A pregnant woman delivered a baby boy inside a crowded Brooklyn courtroom while waiting to be arraigned on a drug possession charge on Friday night.
The woman, identified as 33-year-old Samantha Randazzo, reportedly went into labour inside Brooklyn criminal court surrounded by police officers, prosecutors, court staff and members of the public.
She gave birth before she could be formally arraigned, according to a joint statement released by the Legal Aid Society and other public defender organisations. “Last night, Samantha Randazzo gave birth in shackles inside a Brooklyn courtroom after reportedly spending more than 24 hours in custody,” the statement read.
Randazzo, who was nine months pregnant, was sitting inside a Brooklyn courtroom late Friday night when she suddenly leaned forward after her water broke.
“We saw it. She didn’t have to say anything. We were like, oh OK, this is happening, like, now,” her lawyer, Wynton Sharpe, told the NY Times.
Randazzo had been arrested the previous evening after officers allegedly spotted two people on the rooftop of a public housing building in Sheepshead Bay with drugs visible nearby. During a search, police claimed they found her carrying a controlled substance. She was arrested on charges of drug possession and trespassing.
The NYPD said Randazzo was wearing loose clothing at the time of her arrest and did not initially tell officers she was pregnant. Later, while at the police station, she reportedly complained of drug withdrawal symptoms and informed officers that she was pregnant, according to the NY Post.
Police then took her to a hospital around 3:30 am on Friday. After doctors checked her, she was discharged and brought to court for arraignment. Just hours later, while waiting inside the courtroom, Randazzo went into labour and delivered a healthy baby boy there itself.
“Randazzo had reportedly recently been discharged from a hospital despite being nine months pregnant before being returned to custody and brought to Brooklyn arraignments, where she went into labor in open court. That should horrify every New Yorker,” the statement read.
Sharpe said, “It was a joyful and sad situation, given the circumstances.”
“We are delighted both mother and baby are well,” Al Baker, a spokesperson for the New York Office of Court Administration, told The Independent.
Lawyers and public defenders want authorities to fully investigate how a heavily pregnant woman ended up giving birth inside a courtroom.
“We are demanding an immediate and transparent investigation into the actions of all agencies and personnel involved, including the Office of Court Administration, the New York City Police Department, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, and court staff responsible for the conditions that led to this incident,” the group said.
They also want authorities to examine whether the court system has enough medical staff and proper emergency procedures to handle situations involving pregnant people in custody.