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Family Accuses Woman of Seeking Death Benefits (Full Episode) | Paternity Court - YouTube
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[2]
Please be seated.
[4]
Hello.
[4]
Hello, Your Honor.
[5]
This is a case of<i>
Willingham v. Griffin Allen.</i>
[7]
Thank you, Jerome.
Good day, everyone.
[9]
AUDIENCE: Good day.
[10]
Ms. Willingham, you
are here to prove that
[13]
Nathaniel Allen who
tragically passed away
[16]
fathered your son, Nacorrion
[18]
because his mother and
aunt say he is not the
father preventing you
[23]
from collecting death
benefits. Is that correct?
[23]
Yes, Your Honor.
[27]
Ms. Griffin, you
and your sister say,
[29]
Ms. Willingham is trying
to pin this child on your
deceased son
[32]
so she can collect social
security death benefits
[36]
BOTH: Yes, Your Honor.
[36]
and work the system.
Is that correct?
[39]
Ms. Willingham,
[41]
what has this past year
and a half been like since
[44]
Nathaniel's family
denies your son?
[46]
It's been hard.
[48]
Um, it's just basically...
[50]
I mean, I'm a strong,
independent woman,
[53]
um, of my children.
[54]
I don't ask for help.
[56]
So as far as
...system,
[57]
I don't know where
they're getting that from.
[59]
I don't even... I barely
call them, ask them for
anything.
[61]
Um, so I just basically want
to get the results out that,
[64]
you know, Nathaniel is
the father of Nacorrion
[67]
so they can know,
[68]
you know, and, um, I'm just...
[72]
(HOLDS BREATH)
[73]
JUDGE LAKE: I can see this
is really upsetting you.
[75]
You don't know where to begin.
[78]
GRIFFING: Yes.
[78]
Ms. Griffin?
[79]
You say Ms. Willingham
is here about the money.
[83]
Explain to the court
why you feel that way.
[83]
Yes.
[85]
Because like, about
six weeks after
[88]
my son had passed,
he come to me and
says that...
[91]
"You have to go and help me.
I need you to help me."
[94]
And I said,
"What I need to do?"
[96]
So she texts me...
[97]
and they told her
she had to get letters.
[100]
So I wrote a letter
and a couple others...
[103]
And, no, I don't believe
this is my grandson.
[106]
JUDGE LAKE: You say,
you just don't believe...
[106]
GRIFFIN: No.
[108]
..this is his
biological child.
[110]
You don't believe
this is your grandson?
[110]
No.
[113]
And so she needed
you to confirm
[116]
that this was your
son's biological child?
[118]
Yes.
[120]
JUDGE LAKE: Did you
write the letter?
[120]
Yes, I did.
[122]
JUDGE LAKE: Did you bring
that letter to court today?
[122]
No, I did not,
[125]
WILLINGHAM: I have the letter.
[126]
You do have the letter?
[126]
WILLINGHAM: Yes.
[128]
I'd like to see that.
[135]
So, Ms. Willingham, you asked
Ms. Griffin to please write
a letter on your behalf
[139]
because you wanted to
present it to the Social
Security Office
[144]
so that you could potentially
collect death benefits for
your child
[148]
whom you say is Nathaniel
Allen's biological child.
[152]
She wrote...
[154]
"To whom it may concern,
[155]
"I am Latricia Griffin,
[157]
(JUDGE LAKE READING)
[163]
There is two blanks.
[164]
"...These are his kids
[166]
(JUDGE LAKE CONTINUES READING)
[180]
What you're testifying
is that this letter hurt
your case.
[183]
They need a proof basically,
um, from his family
[187]
that, um, they witnessed him
saying that Nacorrion was
his son.
[191]
And they couldn't provide
me with the information.
[194]
Before you saw this letter
[196]
did you know that
there were doubts?
[198]
I've heard rumors that they
didn't think. But, you know,
[201]
me and Nathaniel, before he...
Way before he passed,
[204]
had a conversation...
[206]
He told me that, you know,
he knew that Nacorrion was
his son.
[209]
Before he passed,
he wanted me
[211]
to give him the information
so we can put them on his
four one pay plan.
[214]
ALLEN: Even me and Nathan,
we had a conversation too.
[216]
And he told me that he didn't
think Nacorrion was his son.
