Speaker A
Please be seated. Hello, Your Honor. Hello. This is the case of Robinson vs. Grant.
Man disputes paternity and child support after signing acknowledgment; court examines relationships and evidence in Robinson vs. Grant case.
Key Takeaways
- Signing an acknowledgment of paternity creates a legal obligation to pay child support.
- Disputing paternity after many years is legally complex and may not relieve arrearage obligations.
- Conflicting testimonies about relationships and conception complicate paternity disputes.
- Child support enforcement actions can severely impact a person's finances and personal life.
- Courts emphasize the child's right to support and recommend counseling for families in dispute.
Summary
- Mr. Robinson claims he was deceived into believing he was the father of Trevarus to collect child support.
- He signed an acknowledgment of paternity shortly after Trevarus' birth and paid child support for over 20 years.
- Mr. Robinson's driver's license was suspended and wages garnished due to unpaid child support arrears exceeding $13,000.
- Ms. Grant insists Mr. Robinson is the father and denies that he was tricked.
- Another man, Mr. Ellis, claims he had a sexual relationship with Ms. Grant during the conception window and believes he is the biological father.
- The court hears conflicting testimonies regarding relationships, paternity, and responsibility.
- Mr. Robinson only doubted paternity two years ago after being approached by Mr. Ellis.
- The judge explains the legal implications of signing the acknowledgment of paternity and the difficulty of removing child support obligations.
- The case highlights the emotional and financial impact on the parties involved, including the effect on Mr. Robinson's marriage.
- The court encourages counseling and resources for the family moving forward.
Chapters
- 00:00Case Introduction and Background
- 00:56Impact on Marriage and Child Support Arrears
- 02:11Dispute Over Child's Paternity and Signed Documents
- 04:01Relationship History and Conception Timeline
- 05:03Conflicting Testimonies and Acknowledgment of Paternity
- 08:23Introduction of Mr. Ellis and His Testimony
- 13:20Emotional Impact and Child's Perspective
- 15:40Legal Explanation and Court's Recommendations
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone. AUDIENCE: Good day. Mr. Robinson, you and your wife say you are not the father of the defendant's son, Trevarus, but know who is.
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. You claim she deceived you into believing you were the father to collect child support, and as a result of your inability to pay, your driver's license was suspended and your tax return was taken.
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. DORA: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: Today, you're suing Ms. Grant for $124 for license reinstatement fees and plan to return to court in your home state to fight for $1,685.10 in garnished wages?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. DORA: Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Grant, you believe Mr. Robinson is denying your son only because he was summoned to pay more than $13,000 in back child support, am I correct?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. So Mr. Robinson, then how has this situation affected your marriage? Uh, we had got a letter in the mail saying that he was $13,000 arrearage and back-signed on child support.
Speaker A
So before this letter, you didn't know he was even the father? Well, when me and him met and got married in '09, Mmm-hmm.
Speaker A
Um, he told me he had three children. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. And he was not in their life.
Speaker A
I made him get in their life. Told him that you doing for my kids, you need to do for your own.
Speaker A
Your Honor, that's not true. DORA: All of a sudden... JUDGE LAKE: You say that's not true, Ms. Grant.
Speaker A
No. My son never went around there. DORA: Yes, he did. And Dexter did claim my child 'cause I have proof here when he went to sign papers and everything.
Speaker A
Yeah, he did sign the paper, and then but he didn't sign the birth certificate.
Speaker A
I was in the hospital... JUDGE LAKE: You said you have proof? Yes. He had the opportunity.
Speaker A
What is this paperwork? That is where he signed and say that that is his child and he will pay $60 a month for his child.
Speaker A
JUDGE LAKE: This is an affidavit and admission of paternity, which is basically an acknowledgment of paternity.
Speaker A
Did you sign this, sir? That's your signature? Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE LAKE: How old was Mr. Christian Trevarus when this was signed?
Speaker A
I think he was a couple of months, Your Honor. So this was right after he was born.
Speaker A
Right. And during that time, Dexter was acknowledging that that was his child. I mean, he was coming there, we was going places together, he brought stuff, I mean, we was like as a family.
Speaker A
I mean, yeah, he had another family also, but he played the role as a father during then.
Speaker A
A year after my child was born, that's when Dexter went his separate ways and his family started saying he wasn't here and all that.
Speaker A
JUDGE LAKE: So, take me back. I want to understand this relationship a little bit.
