next day,
no answer. I'm like "Now, what's going on?"
So, maybe a day or so I'm starting to get these phone calls but they're private.
But I'm not answering them, but the private phone calls are coming like
every hour, on the hour.
So finally, you know after so many private calls in a row
for so many days, you know you pick... I picked up the phone
and she's on the line, she's like "Hey, I'm about to be at Tower City,
"I'm about to be... Can you meet us there?
"Uh, me and Brandon."
At first I'm mad I'm like "No." I hang up she called back,
and, um, you know I get on the phone or whatever,
had to get myself together.
You know, gather my thoughts get myself together.
And I was like "Uh, okay I'll meet you."
But really I was thinking about, you know, my son.
So how did you find out that
Brandon Jr. may not be your son?
When did you get that news?
He asked me when I contacted him,
if... If Brandon was his.
So wait, when you were calling from the private number
all those days and you finally got through
he asked you on the phone, or he said,
"Meet me and I want to talk about this?"
We... He asked me on the phone.
He was mad at me.
And he was upset, he was wondering where we had been
that whole week, and um...
He, um, asked...
JUDGE LAKE: Where were you that whole week?
I had left to go be with the guy that I thought...
That... Could be his father.
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
JUDGE LAKE: So, let me ask you this.
What got in your mind,
to where when she finally called you from the private number,
it was, "Is Brandon Jr. my son?"
How did you come to that realization that that could be an issue?
Why would you just disappear?
AUDIENCE: Mmm.
Where'd you go?
He started looking like the other guy to me
when he was six months. I have a picture.
AUDIENCE: (GASPING)
JUDGE LAKE: Jerome, may I see that please?
Uh, to me he just didn't look.
JUDGE LAKE: So why...
Okay, now the pieces are coming together.
He didn't look like neither...
Pieces are coming together.
He didn't look like...
He didn't look like neither one of us to me at the time.
And that's why the disappearing act happened
because you just...
He...
I was feeling guilty.
My conscience was getting to me,
and I couldn't, like, look at him every day.
And... (SNIFFLING)
And I lied to him, like, all this time.
Like, I'm sorry. (SNIFFLING)
JUDGE LAKE: So,
when Brandon Jr. started looking like the other guy
what did you say to Brandon Sr.?
FELICIA: I didn't really say anything, like we were struggling at the time
so we had to move and I didn't want to go back to my mother's
and I just thought...
At the time I thought it was a better move for me,
and it wasn't.
So the truth is, while you all started struggling financially
and all this was going on, you all trying to figure out
where you gonna live, deep down inside
you're looking at your baby going, "He does not look like this man.
"He looks like the other man."
FELICIA: Yes.
But you kept the whole relationship a secret.
Hence, the private number.
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
And all the while, Mr. Robinson,
you're bonding with...
Oh, yeah.
This baby is named after you.
BRANDON: Oh, yeah!
It's your son.
Sleeping on my chest at night.
Uh, just everything. I mean, I barely move.
AUDIENCE: Aw!
I mean, you know like I would sleep like this...
Real quiet, real move... Real...
JUDGE LAKE: I know that move.
And it just... He just would lay on my chest
and he would sleep.
FELICIA: He's the only guy
my son... My fa... My son knows
as a father.
BRANDON: So that's my son.
So, that's my son, that's all.
If he ran in this... In here right now,
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy."
(JUDGE LAKE CHUCKLES)
He just gets so excited every time he sees me.
I have pictures, if you would like to see.
JUDGE LAKE: You do. Okay.
With us bonding.
Jerome, please
pass that evidence up to me.
Here. All that.
Yeah, that's my guy. (CHUCKLES)
AUDIENCE: Aw!
That's the first time I held him and fed him.
So you love this child. This is your son.
BRANDON: Oh.
And until he's six months old
you have absolutely no idea...
None, Your Honor. None.
...that he potentially couldn't be your son.
Oh, no way... No way that I would ever have thought that, Your Honor.
That he wasn't mine.
Now this is his birth certificate here.
You put your name on here?
Yes, I signed it.
That boy changed my life, Brandon changed my life.
I was on my...
AUDIENCE: Aw!
I was on my way to...
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
I was on my way to some bad things.
When he was born, it's just like I gotta stop.
Brandon Jr. is three now.
BRANDON: Three.
So you spent the next two and a half years
continuing to bond.
Yeah. Yeah.
And then we had a fallin' out.
Like serious fallin' out. Uh,
she got on...um, social media on my phone,
okay, but didn't close it. Forgot to close it.