[220]
He said that it
was not his son.
[222]
GRIFFIN: Because Nathaniel
[224]
has caught you
and this other person.
[226]
Girl, boo.
[226]
And he walked
out on them...
[228]
Lady... No.
[228]
And he said, "Mom,
[230]
"that's not my baby
[231]
"because she come to me
tellin' me it's my baby
but is not."
[234]
When you say he caught her
[236]
your son told you he
caught Ms. Willingham
[238]
Yes.
[238]
with another man?
[240]
ALLEN: Ms. Willingham
and my nephew was
[243]
not together when the
baby was conceived.
[245]
He was in another
relationship with
someone else.
[247]
Yes. Yes.
[247]
Girl, boo.
[249]
Because they were
staying with me...
[249]
Her son... No, no.
[251]
She was staying
with you?
[253]
Yes. Him and the other...
[253]
No.
[255]
They were staying with me
when they were together.
[255]
No. No.
[258]
Who was staying with you?
[259]
My son and his
other friend.
[261]
Yes.
[261]
Okay. Was staying with you?
[264]
So you knew he had moved on
[265]
BOTH: Yes.
[265]
and was in another
relationship?
[267]
And you believe
she had moved on
[268]
Yes. Yes.
[268]
and was in another
relationship?
[270]
And you believe that
person could potentially be,
[273]
Yes, I do.
[273]
uh, Nacorrion's father?
[276]
Me and Nathaniel was on
and off for six years.
[279]
We were staying
together on and off.
[281]
When we get into an argument
or fight or whatever
[284]
he goes over to his Mom's.
[285]
She would keep
him away from me
[287]
so he can stay over there
with her or do what he
wanna do.
[289]
He had his little
flings or whatever...
[291]
GRIFFIN: No. I think
she hurt my son.
[293]
Hurt your son?
What did I do?
[295]
Your son hurted me.
[295]
You hurted him.
[297]
What do you mean? You
know your son wasn't right.
[297]
No. You hurt my son by...
[299]
Going with other guys.
[300]
Yes.
[300]
Other guys?
[301]
No. Your son was a whore.
[303]
Because you're not?
[303]
Okay?
[304]
JUDGE LAKE: All right,
let's be respectful.
[304]
Whatever.
[306]
Let's be respectful.
[308]
(INDISTINCT CROSSTALK)
[310]
JUDGE LAKE: Hold on. Hold on.
[311]
He called me
every day.
[312]
JUDGE LAKE: Ladies. Ladies.
[314]
(GAVEL BANGING)
Let's get some order.
[316]
Let's get some order.
[316]
GRIFFIN: Please do.
[317]
Let's get some order.
[317]
WILLINGHAM: ...they ignorant.
[320]
JUDGE LAKE: All right.
[320]
(INDISTINCT)
[321]
So, you all had time
when you were par...
[324]
Mmm-hmm.
[324]
You were on and off.
[326]
And so you believe that
Nacorrion was conceived
during the time
[330]
when your son was not
intimate with Ms. Willingham.
[333]
Is that what he told you?
[333]
Yes.
[335]
And Ms. Willingham,
you dispute that.
[337]
You said that is not the case.
[338]
WILLINGHAM: That's not
the case. He left me for
a whore.
[340]
We were together.
I called him.
[342]
I took two pregnancy tests.
[344]
I missed my cycle.
I called him when
I found out.
[346]
You know, when it came
out positive. I called
him and let him know that.
[349]
He was lying in the bed
next... With the woman,
[352]
you know what I'm saying,
he had left me for.
[354]
Why would I, as a woman,
[356]
put a child on someone
[357]
if I knew that, you know,
he wasn't the father of
my child.
[360]
I don't... You know, know.
[372]
So did you ever try to get
a DNA test before today?
[376]
Well, I couldn't. Because,
I mean, he's deceased.
[379]
I mean, we've talked
about it but we've never
went through it.
[381]
But did he ever deny that
[384]
Nacorrion was his child?
[386]
He did deny when
I did tell him like...
[388]
I found out I was
pregnant with Nacorrion
[390]
when I was two
months pregnant.
[392]
Two months pregnant.
I did not know I was
pregnant before then
[395]
I had end up meeting
someone when I was
two months pregnant.
[398]
But I was already pregnant
with Nathaniel's child.
