In a sobering display of the consequences following a citywide increase in the detention of individuals for minor offenses, the death of Soso Ramishvili while in custody has sparked controversy and calls for change. Ramishvili, 32, was found unresponsive inside a Brooklyn Criminal Court holding cell and pronounced dead shortly thereafter, as reported by The New York Post. This incident occurred after multiple delays in his arraignment for the alleged shoplifting of $213 worth of power tools from a Home Depot and possession of what was suspected to be cocaine.
The decision to hold Ramishvili, rather than release him with a court summons, was in line with a broader practice adopted by the NYPD, effectively reversing a 2019 law that encourages the issuance of desk appearance tickets for similar charges. Gothamist highlighted a 55% to 26% drop in the issuance of such summonses from 2021 to the first two months of 2025, with a corresponding increase in jail detainment for petty larceny cases.
During the time Ramishvili spent in the city’s custody, he required medical attention multiple times, presumably for drug withdrawal issues, as indicated by police sources interviewed by The New York Post. His death, one hour before his scheduled appearance before a judge, raises serious questions about the treatment of individuals facing minor criminal charges in the New York judicial system. Furthermore, a statement from The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defenders called for an independent investigation into his death, citing “This person, who should have been granted a desk appearance [ticket] and released based on the offense, languished in pain in custody for three days and was deprived of medical care despite repeated pleas from defense lawyers and other personnel to secure them needed care. This level of indifference is unconscionable.”…