Speaker A
You all met and you started a sexual relationship? KATRINA: Yes, ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: And how long after that did you realize you were pregnant?
Speaker A
We started dating October the 7th, 1989 and um... DORA: They were not ever in a relationship.
Speaker A
Your Honor, yes, we are, and, as a matter of fact, where were you in 1989 when we was together?
Speaker A
I'm with him now. I'm with him now. Dexter, I slept with you. I did not sleep with your wife.
Speaker A
Could you please tell her that we was together? DORA: It's my responsibility now. Weren't we together?
Speaker A
JUDGE LAKE: Ms. Grant, how did this develop into a sexual relationship? He asked me, he say, "You know, my birthday is next month," and I said no and he say, "Yeah, it's November the 28th." He say, "Can we get together on your... For my birthday?"
Speaker A
So in November, we got together at my cousin's house in the back seat of his burgundy Bonneville and that's where Trevarus was conceived.
Speaker A
He told... When we finished having sex, he looked at me in my face and he say, "Tisha, you are pregnant." It was different. I mean, yeah, before prior to, um, Dexter I had a relationship with Eddie.
Speaker A
I can't say it was a relationship, I slept with Eddie. DORA: That doesn't mean he's the father.
Speaker A
KATRINA: If you having sex with somebody, how does that not mean that he is the father?
Speaker A
Okay, when you having sex with two different men... JUDGE LAKE: So wait, let me be clear.
Speaker A
Let me be clear. KATRINA: Mmm-hmm. So you had sex with Mr. Robinson? Yeah. In the back seat of this car, Yes.
Speaker A
But you were also in a sexual relationship with another man during that time? No, prior to meeting Dexter.
Speaker A
Well, not during the window of conception or during the window of conception? Not during the window of the conception.
Speaker A
JUDGE LAKE: Okay, and that man is here in court today. So, you find out you're pregnant, KATRINA: Mmm-hmm.
Speaker A
And so after he told you that, when you found out you're pregnant, you instantly think it's Mr. Robinson.
Speaker A
I know it's Mr. Robinson. So you tell him? Mmm-hmm. How did he respond? In that time he just took on the responsibility.
Speaker A
So you say he stepped up, he took on the responsibility? Mmm-hmm. So, Mr. Robinson, you do acknowledge you had a sexual relationship with Ms. Grant?
Speaker A
I did. You did. Okay. What I want to understand is, you went up and you signed the acknowledgment of paternity, when did you become doubtful?
Speaker A
Two years ago, when this other man approached him and told him that he was the father.
Speaker A
KATRINA: When they had to pay $13,000, Your Honor. So Mr. Robinson, at some point after you signed this acknowledgment, someone came up to you and said, "I'm Mr. Christian's father." Yes, Your Honor.
Speaker A
And this was just two years ago? Yes, Your Honor. So, all of these years, over 20 years, you thought Mr. Christian was your son, and you were paying support?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. This guy, Mr. Eddie, came and told me Montez was his son but outta all of this time, I really thought Montez was my son.
Speaker A
And then what happened after that? Mr. Robinson came home and told me about it.
Speaker A
This man that they're claiming walked up to him and said, "I'm really Mr. Christian's father." Do you know who this man is?
Speaker A
I do know him, Your Honor. And did you have a sexual relationship with him?
Speaker A
Prior to, um, the conception of Trevarus. JUDGE LAKE: So before Mr. Christian was conceived, you were in a sexual relationship with this other man?
Speaker A
Yes. And that is Mr. Ellis? That is. Uh-huh. I want to hear from him.
Speaker A
Jerome, would you please escort him into the courtroom, please? Mr. Ellis, thank you for being here today.
Speaker A
We are of course discussing the paternity as it relates to Mr. Christian. Um, and we've heard testimony that says you approached Mr. Robinson at some point and said, "I'm Mr. Christian's father." Did that happen?
Speaker A
No, that's a lie. He approached me. He came to me and said, um, "I heard that, uh, Montez was your son." I said, "Wait, man, hey, look, I didn't tell you to go and sign no papers.
Speaker A
"So, that's on you." You know, I feel that he's my son because of, of his mom had approached me and say it once.
Speaker A
I never, Your Honor, I never in my life Oh, yes. Yes. told him that he was...
Speaker A
Yes, you have. Ms. Grant, I'm going to give you a chance to respond. Let me hear his testimony first.
Speaker A
Mr. Ellis, proceed. He used to stay with my mom and all. He called me "Pops" and whatnot, so, yeah, I feel he my son, you know?