[401]
You know, so, that's why
they don't think that
Nathaniel is the...
[405]
The father of Nacorrion.
[406]
GRIFFIN: My son
asked for a DNA.
[408]
But she wouldn't
give it to him.
[409]
WILLINGHAM: No.
That's not the case.
[411]
We couldn't afford
a DNA at that time.
[413]
WILLINGHAM: Whatever.
[413]
Because he came
and asked me too.
[415]
And I told, I said,
"Whenever you like,
I will go with you.
[417]
You all weren't
trying to help me
[419]
'cause you all not
trying to really be
in this kid's life, period!
[421]
GRIFFIN: And on the day that
[421]
That's not the case
and I really don't give...
[424]
she had the baby,
[425]
he didn't even go
to the hospital
[426]
WILLINGHAM: She's a liar.
[426]
because he said
it was not his.
[428]
BOTH: No.
[428]
JUDGE LAKE: Was he at the
hospital, Ms. Willingham?
[430]
Matter of fact, I went
through the whole pregnancy
by myself.
[433]
It was me and
my baby. Okay?
[435]
When I was in labor,
she called me and
was like,
[437]
"Have you talked to my son?"
[439]
And I told her, "No."
[440]
And I'm... I don't want to.
I'm fine without him.
[443]
I didn't have no reason
to call you because
my son said he didn't have...
[445]
Whatever. Okay.
...nothing to do with you.
[447]
...my son's still be going
over to your house. What
do you mean?
[450]
'Cause I helped you.
[451]
Whatever. Helped
me do what?
[453]
You need a child
care to go to work.
[453]
What the hell did you do?
[455]
Okay. So I work.
[457]
I watched him while
you go to work...
[457]
Okay. That's it. Whatever.
[459]
JUDGE LAKE: Ladies, I need
you to talk one at a time.
[461]
But I do want to understand
this because this is
interesting testimony.
[464]
You're saying,
Ms. Willingham, that
[466]
on the day you
were giving birth
[468]
WILLINGHAM: She sure did.
[468]
Ms. Griffin called you to
say had you to Nathaniel...
[471]
Which would seem to
indicate that, well,
has he heard
[474]
so he can come
to the hospital.
[475]
Basically, she said,
"Have you talked to
my son?"
[477]
And I told her, "No." I'm...
[478]
Did he ever show up
at the hospital?
[480]
WILLINGHAM: And I wasn't...
I was fine with it.
[482]
Is he on the
birth certificate?
[482]
GRIFFIN: No.
[483]
WILLINGHAM: No. He's not.
He's not on none of his kids'
[485]
JUDGE LAKE: And so after
you brought the baby home...
[485]
birth certificate.
[488]
...you say since that
time, Ms. Griffin,
[491]
you know, has opened her
home to your children?
[494]
Since... Yeah, to this day.
[496]
For you, that seems to
indicate that she accepts...
[498]
WILLINGHAM: I mean,
my thing is, if I
feel like...
[501]
...a child is not
[501]
GRIFFIN: I helped her.
[503]
Because she's working.
[503]
my son's... Help me?
[505]
She don't have day care.
[505]
I don't even call you.
[507]
I'm watching everybody's kids.
I'm the grandmother.
[509]
If you need some help
[509]
You... Whatever.
[511]
to go to work and keep
a roof over your head.
[513]
(WILLINHGAM SCOFFS)
[513]
I'm gonna help you.
[514]
That doesn't mean...
[514]
She barely helped me.
[516]
She helped her...
She helped her two
other daughters
[518]
with their kids more
than her... You know,
since he passed,
[522]
it's been hell.
[523]
They don't really spend
time with my kids,
[524]
they don't call
my kids. Nothing.
[528]
Well, Ms. Allen,
tell the court what
[531]
you understand
about this situation.
[533]
Well, what I understand
about is, when the baby
was born,
[537]
my nephew had
called me from work
[538]
and told me to come over
there and look at the baby.
[540]
And you know, I didn't
have a problem with that.
[542]
So when I got over there,
[544]
he's... First thing he said,
"The baby don't look like me
and he is not mine."
[546]
So your nephew,
[548]
the deceased, he told you
[550]
Yes. Yes.
[550]
to your face? He says it?
[552]
He called me
[553]
to come to look at the baby.
[555]
JUDGE LAKE: He wanted
you to see the baby?
