Breast-Feeding Driver Acts As Own Lawyer

**Lisa03** · 08-07-2003, 09:39 AM

RAVENNA, Ohio -- A woman on trial in Ohio admits to breast-feeding her baby while driving down the highway. She says she did nothing wrong.

Catherine Donkers is acting as her own attorney in the misdemeanor trial. She's facing several counts, including endangering a child and failing to comply with a police order.

Donkers cried Wednesday as prosecutors played a video showing a police cruiser following her for miles with siren and lights going. A passing trucker had seen her breast-feeding down the Ohio Turnpike and called 911.

Prosecutors say Donkers finally stopped at a toll booth, still clutching her infant daughter in her lap. They say she wouldn't cooperate with police until her husband gave her permission over the phone.

The couple belongs to a Nevada-based religious group with a history of challenging state laws.

Donkers' husband has asked the judge that he be prosecuted on the charges, since he's the one who tells his wife what to do. Testimony will continue Tuesday.

He tells her what to do? She must not have any freedom

**Advertisement** · 08-07-2003 09:39 AM

**ckerr4** · 08-07-2003, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by Lisa03
They say she wouldn't cooperate with police until her husband gave her permission over the phone.

Donkers' husband has asked the judge that he be prosecuted on the charges, since he's the one who tells his wife what to do. Testimony will continue Tuesday.

He tells her what to do? She must not have any freedom

Doesn't sound like she does have any freedom. Quite frankly, I'm surprised she was driving the car herself

**schsa** · 08-07-2003, 09:56 AM

I understand the religious thing but why not just pull off the road, breast feed the kid and then get back on the road again? It makes a bit more sense than trying to drive down the interstate with a baby in your lap. She's going to loose this one and her husband won't be able to do a thing about it.

**momfromTN** · 08-07-2003, 10:33 AM

I hope she loses big time. I do not think parents, who know better, and who purposely put their child in danger, deserve their kids. I have a niece who is brain damaged because of a careless babysitter who didn't put her in a car seat before they had an accident when she was 11 mos old. I see parents with kids out of the car seats or seat belts and I just want to scream at them. I wish no one to see what I saw. An 11 mo old hooked up to machines and 20 different tubes sticking out of her poor body. People who do not do their very best to make sure their kids are protected, DO NOT LOVE THEIR KIDS AND SHOULDN'T have them. There is NO WAY, in this day and time, that people are THAT ignorant.

**1busymomma** · 08-07-2003, 10:35 AM

I saw this on the news. I can understand their religious beliefs and all....but I have to wonder if he is abusive to her as well as controlling from the way she is acting.

I was also under the impression that unless her husband gave her permission, she was not allowed to stop to feed the baby (from what I saw on the news this morning).

**Iluvbears** · 08-07-2003, 10:36 AM

Common sense isn't so common anymore.

He wants to be prosecuted because he tells her what to do? I wonder if he was in the vehical with his wife. If not, he can't be charged even if he begs & pleads. She's a dumbass for taking orders from him. It's pretty pathetic when you don't have a mind of your own and you rely on your husband to tell you what to do.

I have no pity for her at all.

**momfromTN** · 08-07-2003, 10:44 AM

Thank God she didn't wreck the car or she would have also been a murderer.

**a12100** · 08-07-2003, 01:40 PM

Originally posted by Iluvbears
Common sense isn't so common anymore.

I have always said that!! LOL

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