It appears that this story, which I discussed in a previous (ref: Driving While Breast Feeding) post, has taken an unpredictable, almost bizarre, twist. To recap, Catherine Donkers was charged with several violations after being seen breast feeding her infant while driving on the Ohio Turnpike. Her court date is scheduled for August 6.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Husband seeks to be on trial instead of accused wife "because religious beliefs put him in charge of his wife's actions." Brad Barnhill, the husband, also said that:
. . . his faith is rooted in The First Christian Fellowship for Eternal Sovereignty, an organization founded in the late 1990s . . . [and] . . . he is a minister in the fellowship with 650 followers.
That's all well and good. As an American, he can practice any religion he desires but, to my knowledge, his belief system doesn't entitle him to act as a substitute or surrogate defendant in a criminal case.
Probably trying to clarify his intent and resolve, he added:
"I'm responsible for what she does, and no one can punish her except me," he said. "If they refuse to allow me the free exercise of my religion, then we're going to appeal this all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States and they're not going to be able to try her before then."
It is astonishing to me that someone could make such nonsensical statements with a straight face. Of course, Catherine Donkers can and will be punished by the state of Ohio, despite what her husband says. And she will be tried, also despite what he says. Mr. Barnhill ought to bone up on the legal processes of the US.
The opinion I expressed in my original post was that, based upon her statements, Catherine Donkers is a moron. Recent developments, however, indicate that she's a subordinate moron and all responsibility for her actions lies with the superior moron, her husband.
Kind of reminds me of two little kids on the playground bickering about who's the bigger moron.
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