LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- A Missouri woman says she's facing contempt of court charges because she took her 7-month-old son, whom she breastfeeds, to jury duty.
Laura Trickle, a stay-at-home mother from Lee's Summit, Mo., received a summons for jury duty but couldn't leave her son, Axel Graham, behind because she breast feeds, KCTV, Kansas City, Mo., reported.
When she arrived at the Jackson County Courthouse, she was given two options.
"I would be able to pump on breaks. Unfortunately Axel doesn't take a bottle, so that was not an option for us. The other option was to have someone stay with me all day and then be able to nurse on breaks. But since I'm a stay-at-home mom, we don't have childcare," Trickle said.
So instead, Trickle was charged with contempt of court and is facing a $500 fine.
"It has been really scary. It has been very stressful for our family," she said.
A state senator from St. Joseph, Mo., is working on a bill that would excuse breastfeeding mothers from jury duty. There are similar laws in 12 states.
"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," Trickle said.
Trickle has a court date scheduled for Thursday.
