Maternity leave allowances in the United States are legendarily lacking, but this is ridiculous.
 
Georgian attorney Stacy M. Ehrisman-Mickle has filed a complaint after Judge J. Dan Pelletier, Sr, first denied her request to delay a hearing due to maternity leave, before humiliating her for bringing her baby with her.
 
Stacy took on an immigration case for two brothers, to be held on a date during her maternity leave. With the agreement of the opposition and her clients, she asked for the hearing to be delayed for three weeks until she had finished her leave.
 
Despite submitting the request a month in advance, the Judge ignored it until the days before, when he denied her saying she “no good cause”.
 
With her partner away and unable to find someone to look after a four week old baby, Stacy had no choice to bring her infant with her.
 
“When the [the judge] saw me with my daughter, he was outraged. He scolded me for being inappropriate for bringing her. He questioned the fact that day care centres do not accept infants less than 6 weeks of age.”
 
“He then questioned my mothering skills as he commented how my paediatrician must be appalled that I am exposing my daughter to so many germs in court. He humiliated me in open court.”
 
Stacy has filed an official complaint against the judge for his treatment and attitude towards new and expectant mothers.
 
"Apparently my clients do not deserve to be represented by counsel of their choice if that counsel happens to be a pregnant woman. Likewise, pregnant women should not be litigating attorneys due to their 'condition'," Stacy wrote in her report.
 
“This thinking is absolutely reprehensible and should not be accepted by anyone within or representing the Department of Justice.” 
 
“I am horrified that this occurred and that I had to bring my infant to court with me. Despite [his] belief, child birth is no minor inconvenience and rightfully calls for a six week absence from work – if not longer as most other developed countries recognize.”
 
“I am a qualified, experienced and ethical attorney that should not have to stop practicing law upon becoming pregnant to accommodate the backward thinking of certain judges.

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