Please be seated.
  Hello, Your Honor.
  Hello.
  This is the case of   Hendricks v. Pacheco.
  Thank you, Jerome.  Good day, everyone.
  AUDIENCE: Good day.
  Ms. Hendricks, you were once  in a committed relationship
  with the defendant,  Mr. Pacheco.
  Now you say  the doubts about
  your six-month-old son,  Isaiah's, paternity
  has destroyed  your relationship
  and torn the rest  of your family apart.
  Yes, Your Honor.
  JUDGE LAKE:  Now, Mr. Pacheco.
  You say your doubts  about paternity began
  when you overheard  a conversation
  with Ms. Hendricks'  family member
  and another man who claimed  to be the baby's father.
  Yes, Your Honor.
  AUDIENCE: Oh!
  JUDGE LAKE: Furthermore,  you recently moved out
  of the home you once shared  and will not return unless
  DNA results prove
  little Isaiah is  indeed your son.
  Yes, Your Honor.
  Ms. Hendricks, please  share with the court
  how this all unraveled  for you and Mr. Pacheco.
  Um, well, he's listened  to rumors
  that an ex-boyfriend  is possibly
  the father of our son.
  Um, the rumors are  coming from my brother.
  Which is with him.
  Um, we met about  two years ago.
  Uh, we met online.
  About three months  after,
  um, talking online,
  we met in person.
  We moved in together  within like four months
  of meeting each other.
  It was like love  at first sight.
  Like I, I think  we both fell in love
  over the telephone,
  before we even met.
  AUDIENCE: Aw.
  So, you all were in  a real relationship.
  HENDRICKS: Yes.
  You had love  for one another.
  Was it a committed  relationship?
  Yeah, we was  together every day.
  Like, we...  We was never apart,  we was inseparable, every day.
  And so, at some point  you realized you are pregnant?
  Yes, and we was both happy.
  It was like,  very exciting.
  Like, the  whole pregnancy.
  Up until I was about seven  months pregnant
  when my brother and him  had a conversation,
  and my brother told him  that he possibly may not  be the father
  because he has  seen the ex around.
  AUDIENCE: Oh.
  PACHECO: Uh...
  Before the ex situation,  I heard her over,
  talking on the phone  with a family member.
  The family member  was telling her,
  "Uh, your ex wants me to  tell you to tell the baby
  "that, oh, I...
  HENDRICKS: That was...
  "that I love him,  I wanna be there for him.
  That was after...
  "If I go to jail, please  keep in contact with me."
  I was pregnant.
  And all those type of things.
  In ways, I feel heartbroken.
  And then I was like...
  That's what started  giving me more doubts.
  As I got more doubts  about the situation,  you know,
  Mr. Hendricks here,  that's on the side of me,
  you know, he starts  telling, one day we went out.
  No, that's not true.
  PACHECO: And...
  (CHUCKLES)
  You know, he starts  telling me things about
  that he's seen  the ex-boyfriend,
  you know, at the house
  or while at the time  that me and her was talking.
  And that for me,  it broke my heart, you know,  because I do love her.
  You know, I do  wanna be with her,
  and I do wanna...  Hopefully that
  the tests do come back  saying that he is my son.
  You know what I am  saying, because
  when I got to see  him be born.
  HENDRICKS: That's not true.
  You know, I got  to see him be born.
  Seriously.
  That's the first time,  you know, it's my first son,
  I don't got no kids,  26-years-old.
  (STAMMERS) And this is  really breaking us apart.
  There's a rumor here,  a rumor there,  a rumor over there.
  No, Your Honor, there  was a rumor when I was
  seven months pregnant,  that's when it came  from my own brother,
  that he thought that  he was possibly  not the father.
  And then we got  past that, like,
  he left me when I was  seven months pregnant.
  The whole preg...  the rest of my pregnancy  I was by myself.
  Um, which was  very depressing.
  Um... So...
  PACHECO: Okay,  then why, then why...
  When I let him be  in the delivery room.
  He wanted to be  in that delivery room.
  He came to the hospital  with me. I didn't see him
  since I was seven  months into the...
  When I went into labor.
  He was in the room with me.
  He's seen the baby be born
  AUDIENCE: Aw.
  and he cut the  umbilical cord
  and everything...
