Samantha Randazzo's lawyer, Wynton Sharpe, described it as a “joyful and sad situation, given the circumstances"
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NEED TO KNOW
- A woman gave birth in a Brooklyn courtroom during her arraignment on Friday, May 15
- Samantha Randazzo was arrested for alleged drug possession and trespassing the previous day, according to The New York Times
- Her delivery led to conflicting accounts, with The Legal Aid Society and multiple public defender organizations claiming Randazzo delivered her baby without proper medical care or privacy, while surrounded by court personnel
A woman gave birth to a baby boy in a Brooklyn courtroom during her arraignment on a drug possession charge.
Samantha Randazzo, 33, who was nine months pregnant at the of her arraignment, went into labor on the evening of Friday, May 15, according to a joint press release by The Legal Aid Society and multiple public defender organizations.
The society and Brooklyn Defender Services, whose members were present in the courtroom at the time, claimed that she had delivered her baby “in shackles” after "reportedly spending more than 24 hours in custody."
"Attorneys and staff from The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services who were present in the courtroom witnessed her labor and deliver her child on a courtroom bench without adequate medical care, privacy, or dignity, surrounded by court personnel, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and others," the release claims. The statement does not name the Brooklyn court where the birth took place.
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Randazzo was arrested on Thursday, May 14, for alleged drug possession and trespassing, according to the The New York Times. Police told the outlet that she was on the roof of her building in Brooklyn without authorization.
When she was searched, officers allegedly found her in possession of a controlled substance, the New York Police Department (NYPD) told the New York Post and NBC San Diego.
At the time, Randazzo was wearing baggy clothing and did not mention she was pregnant, officials told the outlets. She was then charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal trespass.
She reportedly told officers at 3:30 a.m. local time that she was pregnant and experiencing "experiencing withdrawal from drugs," according to NBC San Diego. She was then taken to a hospital.
The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services claimed that Randazzo had been discharged from an unnamed hospital before her arraignment, adding that she was “subjected to trauma and humiliation in full public view.”
“No person should ever be forced to give birth in handcuffs or endure labor while restrained, exposed, and denied basic medical care and human dignity," the release added. "What occurred in that courtroom was not simply a failure of protocol or preparedness. It was a profound moral failure and a devastating reflection of the cruelty embedded in our carceral system."
However, this account differs from that of Randazzo's lawyer, Wynton Sharpe. He told The New York Times that court officers rushed over to help her while the judge cleared the courtroom.
Sharpe said she gave birth to a “bouncing baby boy” just before midnight on Friday, May 15, describing it as a “joyful and sad situation, given the circumstances.”
Sharpe told the newspaper that doctors had not realized that Randazzo was close to giving birth before her release from the hospital.
He also denied that his client was handcuffed and shackled while delivering her newborn, according to The Post.
However, the Legal Aid Society and public defender organizations are calling for an “immediate and transparent investigation into the actions of all agencies and personnel involved.”
PEOPLE contacted the NYPD and Wynton Sharpe for further comment, but did not immediately receive a response. The Legal Aid Society declined to comment further.
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