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I Will Only Marry You If I Am the Father (Full Episode) | Paternity Court
#LaurenLake #PaternityCourt
Season 5, Episode 74 - Lohman v. Mitchell: A young Texas couple who are friends-turned-lovers are headed to the altar but must first answer the question of if he fathered her daughter.
#LaurenLake #PaternityCourt
Season 5, Episode 74 - Lohman v. Mitchell: A young Texas couple who are friends-turned-lovers are headed to the altar but must first answer the question of if he fathered her daughter.
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TVTranscript
00:00You may be seated.
00:05Hello, Your Honor.
00:06Hello.
00:07This is a case of Lohman v. Mitchell.
00:09Thank you, Jerome. Good day, everyone.
00:11Good day.
00:12Ms. Lohman, you are in court today,
00:14hoping and praying your fiancé, Mr. Mitchell,
00:17is the biological father of your daughter, London.
00:20And you and your mother are here to prove it.
00:24You say today's DNA results will determine
00:26the future of your family together.
00:29Is that correct?
00:30Yes, Your Honor.
00:31Mr. Mitchell, you say nothing would make you happier
00:34than finding out you are London's biological father.
00:38But you are in court today,
00:40believing there is no way you are.
00:43You say if the DNA results prove you are not the father,
00:47next month's wedding is off.
00:49Is that correct?
00:51Yes, Your Honor.
00:51All right.
00:52So you're joined by your cousin,
00:53who fears you're being taken advantage of by the plaintiff.
00:58So, Ms. Lohman, today's results will determine
01:00the future of your family.
01:02Explain.
01:04Your Honor, when me and Jonathan got together,
01:09I was, you know, I was very happy.
01:10Um, we got engaged January of last year.
01:16And if London is not to become of Mr. Mitchell,
01:20then our wedding is gonna be off.
01:21And that's gonna, you know, it's really gonna upset me.
01:23All right.
01:24And how is it affecting your relationship now?
01:28Me and Mr. Mitchell, we fight all the time about,
01:30you know, me telling Mr. Mitchell that London is his.
01:33And he will tell me,
01:34no, you know, I don't think she is.
01:37But you've also told him that she's not, so...
01:40No, I have never actually told Jonathan that he was not.
01:44I told him there was a possibility that he might not be,
01:46but I have never for sure told him he hasn't been.
01:48So talk to me about the nature of your relationship.
01:51We met when we were sophomores in high school.
01:53Um, junior year, we had a lot of classes together,
01:55so we became really good friends.
01:57And, you know, he started opening up to me
01:59and telling me, you know, about his home life.
02:01He came from a very, very hard, difficult,
02:03terrible background.
02:04And I, you know, I wanted to help him
02:06and save him from that.
02:07So I, you know, I went home and I spoke to my mother
02:10and my dad about it.
02:12And, you know, I was like, you know,
02:14can we do something about it?
02:16They were like, yeah, we'll help him.
02:17So he ended up, you know,
02:19he ended up coming to live with us.
02:21And I was really happy when he got away from that.
02:24And so your relationship started
02:26while he was living with you and your family?
02:28Yes, ma'am.
02:29Were you single at that time?
02:31No, Your Honor, I had a boyfriend at the time.
02:34He moves in, and then what happens?
02:36Um, after about two months of him
02:38living with me and my family,
02:40um, we were sitting on the couch one day
02:42just talking and he kissed me.
02:43And I told him, you know,
02:45I have a boyfriend, we can't do this.
02:47And he just kind of shrugged it off and said, okay.
02:49Okay.
02:50So at that point, Mr. Mitchell was just your friend?
02:53Yes, Your Honor.
02:53About a week after that, we were in the pool
02:55and we were swimming under the water
02:57and he kissed me under the water and I came up.
02:59And I didn't stop it.
03:01I let it continue.
03:02And we ended up, you know, we ended up having sex.
03:06All right.
03:07And so, Mr. Mitchell,
03:08do you remember when your feelings for Ms. Lohman
03:12changed from friends to more?
03:16Yes, Your Honor.
03:17So tell me about what you came to love about Ms. Lohman.
03:21I loved how she did stuff.
03:23I liked how she cared for me
03:24whenever I didn't have anybody that cared for me.
03:28And she said you had a very tough childhood.
03:30Is that true, honey?
03:31Yes, ma'am.
03:32I was abused.
03:32I had to do everything for my family.
03:34I raised my three sisters and my brother
03:36basically by myself.
03:38It was hard.
03:40I understand.