[555]
ALLEN: Yes, ma'am.
[557]
And that seems to suggest
that he was confused
[559]
Yes, ma'am.
[559]
as to whether or not it
was his biological child?
[562]
He also told our cousin Shauna
[565]
that it wasn't his as well.
[566]
And if you wanna talk to
her I have her number. We
can call and talk to her.
[570]
Well, I actually do
wanna talk to her then.
[572]
GRIFFIN: Yes, I do.
[572]
You have her number?
[574]
Please, write it down and
Jerome will you get that
telephone number for me?
[577]
JUDGE LAKE: Thank you.
[577]
The baby's not his.
[579]
What is your cousin's name?
[581]
GRIFFIN: Yes. Mmm-hmm.
[581]
Oh, you wrote it down.
Lashauna London.
[587]
JUDGE LAKE: Hello.
[587]
LASHAUNA:<i> Hello?</i>
[589]
Is Lashauna London
in please?
[591]
<i> This is me.</i>
[593]
Hello, Ms. London. This is
Judge Lake calling from<i>
Paternity Court.</i>
[597]
We are here discussing
the paternity
[600]
of Nacorrion Allen and,
[603]
uh, your family is in
court today saying that,
[606]
uh, Mr. Allen, Nathaniel
[609]
had words with you
concerning this child.
Is that true?
[613]
<i> Yes, ma'am. He...</i>
[614]
<i> Said that he was kind of
positive that it wasn't his.</i>
[617]
He was positive?
[617]
<i> But down the line,
later on, he was...</i>
[620]
<i> Wasn't sure.</i>
[621]
So do you know anything
[623]
personally, first hand,
about this entire situation?
[627]
<i> Uh, I just know what
my cousin be telling me.</i>
[629]
<i> They used to just have
problems but they'll, uh,</i>
[632]
<i> get back together again.</i>
[634]
<i> On the last one, on Corrion,
they wasn't together.</i>
[636]
<i> He was doing his thing,
she was doing her thing,
but...</i>
[639]
<i> Me personally,
I think Corrion is his.</i>
[639]
(INDISTINCT)
[642]
You do?
[642]
WILLINGHAM:
Looks just like him.
[644]
WILLINGHAM: He
looks just like him.
[646]
JUDGE LAKE: This is
your testimony that
[647]
despite the fact that
Nathaniel told you
[649]
that this was not his
biological child,
[651]
you believe it is?
[654]
<i> Yes, me personally
'cause he kind of...</i>
[655]
<i> He kind of favors.</i>
[657]
JUDGE LAKE: All right.
Well, thank you for
taking the call.
[659]
(APPLAUSE)
[660]
Bye-bye.
[662]
(INDISTINCT MUMBLING)
[662]
Oh, wow.
[665]
Well, that...
[665]
GRIFFIN: Oh, well...
[666]
GRIFFIN: Yes, ma'am.
Mmm-hmm. (LAUGHS)
[666]
That surprised you?
[668]
ALLEN: Yeah.
[670]
LATRICIA: Never.
[670]
You've never heard her
say that before?
[673]
JUDGE LAKE:
It did confirm
[674]
your testimony
in the sense that
[677]
she said he initially said,
[679]
"This is not my child".
[680]
Yes.
[681]
And then he said,
"I'm not sure."
[684]
JUDGE LAKE:
And then she offered
her opinion,
[686]
that she believed
in fact, it was.
[688]
LATRICIA: Yes.
[690]
It was his last words,
he asked me to do.
[692]
He said, "Mom,
I want you to help me
to see if this is my son."
[696]
And that's why
[698]
LATRICIA: Mm-hm.
[698]
when Ms. Willingham asked
you to write the letter...
[701]
...to the
Social Security office,
[703]
what you wrote,
is what your son
asked you to do.
[706]
You said,
[706]
Yes.
[708]
"He had doubts,
[709]
Yes.
[709]
"and please may we
have a DNA test?"
[713]
And it's a very
complicated situation.
[716]
So, to help,
[717]
the court would
like to call Faye Sykes.
[720]
She is a national,
financial,
[722]
security advisor.
[724]
Jerome, can you
please escort
Ms. Sykes
[726]
JEROME: Sure.
[726]
into the court room.
[737]
Thank you so much
for joining us today,
Ms. Sykes.
