Woman gives birth inside NYC courtroom ‘while handcuffed after 24 hours in custody’
www.independent.co.uk
Public defenders demand urgent investigation after 33-year-old woman ‘in shackles’ delivers child inside Brooklyn courthouse

A woman was left “traumatized and humiliated” after being forced to give birth while handcuffed to a bench inside a New York courtroom after being held in custody for over 24 hours, a legal aid group has said.

Samantha Randazzo, 33, went into labor and was forced to deliver her child on a courtroom bench in Brooklyn on Friday “without adequate medical care, privacy, or dignity,” according to a statement from a group of public defenders and legal advocates.

Randazzo was surrounded by law enforcement, prosecutors and courtroom staff, some of whom reportedly laughed and joked at the situation, the group claimed. “She deserved care, compassion, safety, and dignity. Instead, she was subjected to trauma and humiliation in full public view,” the statement read.

The Independent has requested comment from the New York courts system.

  • Washedupcynic@lemmy.caEnglish
    2·
    4 days ago

    You forgot to include:

    Her (Randazzo’s) lawyer, Wynton Sharpe, disputed the group’s claims and said court officers reacted quickly and the presiding judge cleared the room immediately.

    “She didn’t have to say anything. We were like, oh OK, this is happening, like, now,” Sharpe told The New York Times. “It was a joyful and sad situation, given the circumstances.”

    Al Baker, a spokesperson for the New York Office of Court Administration, told The Independent that “officers acted with swift professionalism to ensure the safety and sanctity of life for all individuals” in court, “personifying the everyday virtues of their sworn service.”

    Randazzo was arrested Thursday on charges of drug possession and trespassing. She was allegedly on the roof of her building in the Nostrand Houses in Brooklyn without permission, according to the New York City Police Department.

    Officers claim to have found a small amount of heroin and cocaine on her during a search.

    Randazzo was not eligible for a desk appearance ticket, which would allow her to return to court at a future date, because she had an open warrant for her arrest. She was taken to nearby hospital, then discharged 30 hours later and taken to the courthouse for arraignment.

    “Ms. 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,” according to Saturday night’s joint statement from The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, New York County Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem.

    So to recap, the woman was arrested for possession and trespassing. Because she ALREADY had a warrant out for other stuff, she couldn’t just be issued a ticket to appear in court at a later date. After arresting her, the police brought her to the hospital first and spent 30 hours in the hospital before being taken to court. She was under arrest, why wouldn’t she be handcuffed? She was likely handcuffed during those 30 hours in the hospital also. Being pregnant or disabled doesn’t make you above the law. Arraignments typically occur within 24 to 48 hours in NYS. She happened to give birth during the process because it was time for it to happen, not because conditions stressed her into labor. Labor is different for every woman and can vary wildly. Some women can give birth within minutes of their water breaking.

    This article seems like it’s click bait/rage bait. My original reaction at just reading the blurb in the post was rage, but when I read the WHOLE article I didn’t feel like I had a reason to be mad anymore.

    There are plenty of instances of inhumane treatment, but this isn’t one of them.