Speaker A
Please be seated.
A paternity court case where a mother seeks to prove the defendant is the father to enforce child support and avoid his jail time.
Key Takeaways
- Paternity must be legally confirmed to enforce child support obligations.
- Failure to pay child support can lead to jail time, even without a DNA test.
- Communication breakdowns and denial complicate paternity and child support cases.
- Unprotected sex and brief relationships can result in paternity disputes.
- Legal processes can name a father by default if court appearances are missed.
Summary
- Ms. Benskin files a case to prove Mr. Haskett is the biological father of her 4-year-old daughter, Kenzley.
- Mr. Haskett denies paternity and refuses to pay child support, despite being behind $7,000-$8,000.
- Mr. Haskett has missed court dates and been jailed twice for failure to pay child support.
- He has never taken a DNA test to confirm or deny paternity.
- The relationship between Ms. Benskin and Mr. Haskett was brief and started as a friendship through mutual acquaintances.
- They had unprotected sex for about one to two months, which could have resulted in the pregnancy.
- Ms. Benskin attempted to contact Mr. Haskett multiple times during her pregnancy, but he blocked her on social media.
- Mr. Haskett claims he has an ex-boyfriend prior to Ms. Benskin but admits to the sexual relationship with her.
- The court emphasizes the importance of confirming paternity to resolve child support obligations.
- The case highlights the legal consequences of unpaid child support and the challenges in establishing paternity.
Chapters
- 00:00Case Introduction and Opening Statements
- 00:21Reason for Case and Child Support Issues
- 00:48Defendant Denies Paternity and Missed Court Dates
- 02:01Discussion of Jail Time and Child Support Arrears
- 07:00Relationship History and Pregnancy Confirmation
- 11:00Communication Attempts and Denial of Paternity
- 15:00Summary of Relationship and Paternity Dispute
- 16:00Closing Remarks and Court Proceedings
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Jerome: Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of Benskin v. Haskett.
Speaker A
Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone.
Speaker A
Audience: Good day. Ms. Benskin...
Speaker A
Benskin: Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: You have opened your case today because you say the defendant refuses to accept that your four-year-old daughter, Kenzley, is biologically his.
Speaker A
You are here to prove he is her father before he gets locked up for unpaid child support. Is that correct?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: All right. Mr. Haskett, you are here with your girlfriend and claim the plaintiff is a money-hungry liar.
Speaker A
Audience murmurs.
Speaker A
You don't believe you fathered her daughter and plan to prove that in court today.
Speaker A
Is that correct?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: So, Ms. Benskin, I want to start with you.
Speaker A
You say Mr. Haskett's freedom is on the line?
Speaker A
Benskin: Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Explain. Um... We've... He's about $7,000, $8,000 behind child support.
Speaker A
Audience exclaims.
Speaker A
He cannot hold a job. He has not held a job for a very long time.
Speaker A
He's already been to jail once for it, and he's still not paying.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: So you say you're here to do him a favor?
Speaker A
Mmm-hmm.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Because you need to get this legal situation out in the open, get the paternity confirmed because you fear Mr. Haskett is about to go to jail.
Speaker A
Benskin: Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
So, Mr. Haskett, you have not been supporting the child?
Speaker A
No, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: You have not?
Speaker A
No. No, let me explain that. All right?
Speaker A
Okay. Whenever he has a job, it does get taken out of his check automatically.
Speaker A
She'd have to have received money. It's not like she hasn't got anything.
Speaker A
So how is it he is already under an order to pay child support, and yet he's standing here, denying he is the biological father?
Speaker A
Take me back and fill me in on those facts. Because we had a court date set, and first they had got, uh, changed, and then...
Speaker A
Benskin: It didn't get changed. He didn't show up.
Speaker A
Audience gasps.
Speaker A
Scott: No. He called in, he... He did not show up.
Speaker A
Scott: That is not how it happened. The first one was rescheduled, and then we had to go again, and then they said that it was...
Speaker A
They changed it, and then he rescheduled it. I wrote him on Facebook two days prior and the day before and the morning of, telling him... And I talked to his family member to let them know that he was supposed to be there.
Speaker A
"Well, he's not here. So we can't tell him."
Speaker A
Okay, well, if he doesn't show up, that's his fault. That's not mine.
Speaker A
So, after a series of rescheduling of the court date, you missed the court date and were named the father by default.
Speaker A
Scott: Yes. Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
So, now that you are named the father by default, you are now responsible, legally, for child support for this child.
Speaker A
Scott: Yes. Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Even though you have never had a DNA test?
Speaker A
No. You've even spent time in jail...
Speaker A
Scott: We've had two options...
Speaker A
Scott: Two times. Yes.
Speaker A
...for failure to pay this support. Uh, I've never actually...
Speaker A
Scott: He actually did. You went to jail, and you got out right after. Remember?
