People ex rel. Barbour v. Hatchett

This is an action brought by the State of Illinois on behalf of the plaintiff, Mongolia Barbour, pursuant to the provisions of the Paternity Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 40, par. 1351 et seq.). Plaintiff alleges that the defendant is the father of her son, who was bom out of wedlock. Following a bench trial, the circuit court of Sangamon County found that defendant was the father of the child. He now appeals, claiming that the court’s decision was against the manifest weight of the evidence.

The testimony elicited at the May 17, 1984, bench trial varied widely as to the relationship between…