WTF?
A North Carolina woman is spending a week in the county jail — because she had her daughter baptized.
Kendra Stocks, of Charlotte, began her sentence on Friday after being found in contempt of court.
Stocks, 36, had the rite performed on her then-two-year-old in August 2016 in defiance of a judge’s order in a custody battle between herself and the father, Paul Schaaf, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The christening happened one day after a Mecklenburg judge gave full custody to Schaaf — “specifically including decisions concerning religion,” the paper reported.
Court documents obtained by the outlet revealed that both parents are practicing Catholics and wanted the child baptized and raised in the church. But the pair had long disagreed on spiritual matters — delaying the girl’s baptism, according to the report.
Schaaf was never informed about the baptism — and only learned of it when Stocks posted photos on Facebook, according to the documents. He then notified the courts.
District Court Judge Sean Smith found Stocks guilty of contempt last March, and wrote that the mother had acted in “bad faith disregard” when she failed to notify Schaaf of the baptism or give him any role in the ceremony, the paper reported.
Stocks appealed, but Smith’s ruling was upheld on Monday — with the original sentence of 10 days cut down to seven.
“I’m scared,” Stocks told The Observer. “I’m sad about what has happened. I don’t regret having her baptized. That was in her best interest … I don’t see how this is in the best interest of the family. Her father is sending her mother to jail.”
Jonathan Feit, Schaaf’s attorney, emphasized that Stocks was being punished not for baptizing her child but ignoring the judge’s order.
“For our system to work, there ought to be consequences for willfully and intentionally violating a court order,” Feit told The Observer. “I teach my children that. I reject the notion that anybody else is responsible for what is happening besides Ms. Stocks herself.”
The couple’s daughter was the product of their six-month relationship that ended in February 2014, according to the report.
“Her father and I both agreed on baptizing her,” Stocks told local station WSOC-TV before she was processed. I regret that he wasn’t part of it, but I don’t regret we’re raising her in the Catholic faith, which is what we both wanted.”
“I’ll get through it and hopefully come out a better person,” she added.
https://nypost.com/2018/02/17/mom-jailed-after-baptizing-daughter/
A North Carolina woman is spending a week in the county jail — because she had her daughter baptized.
Kendra Stocks, of Charlotte, began her sentence on Friday after being found in contempt of court.
Stocks, 36, had the rite performed on her then-two-year-old in August 2016 in defiance of a judge’s order in a custody battle between herself and the father, Paul Schaaf, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The christening happened one day after a Mecklenburg judge gave full custody to Schaaf — “specifically including decisions concerning religion,” the paper reported.
Court documents obtained by the outlet revealed that both parents are practicing Catholics and wanted the child baptized and raised in the church. But the pair had long disagreed on spiritual matters — delaying the girl’s baptism, according to the report.
Schaaf was never informed about the baptism — and only learned of it when Stocks posted photos on Facebook, according to the documents. He then notified the courts.
District Court Judge Sean Smith found Stocks guilty of contempt last March, and wrote that the mother had acted in “bad faith disregard” when she failed to notify Schaaf of the baptism or give him any role in the ceremony, the paper reported.
Stocks appealed, but Smith’s ruling was upheld on Monday — with the original sentence of 10 days cut down to seven.
“I’m scared,” Stocks told The Observer. “I’m sad about what has happened. I don’t regret having her baptized. That was in her best interest … I don’t see how this is in the best interest of the family. Her father is sending her mother to jail.”
Jonathan Feit, Schaaf’s attorney, emphasized that Stocks was being punished not for baptizing her child but ignoring the judge’s order.
“For our system to work, there ought to be consequences for willfully and intentionally violating a court order,” Feit told The Observer. “I teach my children that. I reject the notion that anybody else is responsible for what is happening besides Ms. Stocks herself.”
The couple’s daughter was the product of their six-month relationship that ended in February 2014, according to the report.
“Her father and I both agreed on baptizing her,” Stocks told local station WSOC-TV before she was processed. I regret that he wasn’t part of it, but I don’t regret we’re raising her in the Catholic faith, which is what we both wanted.”
“I’ll get through it and hopefully come out a better person,” she added.
https://nypost.com/2018/02/17/mom-jailed-after-baptizing-daughter/