  PACHECO: Yeah,  but then after that her...
  a family member of hers says,
  "Oh, that's the  mailman's baby."
  HENDRICKS: No.
  You know,  that for me...
  While you were  at the hospital?
  PACHECO: No,
  that was when we had a  little, a family gathering  at Mrs. Hendricks' house.
  HENDRICKS: That's  because my son has  blue eyes and light hair.
  And then her family member  came and said...
  HENDRICKS: And light skin.
  PACHECO: "Oh, that's  the mailman's baby."
  My reaction when they  said that, I was mad.
  I walked out.
  I didn't know  what to do.
  And then her ex  sat there.
  Whatever time it was,  for him to say,
  "Oh, that's my son,  I love him,
  "I can't wait to see him,  when I get out of jail
  "I want to...  Can I keep in  contact with you?"
  That's what really  hurt me the most.
  Why do you wanna  be with someone that's  in jail all the time.
  What future do he got?
  HENDRICKS: And he's  talking about an ex
  that I haven't seen since  I got with him this summer.
  Me and him got together,  is when I cut it off  with the ex.
  I haven't seen  him since then.
  Um, I was talking  to a close family  member on the phone,
  on speaker phone, because  I was doing the dishes,  I was busy.
  So, the person was like,  "Oh, well I've seen  such and such
  "and he thinks that  he is Isaiah's dad."
  And I'm like, "What?"
  Like, I was shocked.
  And then he  overhears it
  and he hears me  responding back
  and I'm like, "I don't know  why he would even think that."
  (STAMMERS) This just  came out of nowhere.
  Like, I was in total shock.
  So you think your ex  just made this up?
  HENDRICKS: Um...
  Yeah, because I guess  he said that
  when he went to jail,  I was the last girl  that he was dating,
  and then  when he got out of jail,
  he's like, "How  is Angela doing?"  And then to my mother.
  And my mother's like,  "Oh, she had a baby,  blah blah blah."
  And then he was like, "Oh."
  Then he went around telling  everyone that he thinks the  baby is his.
  I don't understand where  that would come from...
  PACHECO: But...
  And anyway because  I haven't even seen  this guy.
  Your Honor,  but for me to,
  saying about her mother,  her mother was the one  that gave the dude the number.
  Her ex, the number,  to get in contact  back and forth
  all about the baby situation.
  For me...
  Oh!
  For me, it really  bothered me and  it hurt me,
  you know what I'm saying,  because at one point
  I felt like her mother  was a mother to me.
  And how she's gonna come  and, you know,  stab me in the back
  and gave,  and gave her...
  She did not mean no harm.
  You don't understand  how I really feel though.
  Okay, I do understand  how you feel...
  But maybe my mom  didn't know...
  You don't.
  You don't, this  being my first baby
  you don't even know  how I feel, though.
  Yeah, I do know.
  You don't.
  Because it breaks  my heart, because
  when I was pregnant  and when our son was born,
  he didn't sign the  birth certificate.
  He was there when I did,  you know, labor, um...
  Also too...  Your Honor, can I speak?
  Also too, when she was  seven months pregnant,
  me and her got into
  a little like,
  disagreement at  the hospital, right?
  She gonna  go ahead and say, like...
  We got into a  verbal discussion
  so I got kicked out  of the hospital that day.
  When I got kicked  out of the hospital...
  You got kicked out  of the hospital because
  you were being  rude to me.
  I wasn't doing  nothing to you.
  PACHECO: I couldn't...
  When she was seven months  pregnant, she came out  and say,
  "Oh, you might not be  the dad of baby Isaiah."
  And for her to say...
  So, that actually
  came out of your mouth?
  PACHECO: Her mouth.
  JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Hendricks.  You said that?
  All right. Yes. I did.
  JUDGE LAKE: You know,  we hear women say
  in this courtroom  all the time.
  When you get angry and you  tell a man that this isn't  their child,
  you can't un-ring that bell.
  (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
  You rang it.
  Now what's in his mind?
  HENDRICKS: Yeah, I understand.
  Along with all the other  things everybody else  is saying.
  PACHECO: And another  thing too, Your Honor...
  Well, the thing about...
  It just came about,  a couple months ago.