Speaker A
So you acknowledge that you had a sexual relationship with Ms. Grant. And was it during the window of time when Mr. Christian was conceived?
Speaker A
Do you believe that? Yes. What did Ms. Grant say to you that made you believe that you were...
Speaker A
She told me go get my son outta the tree, you know, go get him out of the tree 'cause he just like you.
Speaker A
How old was he when she said that? I think he probably about seven or eight, something like that.
Speaker A
So you were just over there and she said, "Go get your son out of the tree?" Yeah.
Speaker A
And then, what, you looked at her and you felt like, "Are you saying to me this is my son?" KATRINA: Exactly.
Speaker A
Exactly. KATRINA: Your Honor, if my son went up the tree... Do you know that if my son went up the tree, he would have come down?
Speaker A
Now, at the age of 14, my child, I mean, apparently y'all don't know who he is, so where you been all this time?
Speaker A
If you're claiming to be the father and said, I sa
Speaker A
you saying that he's your child. Where is my support? EDDIE: Hey, look... I mean, seriously.
Speaker A
I mean... So, who's the bad person here? Well, you told me he wasn't mine.
Speaker A
KATRINA: My point exactly, I told you he wasn't yours. I never told you he was.
Speaker A
DORA: Exactly, just like Mr. Eddie had came and told my husband that Mr. Christian was his child.
Speaker A
EDDIE: When you told me, um, told me he wasn't mine, what was I supposed to do?
Speaker A
That's what I'm saying, Why would I tell you he yours and then, he's not yours?
Speaker A
EDDIE: But I mean... Come on, get your story straight. Let me know. What did I say?
Speaker A
Why would I tell you he yours and then, he's not yours? EDDIE: But I mean...
Speaker A
Come on, get your story straight. Going through the years, now, you and him had broke up.
Speaker A
Now all of a sudden, everybody going around saying, "Eh, man, that's your son." Thank you, everybody else.
Speaker A
Not Tisha, everybody else saying it. EDDIE: You said it as well. Everybody else. Your mom was even the one that agreed to say he was yours.
Speaker A
EDDIE: He stayed with my mother. He stayed his sophomore year of high school with her.
Speaker A
We had a fallin' out, and at that time, she used to spend a lot of time, he used to spend a lot of time over there 'cause he ran track and played sports.
Speaker A
JUDGE LAKE: So he used to spend a lot of time over at Mr. Ellis' family?
Speaker A
KATRINA: Yes. JUDGE LAKE: But why? KATRINA: Because he was friends with his nephew. So, when he would spend the summers and be involved in your family, you thought it was because he was your family, he was your son.
Speaker A
Of course. Exactly. All right. So I would like to hear from Mr. Christian. Sir, would you please stand?
Speaker A
So, Mr. Christian, were you ever told that Mr. Ellis was your father? I was told it could be either of the two.
Speaker A
That it could be either of the two? Yes ma'am. And who told you this?
Speaker A
My mom. She did? Yes ma'am. JUDGE LAKE: Okay. Ms. Grant, your son's saying you honestly told him it could be either of these two men?
Speaker A
KATRINA: Mmm-hmm. In your prior testimony, you said you were only sleeping with Mr. Ellis way before Mr. Robinson.
Speaker A
I was telling the truth earlier, but, you know, as a young girl, the community used to say, "He look like him, "He look like this and he look like..." So, okay, they drill it in my head and I'm like, "I know when I had him."
Speaker A
You really think Mr. Robinson is your child's father? Yeah. But your community keeps saying that he looks like Mr. Ellis.
Speaker A
Yes. And so ultimately, you have to tell your son, "I really don't know, it could be one of these two men." Right. Because they... Everybody running to him and saying, "Now, you know Eddie's your daddy" and all that.
Speaker A
So once everybody was running to him, I said, "Well, "everybody else saying it," I say, "It could possibly be." All right. Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Robinson, you're saying you want $124 because you have to apply to get his driver's license reinstated
Speaker A
because it was suspended because of failure to pay his support. Yes, Your Honor. And you believe that this was not lawful and not appropriate because he really is not the father?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. I know exactly why he's on child support. He's on child support because he signed voluntarily an acknowledgment of paternity.
Speaker A
He admitted that he was the father, legally, when he executed that. Do you understand?
Speaker A
Yes, Your Honor. And this is what's important is that ignorance of the law is never an excuse.
