"Baby mama" as a term of art

Court’s “baby mama” remark leads to resentencing

A Caucasian judge’s comments on the African-American defendant’s lifestyle and his “baby mama” could lead to a reasonable perception that the sentence was imposed at least in part because of race, a three-judge panel of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals held.

[snip]

“Where do you guys find these women, really, seriously,” the judge remarked. “I’d say about every fourth man who comes in here unemployed, no education, is with a woman who is working full-time, going to school. Where do you find these women? Is there a club?”

Later, the judge said, “Mr. Harris sits at home, gets high while his baby mama works and goes to school. I swear there’s a club where these women get together and congregate.”

This line from Judge Kitty K. Brennan's dissent is priceless:

“At worst, the ‘baby mama’ comment here is an awkward attempt by the trial court to sound hip to a defendant when explaining how his idleness and lack of ambition are negative character traits especially in contrast to the mother of his child,” Brennan wrote.

Further, Brennan said the judge used the term “baby mama” a second time after mistakenly referring to the mother of Harris’s child as “your wife.” The judge had to correct himself and state, “not your wife, your baby mama.” Brennan said these circumstances yield no racial subtext.

At least according to Judge Brennan, baby mama is a discrete rung in the relationship ladder.