Case Histories, Anecdotes, and War Stories 193
Jonathan thought he had it all. Two fantastic young children,
both under four years of age, and a beautiful wife. This “glass
house” came crashing down the day he was served with “paternity
papers” from “Grandpa Joe,” his children’s maternal grand father.
Jonathan didn’t know Joe nor did his children, for that matter. In
fact, Grandpa Joe was in state prison at the time, serving a long-
term sentence for murder, convicted of killing his wife (Jonathan’s
wife’s stepmother) years earlier. Shockingly, Jonathan’s wife (Joe’s
natural daughter) had apparently helped try to initially conceal
the killing, and was only spared a prison sentence herself because
she ultimately did testify against her own father at trial. Jonathan
had been utterly convinced that his wife had no “relationship”
whatsoever with her father. He was so very wrong.
Grandpa Joe then petitioned the Court to be legally declared
the children’s natural father. He alleged an ongoing sexual rela-
tionship with his own daughter that had produced his two grand-
children! The allegations absolutely destroyed Jonathan, who had
all along believed himself to be his darling children’s father. Jona-
than was convinced in his own heart and mind that Grandpa Joe
was lying. He simply had to be!
The sheriff brought Grandpa Joe into the courtroom, in shackles,
transported directly from the state prison. Grandpa Joe proudly
declared himself both Father and Grandfather and calmly told
the Court that he was entitled to be legally declared the children’s
father. He also demanded weekly visits with them at the prison
visitor’s center. As if this wasn’t alarming enough, Jonathan’s
wife admitted to an amazed Court that she had regularly engaged
in sexual relations with her father. She said she simply didn’t
know if Jonathan was the children’s natural father or not. You
could have heard a pin drop in the courtroom as these unbeliev-
able revelations were made... except, that is, for Jonathan’s loud
sobs and hysterical cries. In the end, the Court ordered Jonathan
to take the children to the hospital for blood tests, a necessary step
to establish paternity. Jonathan said, “No.” The Court said, “Yes,
and do it right now.”
As Jonathan left the Courthouse, he looked back at me, tears in
his eyes, saying, “I love these kids, and I’ll never let either of them
be hurt.” He certainly meant it. As a father myself, I knew he did.