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Brandy Bottone, a pregnant 32-year-old Plano, Texas resident who made headlines earlier this summer after she claimed she was entitled to drive in a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane because of her unborn child, has been ticketed again for the same offense.
Bottone told the Dallas Morning News over the weekend that she was pulled over on U.S. Highway 75 South near Midpark Road in early August, and that she was recognized by the sheriff's deputy. She said the deputy asked her when she would give birth and that she answered "Tomorrow" before he gave her a ticket.
Bottone has since given birth to a healthy baby girl, announcing on Instagram:
My second passenger has arrived!
She attracted national attention in late June, mere days after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, when she was pulled over and ticketed for an HOV lane violation and told officers that "My baby girl is right here," referring to her pregnant belly.
Bottone wasn't "trying to make a political statement," as she would later tell reporters, but a judge agreed with her logic and the ticket was dismissed.
She did, however, post on her Instagram stories:
"I do hope this opened their eyes and changes are made."
It is unclear if the second ticket will also be dismissed but that hasn't stopped Bottone's name from circulating around social media once more.
Many have praised Bottone for exposing the hypocrisy of government officials.
\u201cCan't blame her..\nBrandy Bottone said she wasn\u2019t trying to make a statement by continuing to use the HOV lane. She just doesn't believe she was in the wrong. https://t.co/suTD1VInCf via @HuffPost\u201d— Lowell Thomas (@Lowell Thomas) 1662063829
\u201cNot all heroines wear capes. Proving the hypocrisy of these laws by wasting their time and resources is a perfect approach.\n\n\u201cPregnant Texas woman who claimed her unborn baby counts as a passenger in HOV lane is ticketed again\u201d https://t.co/wWUrBufwRp\u201d— Scott (@Scott) 1661979902
\u201cThe last thing Texas courts want is having to hear this case. It will open up all sorts of possibilities and legal challenges when she wins. And she will.\n\nPregnant Texas woman who claimed her unborn baby counts as a passenger in HOV ticketed again https://t.co/CNVJpGMrjl\u201d— Author Ian faulkner (@Author Ian faulkner) 1661981923
\u201cYasssss!!! Get \u2018em girl! https://t.co/XKg6YDy4x1\u201d— Comic Burrito Nick! (@Comic Burrito Nick!) 1661989713
\u201cI thought I couldn\u2019t love her more. I was wrong. https://t.co/s05FH5vpjE\u201d— Emily Pember (@Emily Pember) 1661965976
\u201cIf Texas is going with all fetuses are people, this should probably be allowed even though its stupid and a great troll by this lady (if she is trolling)\n\nhttps://t.co/KuSbvunpli\u201d— Lucrezia \ud83d\udda4\ud83c\udff4 (@Lucrezia \ud83d\udda4\ud83c\udff4) 1661974309
\u201cThis Woman is my hero #hypocrisy https://t.co/tphLJ7bzYG\u201d— Kam (@Kam) 1661987459
\u201cUntil #RoeVsWade is codified some superheroes will be driving in the HOV lane \n\nhttps://t.co/MeYOQG8oXG\u201d— Nathaniel Mulcahy\ud83e\ude95\ud83c\udf39 (@Nathaniel Mulcahy\ud83e\ude95\ud83c\udf39) 1661975890
\u201cI see nothing wrong here.... https://t.co/wdLvm5NEmK\u201d— HellBoy66 (@HellBoy66) 1661990659
\u201cBe the change you want to see in the world.\n\nhttps://t.co/KaV31jSi1l\u201d— Matthew Leffler (@Matthew Leffler) 1661983895
Texas has one of the harshest abortion bans in the country.
Abortions in the state are completely banned except in cases when the mother's life is threatened. A fetus is considered a person under the state's fetal homicide laws when determining whether crimes have been committed.
Months before the Supreme Court overturned Roe, Texas's Republican leadership was criticized for approving a law that prohibits virtually all abortions after a heartbeat is detected, which is typically after six weeks of pregnancy. The law also empowers citizens to file lawsuits against abortion providers suspected of violating the new policy.