Thanks, Liz, for the clarification.  And thanks, Diane, for the aid to
empathy.  Of course we want jurors paying attention, and not in a BF fog.
That is why breastfeeding should give exemption from jury duty.  Or maybe
mothers should just show up and espouse such crazed opinions that one side
or the other will eliminate them from the pool.  Is this an offense carrying
a penalty too?
For witnesses, we want them safe and comfortable.  If courtrooms are so
crowded and not with the best-behaved kids in the class, maybe they aren't a
great place for anyone!
I found it interesting that a baby's ability to generate sympathy would be a
reason not to have them there.  In this part of the world, a parent of young
children will be handled differently out of consideration for the children,
when it comes to sentencing, for example.  Family-friendliness extends to
some degree to the criminal justice system.  We acknowledge the sympathy
generated by a baby as something normal, and expected, and even appropriate.
It doesn't mean a defendant can get away with murder.  But it means that we
try not to punish children by depriving them of their parents who may be
otherwise nurturing, loving people, even though they have broken a law.
Two-edged sword?  You bet.  It isn't easy.

I have obviously been living outside the US for way too long.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html