Choose guidelines Pilsen mother can’t her son as a result of she’s not vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19

In what many say, the first such judgment is that a divorced Pilsner mother was revoked her child’s visit by a Cook County judge for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.

On August 10, Cook County Judge James Shapiro banned Rebecca Firlit, mother of an 11-year-old boy, from seeing her son.

Firlit’s attorney Annette Fernholz said her client and ex-husband had been divorced for seven years and shared custody.

Fernholz said the issue was not raised by her ex-husband.

Rather, the judge asked Firlit if she was vaccinated during a child support hearing on Zoom, and when she said no, the judge withdrew all parental leave with her son until she was vaccinated.

“I have had side effects from vaccines in the past and my doctor advised me not to get vaccinated. It poses a risk, ”Ferlit told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ferlit, a 39-year-old receptionist from Pilsen, said she was surprised by the judge and shocked by his verdict.

“One of the first things he asked me when I got the Zoom call was whether or not I was vaccinated, which put me off because I asked him what that had to do with the hearing,” said Firlit.

“I was confused because it should only be about spending and child support. I asked him what that had to do with the hearing and he said, ‘I am the judge and I make the decisions on your case.’ “

Firlit said she believed Judge Shapiro was frustrated because the hearing had lasted several hours and lawyers were asking to continue the hearing.

For now, she is only allowed to talk to her son on the phone.

“I talk to him every day. He’s crying, he misses me. I’ll send him care packages. “

Fernholz said she hopes an appeals court will step in this week and overturn Shapiro’s verdict.

“It is way beyond his judicial authority,” she said.

Jeffrey Leving represents the boy’s father, Matthew Duiven, who lives in the South Loop. He said his client, who is vaccinated, will fight his ex-wife’s appeal.

“We support the judge’s decision,” said Leving.

Firlit said she was confident that she would prevail.

“I have a feeling that this is going to resonate with people because that’s how things will go if we don’t get in touch. When we’re separating families, taking children from their parents, we need to raise our voices to make sure this isn’t the new thing. Unfortunately, I had to be the first person this happened, but the parents won’t take it, ”she said.