Missouri Woman Charged with Contempt of Court for Breastfeeding Baby

A Missouri woman was charged with contempt of court for bringing and breastfeeding her baby in the courtroom.

Laura Tickle of Lee's Summit, Missouri, as reported by KCTV5, said that she brought her baby to jury because one, she didn't want to stop her son's breastfeeding and two, had no one to look after him.

Trickle went against Judge Marco Roldan after answering an August 9 jury summons telling court officials that she wouldn't be taking part in the civic duties because she is breastfeeding. Apparently, the breastfeeding excuse and allowing breastfeeding mothers get exempted from jury duties doesn't play too well in Missouri.

Trickle said in the interview, "It is not right. It is not fair for us. We're just trying to do what is best for our children, and we shouldn't be penalized and fined for it."

Judge Roldan's court order states Trickle "willfully and contemptuously appeared for jury service with her child and no one to care for the child."

Without singling out Trickle's case, Judge Roldan told Kansas City Star that Jackson County mothers have a couple of options if they really want to continue breastfeeding their babies during summons: they can either hire a caregiver to take care of the child in the courtroom and then breastfeed the baby in a private room, or they can pump breast milk in a private room and bottle-feed their baby later.

However, both of those options are inapplicable, said Trickle, because her son Axel "doesn't take a bottle," and she has no childcare options.

Predictably, Trickle's case has attracted interests from Missouri politicians and the La Leche League, an organization promoting breastfeeding.

Nikki Simmons, a Missouri spokesperson for the La Leche League, told The Kansas City Star she thinks that overturning Missouri's stubbornness on Trickle's case might be more difficult than it seems. If ever lawmakers act in favor of exempting breastfeeding mothers from court summons, they would also have to consider exempting people who care for the elderly or the sick.

Trickle is set to attend a court hearing on Thursday.

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