Speaker A
So therefore, I cannot award you the $124 that it will cost to reinstate his license because by signing that document he acknowledged he's the father, he's responsible for the child support.
Speaker A
Your claim is denied. All right. So Mr. Christian, who did you call or regard as your father growing up?
Speaker A
Eddie, most of the time. That would be Mr. Ellis? Yes ma'am. When you thought about "Dad," when you thought about "Father," you thought about him?
Speaker A
Yes ma'am. Did you know that Mr. Robinson was paying child support? No ma'am. You never knew that?
Speaker A
Neither one of them actually did anything. I just, you know, referred to him as more of a father because his family, like he said, they reached out towards me more.
Speaker A
Mr. Ellis'? Yes. And what about your relationship with Mr. Robinson and his family? There was no relationship with me and his family.
Speaker A
So you got rejected by his family? Yes ma'am. And they would tell you you're not?
Speaker A
DORA: We sent him money. When did you send me money? DORA: We sent you money with Western Union.
Speaker A
When? When? Back in '09. You show me a receipt and I'll tell you that I'm a liar.
Speaker A
You say you've never received any money? Never received money from either one of them, throughout college, throughout everything.
Speaker A
Like, I got a full athletic scholarship while running track at Michigan State. (APPLAUSE) Everything for me in college was paid for.
Speaker A
You know, although I thank my mom for all she's done, she went on to finish high school, took college courses, been working at the hospital since I was eight.
Speaker A
But, like, it's like all I ever had was my mom. Like, true enough, you know, he, like, started trying to interact with me more like he said, like, when I was around his family and that's Eddie, of course.
Speaker A
But Dexter never did anything for me. I never had a real father figure in my life, like, you know, both of them, basically, made bad decisions coming up, like, true enough he stayed in Michigan and he stayed, basically, ten miles away
Speaker A
and I never even had a, like, relationship with him at all. JUDGE LAKE: So Ms. Grant, I have to ask you, because I'm looking at this handsome young man, smart young man, I can't imagine anybody that wouldn't want to be his dad.
Speaker A
What do you think this is about? It's more of they saying that I want money.
Speaker A
I hadn't had money in 25 years, 24 years of his life. My mother is not money hungry at all.
Speaker A
I worked all my life since he became, since I brought him into this world.
Speaker A
I've been working since I was 14. He's $13,000 behind, I mean, that's what you want.
Speaker A
Okay, but if you was paying child support, you shouldn't be $13,000 behind. But if you wouldn't have been saying Come on!
Speaker A
another man was the daddy, maybe he would've finished his responsibility. But you said this just happen two years ago, so what happened to the other 22 years?
Speaker A
Why you hadn't paid nothing then? TREVARUS: Neither one of them was around. Girl, please, get your life.
Speaker A
I think the way that we can all begin to move forward is to just get the results. Are we ready?
Speaker A
TREVARUS: Yes, ma'am. All right. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse. These results were prepared by DNA Diagnostics and they read as follows.
Speaker A
In the case of Robinson vs. Grant, when it comes to 24-year-old Trevarus Christian, it has been determined by this court, Mr. Eddie Ellis, you are not the father.
Speaker A
Mr. Dexter Robinson, you are not the father. Thanks God. There's nobody else. JUDGE LAKE: There has to be at least one more and I know that's a long time to think back.
Speaker A
I think you've got some thinking to do. You have an amazing young man here.
Speaker A
It's about finding out the answers for your child. He deserves that. Mr. Robinson, Mrs. Robinson, I need to inform you that there is no guarantee that you will be released from your obligation to pay those arrears because, under the law, when you sign that acknowledgment
Speaker A
of paternity voluntarily you're responsible. Are you alright, Mr. Christian? Ah, yes, ma'am, I'm fine. I'm a grown man now.
Speaker A
I moved on with life. It hurt, like, for him, not for Eddie not to be my father simply because his family, they look at me more, like, as a family member.
Speaker A
I'm going to be still be in your life, either way you go. I appreciate that.
Speaker A
Ms. Grant, if you think of someone and you need our help, we're here. I wish you all the very best of luck.
Speaker A
We have counseling and resources for you, please take advantage of them, all right? Thank you.
Speaker A
Good luck to you all. Court is adjourned.
Topics:paternity courtchild support disputeacknowledgment of paternitychild support arrearspaternity testfamily lawcourt caseRobinson vs Grantlegal paternityfamily dispute