So, I'm sitting on the couch,
I'm about to jump on my Facebook but I'm looking at
post... My social media or whatever, I'm looking at post like,
"Wait a minute, this ain't mine," you know what I'm saying,
so instantly I get kind of nosy,
you know what I mean? And I start going in inboxes.
Reading inboxes. So I'm reading these inboxes,
but she sent the one, uh,
message to the guy and I guess that's when she went to go live with the guy,
saying that...
JUDGE LAKE: Okay.
...he didn't look anything like me and that she needed his help.
You saw a message that basically said
the baby doesn't look anything like Brandon Sr...
Right.
...so I need your help.
BRANDON: Need your help.
JUDGE LAKE: And how old was Brandon Jr at that time?
BRANDON: One and a half.
Bout to be two in like the next month.
So this was almost a year and a half later.
Yeah.
JUDGE LAKE: Does that open the wound again?
Definitely. It did.
JUDGE LAKE: So what happened?
(STUTTERING) I got upset, okay.
Well, actually I sat down on the couch at first and I was like,
"Mmm," so I handed her the phone I was like "Read this."
So she reading it, you know,
she kinda of got... Got a little look on her face or whatever.
And I... I got up after that and, um, I went to the washer
and I started taking clothes out the washer
and out the dryer and all of that stuff,
and I was like, "Get out!" But I'm like "Leave Brandon,
"because you gotta work tomorrow anyways and it was my day to keep him anyway."
"No, no, no." But I'm putting the clothes outside the house.
All right, so you putting her clothes outside the house.
Yeah.
But we had some neighbors outside, okay.
JUDGE LAKE: Okay.
Well, so we... So it spills from in the basement to outside.
So we're outside and we're yelling, screaming back and forth at each other.
Well, I'm doing most of the screaming,
you know what I'm saying and yelling or whatever.
And, um, the neighbors called the police.
JUDGE LAKE: All right.
We had a domestic disturbance out of that.
So, why were you still talking to this guy
where he would find these emails?
FELICIA: I met the guy a long time ago, like years ago,
and we started seeing each other
and I still... I dunno, I just still kept talking to him or whatever,
but it was off and on for about eight years or whatever.
Around the time...
It was on for how long?
It was like eight years off and on, but it wasn't like we...
Eight years off and on?
FELICIA: Yes.
(SCOFFS)
AUDIENCE: Ooh!
Oh! Until what time?
Um, it's around the time I got pregnant with my son, that's when I...
So, my son is like... I wasn't supposed to have kids. Um...
What do you have?
Miracle, hmm.
What do you have there?
A calendar.
A calendar. Jerome, please.
I wasn't supposed to be able to have kids.
So my son was like a miracle baby.
So this is a calendar...
This is a calendar that indicates the years
you've been with Mr. Robinson.
The second page of what you presented here
indicates in 2004
you meet the other potential father.
FELICIA: Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: Then you have a little break in 2005,
2006 you reconnect with that other potential father
and you're with him all the way through 2011.
It was more like... When we were getting in...
When we were getting into a... When he put me out
that's who I would kick it with, that's who I would call.
And during the time of conception you were with this other guy as well.
FELICIA: Yes, Your Honor.
Mr. Robinson, I can tell by the look on your face
you did not know this.
(LAUGHING)
Oh, no, Your... Not at all, Your Honor.
So, what was your understanding
of the relationship with the other guy,
because there's a lot of blue going on up there.
AUDIENCE: Yeah.
No, understanding, Your Honor.
I didn't think there was another guy. No way.
So this is your first time figuring that out right now.
Yes, Your Honor. Yes.
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
Yeah. Mmm-hmm.
JUDGE LAKE: Okay.
Mr. Robinson, do you now feel like
there's even more of a chance Brandon Jr. is not your biological child?
I mean, yeah. Eight years, Your Honor.
I'm so confused, look, um,
but no I feel like...
JUDGE LAKE: That's understandable
given the circumstance...
Yeah.
...and the information that's been presented in
court today. Miss Fuller.
Yes, Your Honor.
How do you keep an 8-year affair a secret?
I mean, like...
JUDGE LAKE: Go ahead and talk to him cause I can see...
I'm sorry.
BRANDON: I understand...
I am so sorry that I did this to you.
That's my baby, you hear me?
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
'Cause if he's not the father like it's just going to be me and him I feel like.
And now your baby has bonded with Mr. Robinson.
I mean, he considers him his daddy.
FELICIA: Yes.
So, hate to bring him up,
but how are you explaining all this to this other guy?