  I tried and...
  The baby, you know, got  released from the hospital,
  whatever, I tried...  When I got kicked out
  I tried to sign  the birth certificate.
  If you see, his name  is Isaiah Hendricks,
  it's not Isaiah Pacheco.
  HENDRICKS: I cannot make him a  Pacheco, if you wasn't there.
  And for me...
  Yeah, but every time  I called you  and I told you to...
  For us to  make an appointment,
  How am I supposed...
  you never  wanted to do it.
  Okay, but you have to call...
  You always had excuses  for everything.
  It's like a process.
  PACHECO: You had  excuses for everything.
  It's not something...
  I can't just call and be like,  oh, I want to change his name.
  Look, look how...
  JUDGE LAKE:  So, Mr. Pacheco,
  let me understand this,  let me understand this.
  You say, you... your  intention, the day you  were in the hospital
  was to sign that  birth certificate.
  PACHECO: Yes.
  What happened  that prevented you?
  You got thrown out?
  Yeah, I got kicked out...
  JUDGE LAKE: Because you  all had a disagreement.
  It was a  petty disagreement.
  I told him, "Quiet
  It was... She kicked me out.
  "or you'll end up leaving,"  and he kept going.
  Like, I got forced  out of the hospital, they...
  FARONE: He got kicked out.
  Whatever.
  Yeah, I didn't kick you out,  the nurse kicked you out.
  Mr. Pacheco, you've brought  a witness today, we'd like to  hear from him, please stand.
  State your name  for the court, sir.
  Matthew Hendricks.
  JUDGE LAKE:  Mr. Hendricks, okay.
  You are
  Ms. Hendricks'...
  Brother.
  JUDGE LAKE: ...brother.
  (AUDIENCE REACTING)
  JUDGE LAKE: And yet  you're Mr. Pacheco's witness.
  And also Mrs. Farone's fiance.
  (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING)
  Wow.
  So, this truly is  a family divided.
  HENDRICKS: Yes.
  MATTHEW: Yes.
  It's like tearing  us all apart.
  JUDGE LAKE: Do you believe  Mr. Pacheco has reason to
  have doubt that  he's the father
  of Ms. Hendricks' baby?
  Yes, Your Honor, I do.
  AUDIENCE: Oh.
  JUDGE LAKE: Really?
  Why is that?
  Well, when we was  all living together
  at the beginning of  their relationship,
  I was living  with my sister.
  And I had noticed coming  back and forth from work
  that there was  this other man
  kind of, hanging out.
  But one morning  when I was leaving  for work,
  I had noticed that this man's  belongings was on  the living room floor.
  I don't know exactly  what went on
  but that had caused  some suspicion.
  That was different times.  Like, totally different times.
  He, uh, he came after that.
  (STAMMERS)  The ex.
  He came after that.
  You had 'em both.
  They was... It was the...
  It wasn't  at the same time.
  They was together.
  FARONE: No.
  No, it was not.
  FARONE: That's a lie.
  FARONE: That's so wrong.
  It was totally  different times.
  FARONE: So wrong.
  HENDRICKS: And even  if it wasn't,
  you're my brother,  like even if...  I'm not saying anything,
  but why would you  even say anything?
  JUDGE LAKE: So, when you say
  he was there in the  morning, you mean...
  (APPLAUSE)
  You believe he  spent the night.
  Yeah.
  JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Hendricks,
  you gotta understand,  your own brother...
  Yeah.
  JUDGE LAKE: Is telling
  Mr. Pacheco that
  there was another man
  intermingled,
  (AUDIENCE LAUGHS)
  during the time
  Yeah.
  you were with him
  and that he has  reason to doubt.
  Yeah, and that  breaks my heart
  because this is my brother.
  PACHECO: You don't think it  breaks my heart finding out  if that's my baby or not?
  Explain, Mr. Pacheco,
  explain it, because I don't  know if she feels your pain,
  and I certainly see it.
  (VOICE BREAKING)  She don't because
  I look at him every day and
  there's a doubt  in my head, like,
  if he's not my son.
  You know, I've been there  for seven months.
  You know, I did  everything for that kid.
  Bought him clothes,  bought him diapers.
  Yeah, there are times now  that I'm not there like  I used to be.
