At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for those who feel neglected —regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communitiess together, and in many cases, changes lives. We have an intrinsic connection to the daily lives of New Yorkers. Here are a few of the places we made a difference, provided context or added valuable perspective this week.

Woman forced to give birth while handcuffed in courtroom

NYT: Woman Gives Birth in Brooklyn Courtroom
People: Woman Gives Birth in New York Courtroom During Her Arraignment
The Mirror: New Yorker gives birth inside NYC courtroom while handcuffed to bench
NBC News: Woman gives birth ‘on courtroom bench’ during arraignment in Brooklyn
IBT: Courtroom Staff Reportedly Laughed as Samantha Randazzo Delivered Her Baby
The Independent: Defendant ‘forced to give birth in handcuffs’ in NYC courtroom
Telemundo: Una mujer da a luz en una sala de juicio durante audiencia de presentación
The Sun: Arrested woman, 33, gives birth ‘in handcuffs’ on courtroom bench
NDTV: New York woman gives birth in court during hearing on drug charges
NYP: Mom gives birth to ‘bouncing baby boy’ on NYC courtroom bench
NYDN: Handcuffed Woman Gives Birth in Brooklyn Courtroom; Advocates Call for Investigation
Hell Gate: The Story of the Woman Who Gave Birth in Brooklyn Court Is Worse Than You’ve Heard
Gothamist: Public Defenders Blame System After Woman Gives Birth in Brooklyn Court
News 12 Brooklyn: Woman Gives Birth in Courtroom During Arraignment in Brooklyn
WKRC-TV: Woman Gives Birth in Courtroom During Her Arraignment Hearing
Hoodline: Brooklyn Courtroom Birth in Handcuffs Sparks Outrage
Daily Mail: Woman Gives Birth on NYC Courtroom Bench While Awaiting Arraignment
Complex: Woman Gives Birth in Brooklyn Courthouse
Above the Law: Woman Gives Birth in Courtroom — Her Arraignment Goes Ahead Without Her
Patch: Woman Gives Birth in NYC Court
Queens Daily Eagle: Orgs Condemn Treatment of Woman Who Gave Birth in Brooklyn Court
Truthout: Legal Workers Protest After Woman Forced to Give Birth in Brooklyn Courtroom
Jezebel: Woman Forced to Give Birth While Shackled in New York Court, Public Defenders Say
Brooklyn Paper: Legal Advocates Demand Accountability After Woman Gives Birth in Courtroom
ABA Journal: Woman Gives Birth During Arraignment in NYC Courtroom
The New York Times: Doctors Asked Officers to Unshackle a Patient. They Refused for 26 Days.
MS NOW: How our healthcare and carceral systems failed Samantha Randazzo
Hudson Valley Post: Arrested New York Woman Gives Birth on Bench Inside Courtroom

Court rejects effort to create shadow foster care system

amNY Law: New York’s highest court strikes down state’s Host Homes program
The Imprint: New York High Court Tosses Controversial ‘Host Home’ Program for Vulnerable Kids
Courthouse News Service: Top court finds alternative foster care program ‘impermissible’
NYLJ: NY’s Top Court Terminates State Government’s Voluntary Foster Care Program

More LAS in the news

City Limits: Opinion: A Better Path to Ending 24-Hour Home Care Shifts
City Limits: Rental Voucher Expansion Absent From Mayor’s Budget Plan
Documented NY: Mamdani’s Executive Budget Increases Funding for Worker Protection Agency
City Limits: Advocates Press for More ‘Right to Counsel’ Funds
The Chief Leader: DC 37 joins opposition to end of 24-hour shifts
Crain’s: Advocates push lawmakers to codify gender-affirming care protections
NYLJ: Attorney General Presents 36th Annual Legal Services Awards at the City Bar