Speaker A
Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of Martin v. Pinner. Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone.
A paternity dispute unfolds in court as Ms. Martin and Mr. Pinner confront trust issues and the truth about their daughter Royal'blu's father.
Key Takeaways
- Trust issues and communication breakdowns can severely impact relationships.
- Paternity tests play a crucial role in resolving disputes about biological parentage.
- Honesty about past actions is essential but often contested in family court cases.
- Relationship turmoil often precedes and exacerbates paternity conflicts.
- The court setting provides a structured environment to address and clarify family disputes.
Summary
- Ms. Martin admits to a mistake involving a party and uncertain paternity of her daughter Royal'blu.
- Mr. Pinner expresses love for Royal'blu but doubts his paternity due to the incident and threatens to leave.
- The couple's relationship is strained, with Mr. Pinner having moved out of the bedroom and living in the living room.
- Ms. Martin claims she told Mr. Pinner about the incident the next day, while he insists she waited a month.
- Both parties accuse each other of dishonesty and mistrust regarding the timing and details of the incident.
- The conception date and timing of the party are critical to determining paternity.
- The couple has a history of relationship turmoil, including separation and lack of communication.
- The court hears emotional testimonies about responsibility, trust, and the impact on their family.
- The paternity test results are awaited to resolve the dispute and potentially restore their relationship.
- The episode highlights the complexities of paternity, trust, and family dynamics in court.
Chapters
- 00:00Case Introduction and Opening Statements
- 00:46Relationship Status and Conflict Overview
- 01:53Discussion of the Mistake and Party Incident
- 04:26Dispute Over Timing of Disclosure
- 05:20Conflicting Testimonies on Honesty
- 07:28Details on Sexual Encounters and Responsibility
- 08:37Tracking Mr. Pinner and Relationship Strain
- 09:13Paternity Doubts and Conception Timeline
- 10:31Impact of the Incident on the Relationship
- 15:04Emotional Testimonies and Courtroom Dynamics
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
AUDIENCE: Good day. Ms. Martin, you admit to making a huge mistake around the time you conceived your daughter, Royal'blu.
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. You claim that one moment of weakness will cost you your fiancé if you cannot prove today that he fathered your child.
Speaker A
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Pinner, you say you love Royal'blu and want her to be yours, but you already have one foot out the door and will leave Ms. Martin if today's paternity results are negative.
Speaker A
Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Martin, talk to me about the status of your relationship right now.
Speaker A
What's going on? Well, at this point, me and Rommel have no relationship because of the paternity of our daughter.
Speaker A
I made one mistake back in the past that he knew about and now he's claiming that he knows nothing about it.
Speaker A
The relationship is in turmoil. Yes, he completely moved out of the bedroom. Like, he lives in my living room.
Speaker A
So, Mr. Pinner, you have one step out the door, you've already moved out the bedroom.
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. And next you feel like it might be the home? Oh yes.
Speaker A
All together? Yes, Your Honor. Because of this mistake Ms. Martin made? Yes, Your Honor. It's more about the lies, you know.
Speaker A
She says that she let me know right away but it was a month later after she found out that she was pregnant.
Speaker A
You're lying. No, that's true. You know, when you, uh, feel like there is no trust why would I fake it and just be, you know, be layin' in bed with somebody that's already lied to me and I'm not being dishonest in the relationship.
Speaker A
You were layin' there before. You were dishonest from the beginning... No. ...and you're dishonest with me now.
Speaker A
The reason why I'm not sleeping in the bedroom is because I'm not sure if Royal is mine or not.
Speaker A
We've talked about this mistake, Ms. Martin. And I think we need to understand exactly what was the mistake.
Speaker A
Tell her about the mistake. I'm going to tell her about the mistake. At that point Rommel was doing him, as we say, partying, not coming home, I completely moved to Wisconsin with him.
Speaker A
I even said, you know, "If I come up here for you, "I'm about you. We're gonna do our family thing." And when I got up there it went totally left. He, like, left me in the home by myself.
Speaker A
It'd be days at a time before I even saw Rommel. That's not true. Okay, fine, you don't wanna come home, you don't wanna be a part of it, I'm gonna do my own thing, so, I continued to work, I got friends,
Speaker A
I started hanging out and started having parties and stuff and then, he still... At that point Rommel still MIA and never called, never...
Speaker A
That's not true. He completely moved out of our home in Wisconsin and moved in with his mom and left me there.
Speaker A
Wait a minute, what was the mistake? That I had a party one night and I had sex with another person, which, Your Honor, I did...
Speaker A
The very next morning I did confide in Rommel. I told him the whole truth.
Speaker A
That's not true. And he's acting like I never told him that. You say she didn't tell you?
Speaker A
No, she didn't tell me... I told him. ROMMEL: After she told me that she was pregnant.
