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Usher Wins Custody of Kids, Tameka Raymond Claims Judge Biased

By Andrew Lu on August 27, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Money can buy a lot of things, allegedly even a favorable child custody decision for R&B star Usher.

An Atlanta judge recently granted Usher sole custody of his two children in a contested battle with his ex-wife, Tameka Raymond.

But Raymond vowed to appeal the decision, arguing the judge who heard the case was biased. That's because the law firm representing Usher threw an election fund-raising party for Judge Bensonetta Tipton Lane back in 2008, reports BET.

The fund-raising event didn't raise that much for Judge Lane -- $1,278 -- but that was enough to influence the judge's decision to grant child custody to Usher, Tameka Raymond plans to argue, according to BET.

During the trial over custody of the couple's two children, Raymond had made an apparently sensible argument that she should have custody of her children given that Usher is on the road so much. However, the court still found that it was in the children's best interest to be with their father.

Raymond reportedly was "dumbfounded" by the decision. Her reaction shouldn't be surprising, as courts oftentimes favor the mother in child custody cases.

In general, a court will consider several factors in a child custody decision, like the mental and physical health of the parents, cultural considerations, a stable home environment, adjustment to school and community, and the wishes of the child in making its decision.

It's not clear what specific factors Judge Lane relied on in granting child custody to Usher. However, children's best interests in custody cases are determined on a case-by-case basis. The fact that Usher may be on the road a lot may not have been a critical factor for the court.

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