Catherine Donkers Found Guilty

Local news is reporting that Portage County Municipal Court Judge David Martell has ruled in the breast feeding while driving case against Catherine Donkers and has found her guilty of three of four charges against her. She is guilty of driving without a valid operator's license, failure to comply with a police officer's request, and violation of the Ohio child-restraint law. Donkers was found not guilty of child endangerment.

Sentencing in the case will occur after a pre-sentence investigation of the charges and available legal remedies. The prosecution has recommended a sentence of 30 days in jail, a $500 fine and payment of all court costs.

While making his ruling, Judge Martell asked Donkers what was more important to her, the welfare of her child or her religious campaign against "the oppressive agents of government?"

My take is that if the prosecutor's recommendations are followed, the punishment befits the crimes. Putting Donkers in jail may seem harsh, but not when viewed in the context of the attitudes displayed during the trial by Donkers and her husband, Brad Lee Barnhill. Judge Martell expressed concern that there is a real possibility of recurrence of the violations. Therefore, I think incarceration, along with a meaningful out-of-pocket penalty, would go a long way in helping Donkers and Barnhill realize an attitude adjustment. However, they may be too entrenched in the dogma of the First Christian Fellowship for Eternal Sovereignty to ever have an attitude change.