Speaker A
No, I'm gonna tell you the truth. This is what happened, Your Honor. No. (LAUGHS) After she found out that she was pregnant, a month later she said, "Well, I have something to tell you." What?
Speaker A
"I had sex with somebody. "Uh, I had a party and I woke up." (STUTTERS) Rommel really?
Speaker A
"I don't know if I had unprotected sex or not." Rommel really? "And I don't really know "who the guy was." And I asked, I said, "Who'd you have sex with?
Speaker A
"Blank man?" You know. No. Because how do you not know who you slept with?
Speaker A
I told you it was drinking and everything involved, but just... That's irresponsible. But you're still putting on a front like I did not tell you.
Speaker A
I told you that the very next day. You did not tell me. No, you didn't.
Speaker A
Don't sit there and lie like that. See, if you can't remember who you had sex with...
Speaker A
Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! I wanna understand this. So, it's your testimony, Mr. Pinner, that she didn't tell you the day after the party.
Speaker A
She told you one month after she was already pregnant. Exactly, Your Honor. Lying. She's lying.
Speaker A
How did she tell you? What did she say? She said, "Well, I have something to tell you." She said, you know, "When I had that party, "Uh, I woke up the next morning "and I'm pretty sure I had sex but I don't know who it is."
Speaker A
Like I said, that's very irresponsible. That... No. Very. Rommel, that part was the truth but I didn't wait a month.
Speaker A
I told you the next day. I was honest from the jump. So, Ms. Martin, did you tell him the truth?
Speaker A
ROMMEL: No, she didn't. Yes, Your Honor. The day after? The day after. What did you say?
Speaker A
I told him that... I said, "Rommel, last night I ended up having a party.
Speaker A
"I know we got heavily intoxicated "and I know as a woman, I know that I did something.
Speaker A
"I know I did something." Yes, she did. I'm not gonna withhold that information. I'm just not.
Speaker A
I'm not gonna lie about it. He said, "Well, I apologize for not being there "and I know I should have been there a little bit more." He was like, "Well, maybe, we'll just put this behind "so we can continue and go forward." And I'm like, "Okay."
Speaker A
He agreed to move forward. That's not true, Your Honor. BRITTANY: You're sittin' here lying.
Speaker A
ROMMEL: It's true that I agreed to move forward after finding out that you was so irresponsible to have sex with somebody and not know who it is?
Speaker A
But the point is I told you. You're acting like I waited a month later and that is not the case. You are lying.
Speaker A
The fourth point of the fact is she tells me that, "I'm not sure, did I have sex with you before "or after I had sex with that guy?" What are you talking about?
Speaker A
No, sir, we had sex two days after the fact that I told you that.
Speaker A
No, you're lying, you're lying, you're lying. I know when it was. To me, I don't know if she's mine or not.
Speaker A
But I'm not... But I'm telling you the truth. I told you the truth then and I'm gonna tell you the truth now.
Speaker A
I've never lied about anything. Never once have lied. Why would I believe you? You are sitting here saying that you told me this right after which you never did.
Speaker A
The next morning I had to hunt him down. I called his mother where he claimed he was staying and, "I haven't seen Rommel in a few days," so, she had to track him down for me.
Speaker A
That's not true, Your Honor. Not... What? While this time we had our separation, I wasn't doing all the things that she was doing.
Speaker A
I still was taking care of that household. You are full of it. And it still, to me, was my house.
Speaker A
I had come there a few times and put everybody out. I put everybody out.
Speaker A
Hey wait wait wait. I know there was a strain in the relationship, I can tell that, that's why you had partied, but what I'm trying to understand now is we have this paternity question and it's because, Mr. Pinner, you don't for certain
Speaker A
if you are Royal'blu's biological father... No, I don't. ...because of this particular incident. And when you think of the window of conception, does this incident fall near that window?
Speaker A
Yes, ma'am, it does. Yes. I had... Well, I had sex with Rommel prior two days after the fact that I told him that and it all falls in about the same time.
Speaker A
How soon after that was Royal'blu born? She was born June 19th of 2015. So, I found out maybe...
Speaker A
Conception date was about October 15th, that's what the doctor had gave me which I told him.
Speaker A
I've shared every information and he's acting like I've never... Like, none of this... Like, I've never told him anything.
Speaker A
So, if the doctor told you the conception date was October 15th, what date was the party?
Speaker A
Like the 13th maybe? Is it this paternity secret that started this or you all were already unraveled?
Speaker A
We were already unraveled. JUDGE LAKE: So then the paternity secret comes in and then that just destroys the rest of what was there.
Speaker A
That takes the rest of it down because when I moved to Wisconsin with him...
Speaker A
Prior to me even moving, Rommel
Speaker A
So, I'm like, you know, I'm dependent on him. So, when you start leaving me at home by myself and for days.