Does he know that...
I mean...
...Brandon Jr. could potentially be his biological child?
Yes, he knows.
If he is his biological father
does he want to be a part of Brandon Jr.'s life?
I wouldn't want him to be a part of his life.
'Cause he's not like the type of guy that you just want
to raise your kid or you know.
He's just the kind you just want to go to his house every time you get
in an argument with your boyfriend.
At the time, yes.
JUDGE LAKE: So the truth is with this mistake
you could lose a good man,
and your son could lose a great father.
FELICIA: Yes, Your Honor.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
JUDGE LAKE: Well, Mr. Robinson.
Yes, ma'am.
Do you want to still be in a relationship with Miss Fuller
if in fact it's determined that he is not...
Your Honor, a relationship as far as what, like our friendship that we have or...
JUDGE LAKE: No, I mean a relationship.
Together?
No. She broke up with me, okay.
We were supposed to get married in July, okay.
AUDIENCE: (GASPING)
So, when Miss Fuller told me, you know, that
she didn't want to be with me anymore or whatever, I said, "Fine,"
but there is no coming back.
When you decide, okay, "Hey, I've sowed my royal oats,
"I'mma come back and, you know, be with you."
I won't be there like...
FELICIA: But that's not
why I broke up with you.
But I will always be there.
Yeah, I would love...
JUDGE LAKE: Why did you break up?
I did it for myself, I did it because I need to learn how to love myself more
instead of trying to build a relationship with somebody
BRANDON: Amen.
and I'm not loving myself, I'm loving
you more than I'm loving me.
Like that's not right, I need to build myself up.
JUDGE LAKE: Mmm-hmm.
So that's why I broke up with him.
It wasn't because of I wanted to be with somebody else like,
I just felt like I need to get myself together and my life together.
JUDGE LAKE: Yes.
For my son.
BRANDON: Respect that.
JUDGE LAKE: Understandable, Miss Fuller.
Now, Mr. Robinson I want to ask you this,
in your petition to the court you indicated you
were also requesting that the court award you $100
because if Brandon Jr. is not your biological child
you want his name to be changed.
Yeah. Uh.
You know what? I'm gonna be honest with you, Your Honor.
That was said out of anger, okay, you know at the time,
but...
Are you withdrawing your petition
because you haven't quite decided yet
and it's something you would like to revisit at another time?
Uh...
(SIGHS)
Uh, I... (STUTTERING)
I don't want to change his name.
I don't want to change his name.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Everybody know him,
Brandon, Brandon. Everybody call him Brandon.
Brandon. Little BB you know...
You can't just take that away from him.
So, with that said,
Jerome I think it's time we go to the results.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics
and they read as follows.
That he wasn't mine.
JUDGE LAKE: In the case of Robinson v. Fuller.
As it pertains to the Paternity of Brandon Robinson Jr.,
Mr. Brandon Robinson Sr.,
you are his father.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Yeah, man!
Well, I don't even have to ask you how you feel.
Oh, man, you know.
(AUDIENCE CHUCKLE)
This... This... Well, now my son say, uh...
He come to me now, he'll be like
"Daddy, this is the best day ever," you know he always...
(JUDGE LAKE CHUCKLES)
Best day ever, so.
JUDGE LAKE: (CHUCKLING) I love it.
This ranks right up there,
finding out that you know...
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Phew.
JUDGE LAKE: How you feel Miss Fuller?
I'm relieved.
I'm happy.
JUDGE LAKE: We have to understand.
Jerome, how many times do I have to say it?
But it never gets old, you cannot see council under the cover.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
This is the perfect opportunity to begin again.
Now, in that new beginning
the first thing you have to do is exactly what you spoke about,
learn how to love yourself more than you do.
Amen.
Because that's going to effect the choices you make in life.
You understand?
Yes, Your Honor.
If you don't feel you're worth it,
you're going to keep making the wrong decisions
and you are worth it, all right?
Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE LAKE: I wish you all the very, very best of luck.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Thank you, Your Honor.
I'm so happy.
Jerome, I love this news, don't you?
JEROME: Great news. Best...
This is the best day ever, right?
(BRANDON CHUCKLING)
Congratulations, court is adjourned.
When I first heard the news I felt great.
It was great. Beautiful feeling. Wonderful feeling.
Son, say best day ever!
(CHUCKLES)
Best day ever!
I apologize for everything that I put you through.
I been forgiving you.
I just hope we could continue our friendship
and raise Brandon together.
Okay.
We got it. You know that.
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