  But why is that?  All the rumors.
  You know what I'm saying,  she don't see that.
  HENDRICKS: That breaks  my heart because I feel
  that he doesn't  even treat him,
  or look at him like, he looks  at him so different now.
  And he deserves a  lot better than that.
  Like, I was raised  and I didn't
  have my biological  father around.
  PACHECO: I didn't  have mine either.
  And I do not...
  And he didn't either  and I do not want my son  to ever go through that.
  Your Honor, look,  at the point.
  What my son is going  through right now,
  I go through that with my dad
  because my dad is,
  you know, denying me  and my older sister.
  I was never  raised with a mom or a dad.
  The one that raised me all  my life, was my grandmother.
  She gave me everything.
  You know what I'm saying,  and I want the same thing  for him.
  I want him to have me and her
  in his life,  know what I'm saying,  because I do love her.
  If I didn't love her,  I wouldn't even be here  right now.
  I would have been like  other dads and just  walked out
  and say, "You know,  I don't even care."
  (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
  And then,  another thing too, like,
  look at his eyes,  he got blue eyes.
  Look at my eyes,  I got brown eyes.
  HENDRICKS: I got green eyes.
  I got dark hair.
  I got green eyes.
  FARONE: It comes  from the Grandma.
  Comes from the Grandma.
  My brother don't...  He has green eyes.
  I mean, I don't know...
  JUDGE LAKE: So, when
  you look at this  beautiful little boy...
  I got brown skin.
  ...you just don't  see yourself and  it makes you nervous?
  PACHECO: Yeah, it do.
  It makes you concerned,  it makes you fearful.
  PACHECO: It do.
  His own family think  that that's not his son
  due to his light hair color  and his eyes being blue.
  Just, for that,  just to let you know...
  HENDRICKS: His family
  Just to let you know,
  has so many people.
  even your other baby daddy  came and told you,
  "Oh, that doesn't  even look like him,
  "that could be the  other baby's daddy."
  (AUDIENCE REACTING)
  I can't control  what people say
  but I know who is his father.
  PACHECO: Well, you don't  understand how really  that hurts me.
  'Cause you're not  in my shoes.
  That's just unregarded.
  HENDRICKS: I can't control  what people say.
  (HENDRICKS AND FARONE  TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)
  He was in her shoes  when you left her.
  Why was I  in her shoes?
  If I'm supposed  to be the woman you love...
  You love me but  you don't trust me...
  The only person.
  ...or believe anything I say.
  The only person in her  family that likes me is him.
  He's the one that  stuck with me  through everything.
  Yeah, because  I am on her side  the whole time,
  I'm gonna be on  her side no matter what.
  JUDGE LAKE: Okay, ma'am.
  Yes.
  Since you're talking,  step up to the podium.
  (AUDIENCE LAUGHING  AND APPLAUDING)
  State your name.
  Marcelina Farone.
  JUDGE LAKE: And you are?
  Her best friend
  and Matthew...  Mr. Hendricks' fiance.
  JUDGE LAKE: Okay.
  What do you know  about this situation?
  He was there 100%.
  Me and Mr. Hendricks,
  we have a seven-month-old  daughter together.
  (VOICE BREAKING)  I see my nephew every day
  growing up without  his dad in his life.
  He's missing "dada,"
  he's missing crawlin',
  he's missing the first walk.
  He's missing so much  out of his life.
  I am there for her  through thick and thin.
  AUDIENCE: Aw.
  When he wasn't there,  buying her diapers,  who was? I was.
  This causes conflict between  mine and Mr. Hendricks  relationship.
  I can't bring it up at home.
  And me and my  brother's relationship.
  I can't bring it  up at home because
  I'm scared that  my daughter is gonna
  miss out on her father
  because of the drama.
  HENDRICKS: This has,  like, it ruined us.
  I don't think we'll ever  have the relationship  that we had before.
  We used to all  double date together.
  He was there  all the time.
  Yeah, the ex was  there some...
  Well, sometimes.  But he was there  all the time.
  We double dated!
  (AUDIENCE CLAMORING)
  HENDRICKS:  The ex wasn't there...
  He wasn't there  all the time!
  ...with me.
  He was there sometimes  but they broke it off!
