Stacy Ehrisman-Mickle took an immigration case for two brothers in Atlanta and from the start she realized their hearing would be during her maternity leave. She requested a new date and was
denied:
In an order denying her request, Immigration Judge J. Dan Pelletier Sr. wrote, "No good cause. Hearing date set prior to counsel accepting representation."
"No good cause." Wow. With her husband out of state, no family in the area and her newborn too young for daycare, she had no choice:
"I was in a state of panic. I didn't know what to do with my baby," she told The Associated Press on Thursday.
She called her daughter's pediatrician to ask if it would be safe to bring the baby with her to court. The doctor told her it would be OK as long as she kept the infant in a carrier on her chest facing her body and didn't let anyone touch the baby.
So, she strapped her baby to her chest and went to court, where the judge berated and publicly humiliated her:
During the hearing, her baby began to cry, and Pelletier scolded her for inappropriate behavior and commented that her pediatrician must be appalled that she was exposing the baby to so many germs in court, she said.
She has filed a formal complaint against the judge and is awaiting the results of the investigation.