Speaker A
That's not true. He's with a woman. It's common sense. ROMMEL: Your Honor, I can tell you where it started at.
Speaker A
After she had our oldest daughter, she changed completely. I guess she felt like she missed something.
Speaker A
She started to go out partying, kicking it... What? And clubs. She met her some friends.
Speaker A
You're not going to turn this on me. Started going here and there and I wasn't gonna have that.
Speaker A
We have a child. You're leaving me here with a child. I work and go to work and try to take care of my family and provide for them.
Speaker A
You are turning this whole thing around on me. This is yours... Excuse me. I have had made my mistakes.
Speaker A
'Cause you're lying. I made my mistakes. But, at the same point of time, we were supposed to work with it.
Speaker A
Your Honor, I said, "I'm gonna give you your space then "to see, you know, where your head at." And instead of me...
Speaker A
You know, instead of her just, "Okay, let's, as a grown person, "other than just leaving me alone, going back home "and just saying forget the whole relationship," she started to try to embarrass me.
Speaker A
Your Honor, that's what I said. Listen listen, listen listen. I already know what's going on here.
Speaker A
I mean, this is easy. She moves to a different state following behind you. When she gets there, you still out and about doing things.
Speaker A
Then she get mad and get upset and decide, "You know what, now I'm gonna try to go tit for tat.
Speaker A
"He out partying, he out hanging out, "he don't wanna come home, I'll start partying." We hear this too much.
Speaker A
That's the thing I tell women all the time. We lose the tit for tat every time because you lose your senses and you do something stupid and you get pregnant!
Speaker A
AUDIENCE: Yup. (APPLAUSE) Yes ma'am. Right? You're gonna try to drink yourself out of your misery and then up the ante on the misery.
Speaker A
And I know you're resentful because men usually can't take what they dish out. That's just the way... That's just the way we're wired.
Speaker A
No, I'm just being very honest. I've... We've worked with too many relationships to know.
Speaker A
We see women that can try to forgive men after indiscretions but a very few men that can honestly be told, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake.
Speaker A
"I cheated on you. "I did this. I did something wrong." Honey, they can't handle that.
Speaker A
AUDIENCE: Mmm-mmm. Just wired differently. And then, put a paternity secret on top of that?
Speaker A
Now we're in trouble. During the pregnancy now are you participating? Are you going to the doctor's appointments?
Speaker A
Yes, I am. Yes ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: Because at that point you realize, "She could potentially be mine." ROMMEL: Yes, ma'am.
Speaker A
He participated for about three or four months. That's not true, Your Honor. That was it.
Speaker A
That's not true, Your Honor. He went to doctor's appointment with me, Your Honor, until I decided one morning.
Speaker A
I woke up 'cause he didn't come home. I packed everything I owned in that house and I went home, and it took him 24 hours to even realize I was gone.
Speaker A
It took all I had to pack up my daughter, me being pregnant and all my clothes to go home, to leave this man.
Speaker A
It took all I had. I didn't just wake up one morning on a good note, "Oh, I'm gonna leave Rommel today." No, it took all I had.
Speaker A
She didn't have the audacity or the care to tell me, "I'm leaving." I begged you.
Speaker A
She didn't think about it. "I know I did wrong." But I don't have no illegitimate kids around here...
Speaker A
It don't matter, I begged you. ...out of the side of our relationship. JUDGE LAKE: Listen!
Speaker A
Listen. Listen. Let's not label the baby. BRITTANY: Please don't. Let's not label the baby.
Speaker A
Because she's innocent. Of course. Of course. And I love her. JUDGE LAKE: Let's not label her.
Speaker A
Because the only thing illegitimate here is the way you all have operated in this relationship.
Speaker A
True. And that's true. Yes ma'am. And that's why Royal'blu is in the position at 22 months old, a beautiful little girl, doesn't truly know who her father is.
Speaker A
Because you question that. Yeah, I question that. But I don't never treat her any different.
Speaker A
I'm glad. I treat her the same way as I do my oldest child. I just wanna know, you know, so I could move forward.
Speaker A
But just don't play me in it and don't act like I didn't tell you nothing.
Speaker A
Don't do me like that. I wanna be a family. You wanna be a family but you're not trying.
Speaker A
I've steadily got my hand out reaching and trying and you slapping it down. But you lied to me.
Speaker A
I did... Whatever. And... You made me feel stupid. He playing it. And to me, I said, "That's irresponsible." How do you feel like she made you feel stupid?
Speaker A
She started partying, going out, you know, and being a different person. I was trying to move forward.
Speaker A
I don't want a bunch of guys around my child. There wasn't a bunch of guys.
Speaker A
Why are you sitting there lying like that? You put on such a... You probably don't even know who was at the party.