[738]
JUDGE LAKE:
We're here um,
[738]
Absolutely.
[741]
discussing a very
complicated case.
[744]
Because unfortunately,
the potential father
[746]
is deceased and we cannot
get testimony from him,
[749]
how difficult is it
[750]
getting death benefits
for a child?
[753]
Social security office,
[755]
needs to be able to show
[757]
that this is a descendant
of the deceased.
[760]
Um, when there is not
[761]
both names on
the birth certificate,
[764]
there are some other ways
[766]
that we can go about
to get that proven.
[768]
And so,
how would you
get that proof?
[769]
So, if the father
had listed the child
[772]
on an income tax return,
[775]
listed the child,
[776]
as a beneficiary on a will
or a life insurance policy,
[781]
if there potentially
might have been
[783]
anything in writing,
where he spoke about
[787]
the child being his.
[788]
Those could be admissible
for um,
[790]
making that a valid claim
with the Social
Security Office.
[793]
What does a mother do
in that situation,
[796]
when the deceased's family
in not cooperative?
[800]
So, what I would recommend is,
[802]
setting an appointment
with a social security office,
[805]
calling them ahead of time,
[807]
and explaining the situation,
[808]
they'll tell you what
documents are required.
[811]
So that, when you go in,
[812]
they can potentially
go ahead and accept that
[815]
as a claimant
for the deceased.
[818]
But, if there is not enough
valid information,
[820]
they could deny the claim.
[823]
JUDGE LAKE:
And so, if
[825]
Ms. Willingham
would've allowed
[826]
Mr. Allen to put
[829]
Naccorion on the 401K
paperwork and information,
[832]
it's a possibility that
she could've collected
[834]
those death benefits, right?
[837]
But...
[837]
Correct.
[838]
...if it's proven today,
[840]
that he is not
the biological father,
[843]
Exactly.
[843]
then she can't.
[845]
So the stakes are high.
[847]
I think it's time
to go to the results.
Jerome?
[850]
(APPLAUSE)
[851]
Thank you.
[854]
These results
were prepared by
DNA diagnostics,
[856]
and they read
as follows.
[861]
"Because there wasn't
a blood card available
[863]
"to test the DNA
of the deceased,
[865]
"Nathaniel Allen,
[867]
"we performed
a grand-parentage test
[870]
"in order to determine,
[871]
"if the deceased's mother
[874]
"Latricia Griffin,
[876]
"is related
to Nacorrion Allen."
[881]
The results read as follows.
[894]
In the case of,
[895]
<i> Willingham v. Griffin,</i>
[898]
when it comes to
[899]
4-year-old
Naccorion Allen,
[904]
it has been determined
by this court,
[908]
Latricia Griffin and
[911]
Naccorion Allen...
[915]
(EXCLAIMS)
[915]
Are related.
[917]
(APPLAUSE)
[917]
(COUGHS)
[921]
Yeah, you know.
(SOBBING)
[926]
(SOBBING) Thank you.
[927]
JUDGE LAKE:
You're very welcome.
[928]
I just want to...
[930]
To say, um...
[932]
I'm glad he's
blessed us with
a grandbaby,
[934]
(CHUCKLING)
[934]
'cause that's number 14.
[935]
(CROWD EXCLAIMS)
[937]
(APPLAUSE)
[937]
JUDGE LAKE: Wow...
[939]
Yes.
[940]
LATRICIA:
And I would like for her
[942]
to bring him over more
than she has been
bringing him over,
[944]
I don't care what she say
but bring him.
[946]
Ms. Willingham, as much
as you felt rejected
and maybe put off
[950]
and denied,
that protection
you felt over Nacorrion,
[954]
it's that same protection,
[957]
Ms. Griffin felt
over her child.
[961]
And he may have expressed
just some doubt,
[964]
and when your child
says something to you
[965]
as a mother,
you feel it too.
[967]
JUDGE LAKE: And we hope,
[967]
Yes. And I did.
[970]
that this moment in time,
[972]
will start
the reparation of that.
[976]
(APPLAUSE)
[976]
JUDGE LAKE: All right?
[979]
We have counseling
and resources for you all,
[981]
I wish you
the very best of luck.
Court is adjourned.
[984]
(APPLAUSE)
[984]
(BANGS GAVEL)
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