Three Georgia lawmakers introduced a new bill to protect parents from facing certain criminal charges related to reckless conduct and child cruelty in instances where their children are acting independently.
The Brittany Patterson Act, filed after a Georgia mother was criminally charged for letting her son walk outside on his own in 2024, would prevent parents from facing child cruelty, neglect or reckless conduct charges over accusations of failing to provide parental care when acting in good faith to let children engage in activities on their own.
Brittany Patterson, who the bill was named for, was arrested in Fannin County in October 2024 after she allowed her 10-year-old son to walk to a store less than a mile from their home…