  I'm her best friend,  she tells me everything.
  JUDGE LAKE: So, wait.
  Everything.
  JUDGE LAKE: I'm glad you  stood up to testify,  Ms. Farone.
  (AUDIENCE CLAPPING)
  Because you say
  that the ex was  there sometimes.
  FARONE: Well,  he was there like...
  But he was there all the time.
  HENDRICKS: In the beginning,  when me and him was  just talking, we didn't meet.
  I was dating the ex.
  Hold on one second,  Ms. Hendricks.
  I want to get  something straight
  from Ms. Farone's testimony.
  Now, you said,
  while she was  with Mr. Pacheco...
  FARONE: No.
  She...  He was not around when...
  She was with Mr. Pacheco,  the ex was not there.
  JUDGE LAKE: Okay.
  She broke it off.
  Okay, that's not what  you just said though.
  MATTHEW: In the beginning  stages it was...
  On the record, you said,
  "He was there all of the time
  (LOUD CLAPPING  FROM AUDIENCE)
  "and the ex was there  some of the times."
  MATTHEW: Some times.
  When they were...  When they first started, yeah.
  Like, for like a week.
  He would try to...  The ex would
  still try to go...
  So, Mr. Hendricks,  is this the time  you are talking about?
  More or less, yeah.
  Mr. Hendricks,  do you feel like
  baby Isaiah looks  like Mr. Pacheco?
  It's extremely hard to tell  on a baby, Your Honor.
  (STAMMERS)  I've seen a lot of accounts.
  (AUDIENCE GROANING)
  Mr. Pacheco, you say
  if Isaiah's not  your biological child
  you can't be there.
  PACHECO: No.
  JUDGE LAKE: You said, you  can't be in a relationship  with her.
  There's no way  I can forgive it.
  (AUDIENCE CLAMORING)
  I cannot imagine
  a man not wanting to  be in the child's life.
  I can't.
  He has a bond  with this child.
  PACHECO: Look how  white Isaiah is.
  FARONE: And my baby is white!
  HENDRICKS: I'm white!
  My baby is white, I have  a seven-month-old daughter,
  they are three weeks apart,  me and Mr. Hendricks.
  My baby is as white as  can be, and look at me.
  Look at her dad.
  Um, look at her daddy.
  HENDRICKS: It's the  blue eyes which is funny,
  but it's not like  I got brown eyes
  and he got brown eyes  and our baby got blue eyes.
  I got colored eyes.
  JUDGE LAKE: Hoo! I am  ready for the results.
  And he's white though!
  That's all I'm saying.
  JUDGE LAKE: Jerome.
  (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
  I'm not gonna sit up and argue
  about how white a baby is.
  Okay.
  FARONE: Hold my hand.
  That's...
  Hold my hand.
  JUDGE LAKE: These results
  were prepared by  DNA Diagnostics,
  and they read as follows...
  In the case of   Hendricks v. Pacheco
  pertaining to  six-month-old Isaiah.
  Mr. Pacheco,
  you
  are his father.
  WOMAN: Oh, yeah!
  (AUDIENCE CLAPPING)
  (HENDRICKS CHUCKLES)
  That's good. That means  he has a father, that's good.
  I'm sorry for everything  I put you through.
  AUDIENCE: Aw.
  JUDGE LAKE: I'm  happy for all of you.
  Thank you.
  And I say that  only to point out
  that secrets, lies,  and a lack of trust...
  It can permeate the fabric  of any relationship.
  Now you have the truth.
  The question is,  will you use that truth
  as a building block
  to create a better foundation  in your relationship.
  This was very difficult,
  but you've made it through,
  you've got the truth,
  and now it's time  to figure out
  what you wanna do  for baby Isaiah's sake,
  and if you don't  wanna be together,
  that's fine, just raise him  and raise him well.
  Okay?
  PACHECO: Okay.
  I wish you all,  the best of luck.
  (AUDIENCE CLAPPING)
  Court is adjourned.
  Um, I got something  to tell you.
  You know, I love you.
  I'm so sorry
  for everything I put  you through and...
  Whoa.  (GIGGLES NERVOUSLY)
  Will you please be my wife?
  Oh, my...
  Would you?
  (EXCLAIMS)
     
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