Husband orders wife to breastfeed while driving

[Chrystal-J]

A few years back there was this woman stopped by police for breastfeeding while driving. She said she was doing so under the orders of her husband (to save time on her drive from Detroit to Pittsburgh). They were members of a group called "The First Christian Fellowship for Eternal Sovereignty". If I remember correctly, they were "off paper" (no driver's license, no birth certificates, no marriage licenses, etc.).

This was their "official" site, but it doesn't look up-dated. >http://www.sovereignfellowship.com/tos/1.1/ (> added to break the link)

I was just wondering if anyone here knows anything about them. After the court dates, there weren't anymore newspaper articles on them. I just wondered if they disbanded or went underground.

 

Here's some newspaper articles from the driving incident.

 

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/3555/hu ... o-be-tried

From that article:

She could have had the original police charges, driving without a license, obstructing official business and violating the child safety-seat law, reduced to a single guilty plea to driving under suspension, according to court records. She then could have closed her case by posting a $100 fine. But her husband, Brad L. Barnhill, 46, said religious beliefs put him in charge of his wife’s actions.

“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.â€

 

(general synopsis)

http://www.wtae.com/r/2278904/detail.html

[demgirl]

She was convicted of some stuff, acquitted of child endangerment.

Catherine Nicole Donkers, 29, was found guilty of violating child-restraint laws, driving without a valid driver's license and fleeing police.

-- from the Chicago Tribune.

It also looks like it may not have been the end of their legal troubles. One Brad Lee Barnhill and one Catherine Nicole Donkers were arrested for possession of handguns and resisting arrest. They were convicted but the convictions were overturned because of a bad search of their car. They then tried to sue the police in 2008 and were unsuccessful from what I can tell. The case was dismissed by the US DIstrict Court in Maryland. http://www.mdd.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Op ... 5feb08.pdf

I don't know that it's the same people, but it seems possible given the two names. Hard to be sure. Maybe someone else can confirm?

It appears they also sued their former attorney for malpractice and there was some broohaha because she refused to swear an oath and wanted to affirm her testimony instead, for religious reasons. http://caselaw.findlaw.com/mi-court-of- ... 80053.html

[Chrystal-J]

Thanks for the update, demgirl. I was wondering what-ever happened to them.

I found a few things about them, but nothing about the group they were said to be members of (The First Christian Fellowship for Eternal Sovereignty).

[doggie]

someone should kick the asshole in the nuts. fucking power tripping Christians lord save me from your followers.