A woman is chastised by a judge for bringing her breastfed infant to court in Wilson County

Amanda Mullen was in a Wilson County courtroom asking for a domestic violence protective order. She says she had no choice but to bring her ten-month old baby with her because she is exclusively breastfed. Mullen says she was shocked when the judge verbally chastised her in front of everyone for bringing the baby to court. She says she was humiliated and felt very vulnerable in front of her abuser. The rules in North Carolina about having children in the courtroom are not very clear. As a result, the decision of whether children are allowed generally falls to the individual judges. In this episode, Mullen shares her emotional experience with us and what she did as a result.

After recording this episode, we received the following message from NC District Court Judge, Wayne Boyette, “It would be improper for me to comment on this matter at this time. After reviewing the file, I noted that the case was continued. So, it is not over but rather pending litigation. It is also my understanding Ms. Mullen may have filed a complaint with Judicial Standards, and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on a possible Judicial Standards complaint publicly.”