03:41So when you moved in with Ms. Lohman,
03:43it was like finding a family, a real family.
03:47Yes, Your Honor.
03:47And they took you in and you finally felt at home somewhere?
03:52Yes, Your Honor.
03:52All right.
03:53So this relationship now turned to more than a friendship?
03:57Yes, Your Honor.
03:58But you're still in a relationship with this boyfriend at the time.
04:01Am I correct, Ms. Lohman?
04:02Yes, Your Honor.
04:03So what was that situation like?
04:05He never found out and to this day he still doesn't know.
04:08He does not know to this day
04:10that you were also sleeping with Mr. Mitchell?
04:13Right, Your Honor.
04:13Was this just a one-time thing when you all ended up having sex
04:17or did it continue?
04:18Um, it continued.
04:20Were you using protection?
04:22No, Your Honor.
04:24So you have an ex-boyfriend.
04:28Yes, Your Honor.
04:29Who believed that he was the father
04:31until they split and she got with Jonathan
04:34and disappeared.
04:37So when you found out you were pregnant,
04:39your ex believed it was his?
04:41Yes, Your Honor, because at the time I also thought it was his.
04:44Why did you think it was his
04:46if you knew you were also having sex with Mr. Mitchell?
04:49At the time I was with him
04:50so I wanted to make myself believe that it was my ex's.
04:52Oh, okay, so you admittedly just lied to yourself
04:54and blocked out the Mr. Mitchell possibility.
04:57Yes, Your Honor.
04:58So, Mr. Mitchell, do you remember
05:00finding out Ms. Lohman was pregnant?
05:02Yes, Your Honor.
05:03When you found that out, what were you thinking?
05:05I didn't know what to think.
05:06I didn't know if it was mine or his.
05:08At that point, were you all dating now, you and Ms. Lohman?
05:12Yes, Your Honor.
05:13No, Your Honor, I...
05:15But we were not dating at the time I told him
05:17there was a possibility.
05:17I was still with my ex at the time.
05:20Okay.
05:21And so, this ex believed this is my child?
05:25Yes, Your Honor.
05:26You never said anything to Mr. Mitchell?
05:28No, Your Honor.
05:28Mr. Mitchell, if when you found out
05:30you immediately thought this could be my child,
05:33did you confront Ms. Lohman and say,
05:34hey, is this my baby?
05:36Not immediately.
05:37When did you do it?
05:38I waited a couple days and thought it over.
05:41So, Ms. Lohman, how did you finally tell Mr. Mitchell
05:44that you thought the baby could potentially be his?
05:47When I was about six weeks,
05:49I had went to the doctor and confirmed that I was pregnant.
05:53And then on my second doctor's appointment,
05:55I asked, you know, do you know,
05:56do you have an estimate of when I conceived?
05:58Because I can't tell you the exact date.
05:59And she told me I conceived somewhere between
06:01October 12th and October 22nd.
06:03And I got to looking back at the dates
06:05and I had had sex with Mr. Mitchell more times
06:07than I had sex with my ex.
06:09I had sex with Mr. Mitchell about every day
06:12and only once or twice with my ex.
06:14All right.
06:14I don't think that's how that works.
06:15So, you do understand that it is not a numbers game?
06:20Yes, Your Honor.
06:21I don't mean it to be funny.
06:22I'm serious.
06:23You do understand that.
06:24So, you could have sex with someone 20 times
06:27and have sex with someone else one time.
06:30And that one time make a baby.
06:32Yes, Your Honor.
06:33Okay.
06:34After you realized when you conceived,
06:36everything pointed to Mr. Mitchell.
06:38Yes, Your Honor.
06:39How do you tell him?
06:40We were sitting at home and I told him,
06:42I was like,
06:43there is a possibility that London could be yours.
06:45And because I looked at the dates
06:47and then after she was born,
06:49I was like,
06:50Mr. Mitchell, she looks just like you.
06:52I was like,
06:53she has your eyes the same exact eye color.
06:55But just because she has blue eyes
06:57and blonde hair doesn't mean she's mine.
06:58Yes, but my ex had light blue eyes.
07:00Jonathan has dark blue eyes.
07:02London has dark blue eyes.
07:03And so, all through this pregnancy,
07:05who's helping you?
07:07Mr. Mitchell is.
07:08So, you're with her through this pregnancy?
07:11Yes.
07:11Yes, Your Honor.
07:11And you're there when the baby's born?
07:13Yes, Your Honor.
07:14Do you sign the birth certificate?
07:15No, Your Honor.