Speaker A
She probably don't know who she was around. If you was being any type of man you would have been at home.
Speaker A
Now... Where were you at? You know the reason why I wasn't there? You know the reason why I wasn't there, is because I didn't wanna in turn, like you said "tit for tat" so I had to give you a chance to breathe.
Speaker A
Talk one at a time. I gave her a chance to breathe. Like I said, to find out what she wanted to do.
Speaker A
I didn't go around having a bunch of women. I came and checked on the household every day.
Speaker A
Your Honor, if I didn't love Rommel I would have never quit my job, left my apartment, left my family, to follow him.
Speaker A
I've been serious from day one. I've been begging him while he's been playing the disappear game.
Speaker A
At this point, I'm tired. You were everywhere. You was bouncing from here to there. Everywhere.
Speaker A
And so, now this relationship, with definitely one child but potentially two, is on the line.
Speaker A
Yes, it is. Like I said, Ms. Martin, we never win this game of tit for tat.
Speaker A
And I can see how hurt you are. 'Cause I'm sure when you moved and followed him to Wisconsin this was not what you had in your mind.
Speaker A
No, ma'am, it was not. And to be honest with you, Mr. Pinner, I'm sure this is not why you asked her to come.
Speaker A
No. This is not what you planned either. No, it wasn't. This is not what you all had in your minds.
Speaker A
And I can see, Ms. Martin, you are not proud of what you did. This is not who you are.
Speaker A
Even when a man is off doing his nonsense don't let it throw you off your game who you are because at the end of the day you are Royal'blu's mother and I know you feel responsible.
Speaker A
Yes, ma'am. Every bit of it. JUDGE LAKE: And so, a lot of times when you are shouting and arguing and arguing back and forth, you're just taking shots at one another and it feels like to me, you're just projecting a lot of the anger you have for yourselves.
Speaker A
BRITTANY: Yeah. Against one another. Instead of just honestly looking and saying, "I blew this one." At this point what I wanna know is, Mr. Pinner, you say your bag is packed.
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. It is. And you're ready. You got one foot out the door.
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. If Royal'blu is your biological daughter can you unpack that bag? Yes, that's exactly what I wanna do.
Speaker A
I'm a straight shooter in here now. When you unpack that bag, you have to unpack it with an intention to let go of the baggage of the past.
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. Now you just can't unpack the bag and then, on a random Wednesday just decide you're gonna get mad again 'cause she had that party.
Speaker A
I understand what you're saying, Your Honor. Or we'll be back here again. Yes, Your Honor. Understand that.
Speaker A
Ms. Martin, before I go to the results is there anything you'd like to say?
Speaker A
Just that I've been paying for my mistakes and if I could go back and redo it all, I would.
Speaker A
Wholeheartedly, I would. I apologize. But, I want them together because I want my family back.
Speaker A
I want all of it back. Let's get the results. These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows.
Speaker A
In the case of Martin v. Pinner, I had sex with another person. When it comes to 22-month-old Royal'blu, it has been determined by this court, Mr. Pinner, you are the father.
Speaker A
Ooh! (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING) BRITTANY: Thank God. Oh Lord. I'm sorry. It's over. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
Speaker A
It is finally over. I'm so sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I'm so sorry.
Speaker A
This has been so hard. I'm sorry. This has been so hard. I apologize. (EXHALES) It's my heart.
Speaker A
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just wanna move forward. Can I give her a hug, Your Honor?
Speaker A
Absolutely, if it's okay. Yes, ma'am. It's all right. (APPLAUSE) I love you. Love you.
Speaker A
Can I move my stuff back in the room now? I guess so. You tired of sleeping on that couch.
Speaker A
Oh, yeah, it's hard. My back hurts. JUDGE LAKE: Back hurt, hold it. Jerome and I, we need these days.
Speaker A
I'm glad. This is the result I was hoping for. Because at the end of the day you have one child together and now Royal'blu knows that this is her daddy.
Speaker A
And you all can hopefully begin to put, not just that night, but the state of the relationship in general in the past.
Speaker A
BRITTANY: Yes, ma'am. And that means that you both are gonna have to change. You are the man of this family.
Speaker A
You're the woman of this family, the mother of this family. You all have to set examples for these beautiful children.
Speaker A
BRITTANY: Yes, Your Honor. You all are not alone out here. We've all been through relationships that have gone well and not so well.
Speaker A
Right? But if you have an opportunity to save the relationship, please get the tools you need.
Speaker A
So, we have that for you, I want you to take advantage of it. Court is adjourned.
Speaker A
BRITTANY: Thank you.
Topics:paternity courtpaternity testfamily disputerelationship issuestrust problemscourt caseparental responsibilityRoyal'bluMartin v. Pinnerfamily law
