Overview
- Samantha Randazzo, 33, delivered a baby boy on a bench in a Brooklyn arraignment courtroom late Friday, according to her lawyer and court officials.
- Police had arrested her Thursday on controlled substance possession and trespass after officers said they saw people on a rooftop at the Nostrand Houses, and a desk‑appearance ticket was not issued because of an open warrant.
- After officers took her to a hospital and she was discharged hours before court, she went into labor in the courtroom, and court officials say officers removed restraints and that both mother and newborn are well.
- Public defender groups say she gave birth handcuffed to a bench without adequate medical care or privacy and are demanding immediate, transparent investigations into the NYPD, court staff, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office.
- Her attorney disputes shackling during delivery and says he expects the charges to be dismissed, and the case is renewing scrutiny of New York’s anti‑shackling law, which bans restraints during labor and has been violated in prior cases.