[WrapHappy]

Long story short I got a speeding ticket (that I did not deserve) when I drove the 5 hours to traffic court for the stupid thing I had to get permission to bring my 2 month old with as they have a no children under 8 policy.
I had Josh in a wrap and he slept the majority of the time.
Right near the end of everything he was squirmy and waking to nurse, I repositioned him in the wrap and latched him on- he wimpered for about 7 seconds during repositioning- it was never a full cry.
The Baliff came unglued and even though I reassured him I was fine where I was he caused a scene and forced me to leave.
I figured he was going to make me sit in the hallway and so told him I could get there on my own- no need for the escort.
He then refused to let me nurse in the hallway and made me sit in a little room off the hallway.
I was totally covered in my wrap and baby was completely quiet the whole time.
I AM NOT a CLOSET NURSER and was quite upset at the rude man.
Then I was kicked out of the little room in to the hallway by the payment probation people so they could use the room to sign papers.
About 1/2 later I was released but had to go to a different building in order to sign more papers and they tried to kick me out for having an infant with me. I told them to get over it and deal and that I was keeping him with.

SOOOOO- what would you do- anything? I was in Henery County GA by the way...

I have e-mailed the "lactivist" person already but thats it so far. this happened on monday.

 

[Romana]

I would contact the attorney general for follow-up. From what I understand, that is who would "police" a governmental entity like the courthouse. GA law states:

Ga. Act No. 922 (2002) changes the previous law, § 31-1-9, and inserts the phrase: "The breast-feeding of a baby is an important and basic act of nurture which should be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health. A mother may breast-feed her baby in any location where the mother and baby are otherwise authorized to be." (S.B. 221)

You were authorized and your babe was authorized, so you should not have been kicked out, as far as I can tell. Hopefully someone else will have advice - I'm a bit new to this.

http://www.state.ga.us/ago/

 

[WrapHappy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romana9+2 I would contact the attorney general for follow-up. From what I understand, that is who would "police" a governmental entity like the courthouse. GA law states: Ga. Act No. 922 (2002) changes the previous law, § 31-1-9, and inserts the phrase: "The breast-feeding of a baby is an important and basic act of nurture which should be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health. A mother may breast-feed her baby in any location where the mother and baby are otherwise authorized to be." (S.B. 221) You were authorized and your babe was authorized, so you should not have been kicked out, as far as I can tell. Hopefully someone else will have advice - I'm a bit new to this. http://www.state.ga.us/ago/

oh good idea !

 

[m0dernist]

((((hugs)))) momma! What is with people?

 

[mntnmom]

BF or not, what is ANY SAHM supposed to do if she can't take a little one with her? I guarantee the county won't pay for childcare, and they put you in jail if you leave them home alone!

If they allowed you to bring your babe, you were totally within your rights to nurse!! Three cheers for not putting up with it!!

 

[eviesingleton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mntnmom BF or not, what is ANY SAHM supposed to do if she can't take a little one with her? I guarantee the county won't pay for childcare, and they put you in jail if you leave them home alone! If they allowed you to bring your babe, you were totally within your rights to nurse!! Three cheers for not putting up with it!!

In one county in Georgia (Fulton), if you are the primary caretaker for a child under a certain age, you are exempt.

 

[melikahiwa]

((HUGS))
Such an unfortunate experience! I hope you at the very least get an apology.

 

[beanma]

y'know i have a copy of our state's law on a little buisiness card that i got from LLL. i carry it in my wallet even though i don't have a wee nursling anymore. it's a great idea for situations like this. i wonder what the bailiff would have done if you could have shown him a copy of the law?

i suggest you get in touch with LLL. they have advocates for legal stuff like this. check out www.laleche.org for the group near you.

 

[MomtoEd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by beanma y'know i have a copy of our state's law on a little buisiness card that i got from LLL. i carry it in my wallet even though i don't have a wee nursling anymore. it's a great idea for situations like this. i wonder what the bailiff would have done if you could have shown him a copy of the law?

That's a great idea!

 

[subrosa]

Well, I hate to be a wet blanket, but the baby wasn't really authorized to be there in the courtroom. The mama says they made an exception to their no children under 8 policy to let the baby in. In my experience, any sound from a child will have a bailiff kicking the child out of the courtroom; many courts won't even let small children in in the first place.

Once the mama was out of the courtroom, the bailiff had no business making her breastfeed in the other room, though. I would address complalints to the Court's administrative office rather than the AG's office.

 

[ulla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by subrosa Well, I hate to be a wet blanket, but the baby wasn't really authorized to be there in the courtroom. The mama says they made an exception to their no children under 8 policy to let the baby in. In my experience, any sound from a child will have a bailiff kicking the child out of the courtroom; many courts won't even let small children in in the first place.

I agree. The judge can withdraw permission at any time if he feels the child is disrupting the proceedings in his courtroom.

Quote:

Once the mama was out of the courtroom, the bailiff had no business making her breastfeed in the other room, though. I would address complalints to the Court's administrative office rather than the AG's office.

I don't know if I agree with this. While the judge can grant special permission to bring a baby into HIS courtroom, he doesn't have authority to grant blanket permission for the whole courthouse. The bailiff was probably bending the rules by letting her nurse in that room. Likewise, the permission probably did not extend to the other building, either.

 

[elanorh]

The hallway isn't a courtroom though. Courthouses often contain far more than the courtrooms - I worked in a Courthouse for three years. We had the Cooperative Extension Offices, the County Engineers, the Assessors, the Election Commission, CASA, WIC, all sorts of other governmental offices there. We heard little kids trooping through the halls all the time! I've walked my own dd through there, going back to visit former coworkers. And, *ahem* nursed in several locations during those visits.

So unless the courthouse in question bans all children under 8 at all times and in all places (and, in that case, what about children involved in court cases, such as foster adoptions?) -- I would assume that once OP was in the hallway, she was in the clear to bf according to GA law. And we don't know whether that's the case or not.

I'll admit my experience with Courthouses is limited to rural states - MT, WY, and KS. But in all of those states, the courthouses are set up as I describe above (some variation of that).

OP, I'd find out how exactly that particular Courthouse is set up; find the written policies they have in re: children being there (i.e., is it only the courtROOMS that matter, or the entire building?) -- and then I'm assuming in that process, you'll discover to whom you should file a complaint.