07:16No, Your Honor.
07:16At the time, I was confused as to who the father was.
07:19So, I didn't want to put anybody on the birth certificate
07:22except myself.
07:23Okay.
07:23Well, that's responsible.
07:25So, you don't put anyone on the birth certificate,
07:28but you're still there for the baby,
07:29Mr. Mitchell.
07:30And the baby starts to develop
07:32and you start comparing features.
07:35Yes, Your Honor.
07:36And so, then that furthers your belief
07:39that Mr. Mitchell is the child's father?
07:41Yes, Your Honor.
07:42You say they have the same eyes.
07:44Yes, Your Honor.
07:45All right.
07:45Let's look at this.
07:47On the left is London
07:49and on the right is Mr. Mitchell.
07:53And you believe that is an indicator
07:56that Mr. Mitchell is her biological father?
07:59Not only that, Your Honor,
08:00my ex had little to no eyelashes.
08:02Mr. Mitchell has extremely long, thick eyelashes
08:07and my daughter London does as well.
08:09She's a girl.
08:09She can just get it.
08:11Yeah.
08:12Yeah.
08:13Okay, just because she's a girl
08:14doesn't mean anything.
08:15She's a girl doesn't mean she got long lashes.
08:16Because I'm a girl.
08:17My mother's a woman.
08:18I mean, neither one of us have long lashes.
08:19So, now London is 10 months old
08:22and Mr. Mitchell,
08:23you say you've bonded with this baby.
08:25Yes, Your Honor.
08:26How so?
08:26Explain to the court.
08:27I love her to death.
08:29She's amazing.
08:31She's amazing, you said.
08:32Yes, Your Honor.
08:33He has been there from day one.
08:35He takes care of her.
08:36He watches her.
08:38He has become so attached to this baby
08:41and he has treated her
08:42as if he's known all along that she is his.
08:44But the doubts are there
08:48and it is better for him to know now.
08:50It's better for everybody,
08:51especially London,
08:52to know now
08:52if he is in fact for certain her father
08:55or if he's not.
08:56Because if it goes on for much longer,
09:00I feel like it will be more traumatic
09:01for everybody involved
09:02to find out later that he is not the father.
09:04Why do you believe he's being taken advantage of?
09:08I believe that she knows
09:12that Jonathan is going to do what is right.
09:14He loves the baby
09:15and he is going to step up
09:17and be the father that she needs.
09:20And I feel like because she knows that,
09:23that that is why we are in the situation we are in.
09:27So you basically believe
09:28Ms. Lohman has chosen Mr. Mitchell...
09:32as the best of the two options.
09:35Right.
09:36Well, the ex is...
09:37No, Your Honor, that is not correct.
09:38No, Your Honor, that is not correct.
09:39I love Mr. Mitchell with everything I have.
09:43I have been his best friend
09:44since day one I met him.
09:47I love him not because he will take care of London.
09:50I love him because he is my best friend.
09:52She doesn't treat me like she does, though.
09:54She certainly doesn't talk to him like she does.
09:56You don't always treat her right either.
09:58But I treat her better than she does me.
09:59Not always.
10:00The point is this.
10:02You say you love this man
10:04and you say you truly believe
10:07he's London's biological father.
10:09My question is this.
10:11Is your belief
10:13that he's London's biological father
10:15rooted in the fact that you love him so much?
10:18Or as she just said,
10:20you feel like he's going to do right by the baby?
10:23What I'm saying is
10:24both of those two arguments you understand
10:26have absolutely no bearing on the paternity question.
10:30Yes, Your Honor.
10:32If your belief is based on the conception date,
10:36now that's something we can talk about.
10:39If it's just based on a want and a love,
10:43that's not how it works in this courtroom.
10:45Mr. Mitchell has testified
10:47that he has a beautiful,
10:50loving relationship with London.
10:52I have to ask,
10:53what is your ex doing?
10:55Absolutely nothing with his life.
10:57We have no idea where he's even at.
10:59I have no contact with him.
11:00I even tried to speak to his father
11:03and his father has no idea.
11:05He hasn't seen him in six months.
11:08Oh, goodness.
11:09We don't know where he's at.
11:10He will not talk to me.
11:12He has told all his friends,
11:13do not let them...
11:14He won't let me get in contact with him
11:16to get in contact with him.
11:18I've tried, you know,
11:19just to get in contact with him
11:21and be like,
11:21hey, you know,
11:22we need to figure something out here
11:23and he will not get in contact with me.
11:25He's deleted and blocked all my numbers.
