Jad Abumrad (host) / main Radiolab host voice

Dustin says this is the first moment that he realized what was actually happening, that the baby was up for adoption, and he says that he had no idea he had just legally consented to it.

And the guy looked at me and said, if you're going to rip that up, he said it's not good to do that.

That he could be arrested.

And I said, what do I got to do?

He said, you need to get a lawyer.

Which he immediately did.

And that's why the courts have ruled in his favor.

Because they say that from that moment, he's clearly demonstrated that he wants to be her dad.

Now, Mark and Lori say that if this were any other guy... Any other man of any other race... The story would be over right about here.

He wouldn't have any rights at all.

He rejected that opportunity to become a father.

But he has one thing in his favor, says Lori.

He happens to be Cherokee...

And Mark and Lori see that as basically the worst kind of preferential treatment.

And that is unbelievable.

This is John.

John Nichols.

This is Shannon.

They're two of Dustin's lawyers.

And John says, OK, there's preferential treatment.