A PREGNANT woman arrested on drug charges gave birth in the middle of a packed courtroom in New York.
Samantha Randazzo, 33, delivered a baby boy on Friday in Brooklyn Criminal Court after her waters broke.
Randazzo suddenly slouched on the bench just before midnight as she went into labor, her lawyer told The New York Times.
“We saw it,” said attorney Wynton Sharpe.
“She didn’t have to say anything. We were like, oh OK, this happening, like, now.”
Randazzo was arrested on Thursday evening after cops saw her on a rooftop at a public housing complex in Sheepshead Bay with a controlled substance “in plain view”.
‘CLOCK IS TICKING’
Trump warns Iran ‘the clock is ticking’ after posting cryptic AI pic
SEIZE UP
Most likely land grabs Trump can make revealed after Venezuela ’51st state’ vow
She was subsequently charged with drug possession and trespassing.
A police spokesperson told The Post: “At the time of arrest and when they arrived at the stationhouse, Ms. Randazzo was wearing baggy clothes, did not inform officers she was pregnant, did not indicate any disabilities and declined medical attention.”
Randazzo later complained of drug withdrawal symptoms and informed officers she was pregnant.
She was taken to Coney Island Hospital for examination and later discharged before being transported to court.
Sharpe said doctors did not realise how close she was to giving birth when she was released.
“It was a joyful and sad situation, given the circumstances,” he said.
The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services have claimed Randazzo was handcuffed and shackled during delivery without “adequate medical care, privacy, or dignity.”
In a joint-statement, the organisations said: “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.
“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.
“She deserved care, compassion, safety and dignity. Instead, she was subjected to trauma and humiliation in full public view.”
They have since demanded a full-scale investigation of the incident.
However, defence attorney Wynton Sharpe has firmly disputed that account.
Al Baker, spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration, said Randazzo’s wrists were behind her back while she waited for the case to be called.
He added that officers moved to remove restraints as soon as her waters broke.
“Our team of uniformed UCS officers acted with swift professionalism to ensure the safety and sanctity of life for all individuals in Court on Friday, personifying the everyday virtues of their sworn service,” Baker said.
“We are delighted both mother and baby are well.”
Randazzo’s lawyers expect the charges against her to be dismissed.