11:27He's blocked and deleted me on Facebook.
11:28The same as the rest of my family.
11:30My goodness.
11:31So, have you ever been able to tell him
11:33I'm pregnant and this might be yours?
11:35Yes.
11:36Yes, Your Honor.
11:36He did get that information.
11:37Yes, because I was with him at the time
11:38I conceived London.
11:39Right.
11:41So, you were with him at that time.
11:43Then you moved on to Mr. Mitchell.
11:45Yes, Your Honor.
11:46So, at what point do you two get engaged?
11:49We were in Indiana
11:51with a family member of Mr. Mitchell's
11:53and he took me on a...
11:56Mr. Mitchell took me on a walk
11:57and we were under a beautiful bridge
12:00and he proposed to me.
12:01So, he proposed to you
12:02and you said yes.
12:04Yes, Your Honor.
12:05Even in spite of this paternity question.
12:07Yes, Your Honor.
12:09The paternity was in the very back of my mind.
12:12How old was London when you proposed?
12:14Um, I was still pregnant with London.
12:16Oh, you were still pregnant?
12:17Yes, Your Honor.
12:18But now you are engaged,
12:20but London's born
12:21and now that London's born
12:22and you're looking at the features
12:23and you're comparing the features,
12:25you think it's Mr. Mitchell,
12:27but Mr. Mitchell and Miss Pummel,
12:29your cousin,
12:30you all starting to have doubts.
12:32Yes, Your Honor.
12:32Because of the fact
12:33that there was the overlapping,
12:35that there was more than one person
12:36that was being slept with
12:38at the same time
12:40and the fact that,
12:42I mean, they argue
12:43and that has been said.
12:45We don't know who the father is,
12:47you know?
12:48So, Mr. Mitchell,
12:50how do you feel as you hold London
12:52to have so much love for this baby
12:54but have so many questions?
12:56I've been there for her the whole time,
13:01just taking care of her,
13:03so I've grown attached
13:04and I don't know
13:04if she's mine or not, though.
13:06So, as much as you are hoping she is,
13:09the truth is you really don't know.
13:11I really don't know.
13:12I want to know, though.
13:14Well, I think I've heard
13:15all that I need to hear.
13:17Jerome, I'm ready for the results.
13:19Okay.
13:24These results were prepared
13:26by DNA Diagnostics
13:28and they read as follows.
13:31In the case of Lohman v. Mitchell,
13:34when it comes to 10-month-old London,
13:39Leona Lohman,
13:40it has been determined by this court.
13:45Mr. Mitchell,
13:45you...
13:47are not the father.
13:53Miss Lohman,
14:15I can tell
14:16that was not the news
14:17you were expecting to hear.
14:18No, Your Honor.
14:21Are we certain?
14:23Is your ex
14:24London's biological father
14:27or is there another possibility
14:29that we just have not spoken about yet?
14:31No, Your Honor,
14:31there is no other possibility.
14:34Mr. Mitchell,
14:35I'm so sorry
14:36I couldn't give you
14:37the results you wanted.
14:38So now,
14:39we have to figure out
14:40where we go from here.
14:41But we've got to now
14:42do the right thing.
14:43Mr. Mitchell,
14:43you have formed
14:45a beautiful bond
14:46with the baby.
14:47I know you said
14:47this relationship
14:48was on the line.
14:49Where do we go from here?
14:52I'm going to keep going
14:53and stay her dead.
14:56You want to still
14:57stay in her life
14:57and be her dead.
14:59Okay.
15:05Let's figure out
15:05how we do that
15:06because it is easier
15:08said than done.
15:09Do you want to try
15:10to make it work
15:10with Ms. Lohman?
15:11Yes, Your Honor.
15:12Good.
15:14Well, with that said,
15:16Ms. Lohman,
15:17is there anything
15:18you'd like to say
15:19to Mr. Mitchell?
15:21He's been wonderful
15:22to your baby.
15:22I just want to tell you
15:23that I'm sorry
15:23and I love you.
15:25I love you, too.
15:25So, now we figure out
15:44how to move forward
15:45and I want you all
15:46to figure out
15:47how you put
15:47this family together
15:48but also help London
15:51find her biological father
15:53so she could hopefully
15:54have a relationship
15:55with him, too.
15:56Okay?
15:57I wish you all
15:58the very best.
15:58Court is adjourned.
16:18Good.
16:20You're welcome.
16:22Hi.
16:22Good.
16:23Bye.
16:26Hi.
16:26Good.
16:27Bye.
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