California IN BRIEF : OAKLAND : Woman Has Baby After Testifying

The victim of an attempted purse-snatching insisted on delivering her testimony in court even though it almost meant delivering her baby on the witness stand. Chavez Lynch, a week overdue with her first child, was in the first stages of labor when she was taken into the courtroom in a wheelchair for a pretrial hearing. “It was extremely obvious,” said Municipal Judge Jack Gifford. “Just after she started testifying she had a contraction, and it certainly concerned me.” Gifford asked Lynch if she wanted to continue. “She said, ‘Yes, I’m here. I want to finish this.’ ” As soon as she finished testifying at the pretrial hearing, Lynch was rushed to a hospital, where she gave birth hours later. At Lynch’s request, the hospital would not release more information.