Speaker A
Judge Lake: You don't remember going to jail, Mr. Haskett?
Speaker A
Audience exclaims.
Speaker A
Haskett: I bonded out.
Speaker A
He bonded out right after. So it wasn't like he was set in jail. He bonded out right after.
Speaker A
I don't care if my pinky toe stepped foot in jail, I ain't gonna forget it.
Speaker A
Audience and Haskett laugh.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: So were you arrested for failure to pay child support?
Speaker A
Scott: He turned himself in.
Speaker A
No, I had to turn myself in for failure to appear.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: You had to turn... Okay. So you had to turn yourself in, and then you went through the process, and then you were bonded out.
Speaker A
Haskett and Scott: Yes.
Speaker A
But now you are behind in the child support.
Speaker A
Yes. And you could go back to jail again...
Speaker A
Scott: Yes.
Speaker A
...for failure to pay child support, but you still don't believe you're the child's biological father?
Speaker A
No.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: And to this date, Kenzley is four years old, you have never had a DNA test?
Speaker A
No.
Speaker A
Audience exclaims.
Speaker A
And he's had two times. Two times to do it, and he's not done it.
Speaker A
He could have come to the hospital. I told him the day I was getting induced, the day she would be here, and everything.
Speaker A
And I even told him Maragret was more than welcome to come. They never showed up. I had to have an emergency C-section because...
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Do you remember her reaching out to you to come to the hospital, Mr. Haskett?
Speaker A
Haskett: No, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Oh, Lord. How did I know that?
Speaker A
Audience laughs.
Speaker A
What... You don't remember nothing.
Speaker A
So... So now listen. Take me back, Ms. Benskin. How did this relationship start?
Speaker A
We never really dated, um...
Speaker A
One of my exes is friends with him, and we've known each other for a long time.
Speaker A
And he had wrote me on social media, asked me to come hang out. We hung out a couple of times. We went to a party.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: So, okay. So you went to a party. What was the nature of the relationship in your estimation, Mr. Haskett?
Speaker A
Uh, friendship.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Just a friend?
Speaker A
Yes. This was not you trying to start a relationship?
Speaker A
It started out to be something different. But...
Speaker A
Benskin: Him and Maragret came back into the picture, and he wanted to be back with her, which I understand. They have a daughter together.
Speaker A
But doesn't mean he has to push my daughter off to the side.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Okay.
Speaker A
Scott: It is not like that at all.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: So hold on.
Speaker A
Audience applauds.
Speaker A
Scott: It is not like that.
Speaker A
Hold on. But let's cut to the chase regarding the paternity question. Because you're admitting that you all went from a friendship, knowing each other through your ex...
Speaker A
Benskin: Yes.
Speaker A
...to being in a sexual relationship.
Speaker A
Yes.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Were you using... Now, Mr. Haskett, I'm gonna need you to answer the questions, okay?
Speaker A
Haskett: Okay. Not your girlfriend.
Speaker A
Benskin chuckles.
Speaker A
Haskett: All right. Okay?
Speaker A
Judge Lake: So you were having sex with her, am I correct?
Speaker A
Yes.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: You were not using protection?
Speaker A
No.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: You were not using protection?
Speaker A
No.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: All right. So now we're on the same page, that we can make a baby with a paternity issue.
Speaker A
Benskin laughs.
Speaker A
So... So you had sex without protection. How long did this relationship go on?
Speaker A
Uh, months.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: So months?
Speaker A
Haskett: It wasn't months.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: It wasn't months?
Speaker A
No.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: How long was it in your estimation?
Speaker A
Uh... Probably maybe a month to two months at the max and she...
Speaker A
More than one month is "months."
Speaker A
Audience laughs.
Speaker A
So, now, why did you all end this sexual relationship?
Speaker A
Because he got back with Maragret.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Okay. So you were in this sexual relationship.
Speaker A
It wasn't a commitment, you all weren't boyfriend and girlfriend?
Speaker A
No.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: And how long after this did you realize you were pregnant?
Speaker A
Six weeks and three days.
Speaker A
Judge Lake: Okay. Six weeks and three days. And at the point you found that out, did you contact Mr. Haskett?
Speaker A
More than once. And I got blocked on Facebook.
Speaker A
Audience groans.
Speaker A
I called his family members and they knew everything about it, and they are still in Kenzley's life.
Speaker A
He just chooses not to be.
Speaker A
So you've talked to his family members. They accept Kenzley. You told him you were pregnant.
Speaker A
And he just didn't... You couldn't get an answer from him?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Scott: He's...
Speaker A
So was he the only guy you were having sex with at the time?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
Haskett: No. I had an ex-boyfriend prior to this, but it was a month or two before I even started talking to Brandon.
Topics:paternity courtchild supportpaternity testunpaid child supportlegal custodyfamily lawcourt casefather denialchild support enforcementcourt transcript
