Woman gives birth ‘on courtroom bench’ during arraignment in Brooklyn

U.S. newsWoman gives birth ‘on courtroom bench’ during arraignment in BrooklynPolice said the woman “was wearing baggy clothes” and “did not inform officers she was pregnant” when she was arrested.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Kings County Criminal Court in Brooklyn, New York City.Google MapsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 17, 2026, 12:46 PM EDTBy Doha Madani and Cristian SantanaA woman gave birth in a Brooklyn courtroom late Friday night, just hours after being discharged from a hospital, according to police and witnesses.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Samantha Randazzo, 33, went into labor during her arraignment on a drug charge and delivered her baby “on a courtroom bench without adequate medical care, privacy, or dignity,” according to a joint statement from the Legal Aid Society and multiple public defender organizations whose members witnessed the birth firsthand.Randazzo’s attorney, Wynton Sharpe, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday. In a separate interview with The New York Times, he praised court officers who rushed to assist Randazzo when her water broke and described the situation as “joyful and sad.”Randazzo delivered a baby boy, according to her lawyer.The New York Police Department said Randazzo was arrested Thursday evening after officers allegedly saw two people on a rooftop at a public housing complex with a controlled substance “in plain view.” She was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal trespass.“At the time of arrest and when they arrived at the station house, Ms. Randazzo was wearing baggy clothes, did not inform officers she was pregnant, did not indicate any disabilities, and declined medical attention,” the police said.Early Friday morning, at around 3:30 a.m., Randazzo then informed officers she was pregnant and “experiencing withdrawal from drugs,” according to the police statement. Police...