Mom Was Arrested Because 10-Year-Old Walked To Town By Himself
Brittany Patterson is a mother of four living in a rural part of Georgia. Her husband travels for work so many times Brittany has the kids on her own. This mom was arrested because while Brittany was taking another one of her kids to the doctor, her 10 year-old decided to walk to town without telling anyone. The boy walked less than a mile into Mineral Bluff, the small town near their home.
As the 10 year-old walked into town, a woman in a car stopped and asked if he was OK. He said yes but she still called the police. The police called Brittany and and said they had picked the boy up. They told her that her son could have been hit by a car or kidnapped. Brittany told the authorities that her son was mature enough to walk to town. She talked with her son about the incident and thought it was over.
Mom Was Arrested
According to reason.com, this mom was arrested in front of three of her four kids, handcuffed, and driven to the police station in Fannin County, Georgia. “She was then fingerprinted, photographed, and dressed in an orange jumpsuit.”
Brittany Patterson was charged with reckless conduct and released on $500 bail. The authorities suggested that the charges might be dismissed if she signed paperwork saying that she would assign a “safety person” to her son and put a tracking app on his phone.
Can The Authorities Do That?
If Brittany had signed the papers, I would think so, but she did not. Instead, she hired a lawyer. The National Association of Parents set up a GoFundMe to help pay Brittany’s legal bills.
What Happens Next?
If the state of Georgia decides to pursue charges against Brittany, she could get up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail….yes, ONE YEAR IN JAIL.
The state of Georgia is maintaining that the boy was in danger, thus the safety plan is necessary. Brittany says she will not sign. To make things even more strange, The Department of Children and Family Services sent the boy a birthday card (he turned 11 the weekend after the incident).
Nunya
I find these events mind-blowing. I am all for protecting our children, but sometimes… sometimes the parents actually know their children better than the government. I let me daughter walk home from the bus when she was in third grade. The bus dropped her in our subdivision and she did not have to cross any streets to get home (it was a block walk). My neighbor brought her to our door and said, “She was walking home alone. We watch out for each other in this neighborhood so I brought her home.”
I was annoyed. I didn’t ask for my neighbor to do that and I didn’t ask her to assume that I parent the same way she does. I knew my daughter was mature enough to walk home one block inside of our neighborhood.
If I was Brittany, I would be furious… and I think she is. Good for her for not signing the papers. I hope she wins her legal battle. The idea of trying to get her to sign or face a year in jail is, in my opinion, ridiculous.. and mom was arrested in front of her kids? Are you serious right now? How traumatizing was that for the children whose welfare the authorities are so concerned about?
Back in My Day
We moved when I was in second grade and I walked nearly a mile to school every day and home every afternoon. Yes, I was walking with a friend and there were crossing safeties on some (not all) of the roads, but no one called the cops on my mom. I know times change, but under these circumstances, why is Brittany being charged? Boo on the Georgia legal system for this.
