Woman gives birth on courtroom bench' during arraignment in Brooklyn

"Samantha Randazzo, 33, went into labor during her arraignment on a drug charge and delivered her baby on a courtroom bench without adequate medical care, privacy, or dignity, according to a joint statement from the Legal Aid Society and multiple public defender organizations whose members witnessed the birth firsthand."

"The NYPD said Randazzo was arrested Thursday evening after officers allegedly saw two people on a rooftop at a public housing complex with a controlled substance in plain view. She was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal trespass. At the time of arrest and when they arrived at the station house, Ms. Randazzo was wearing baggy clothes, did not inform officers she was pregnant, did not indicate any disabilities, and declined medical attention, the police said."

"Early Friday morning, at around 3:30 a.m., Randazzo then informed officers she was pregnant and experiencing withdrawal from drugs, according to the police statement. Police say they then took her to a local hospital, which later discharged her. She gave birth in court just before midnight, roughly four hours after she was discharged, the NYPD said."

"The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem jointly criticized the decisions leading up to Randazzo's labor. The organizations also took issue with rumors that some staff had joked about the incident."

A 33-year-old woman, Samantha Randazzo, went into labor during her arraignment on drug-related charges and delivered her baby boy on a courtroom bench late Friday night. Police said she was arrested Thursday after officers allegedly saw a controlled substance in plain view at a public housing complex. Police reported she did not disclose pregnancy at arrest or at the station house, declined medical attention, and later informed officers she was pregnant and experiencing drug withdrawal around 3:30 a.m. She was taken to a local hospital and discharged. She gave birth in court roughly four hours after discharge. Legal Aid and multiple defender organizations criticized the decisions leading up to the birth and disputed rumors of staff joking about it.

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