Related to her representation of Ms. Tracey Edwards for her shackling while in labor suit, Tycko & Zavareei LLP Associate Lauren Kuhlik wrote a powerful column addressing North Carolina’s new anti-shackling law and how the law falls short.
Kuhlik writes, “It’s about time that North Carolina joined dozens of other states that have outlawed this barbaric practice, but as incarcerated people and their loved ones know all too well, changing the law is not enough… The reality is that laws like this are frequently violated. North Carolina’s new anti-shackling law, like many others in the nation, fails to explicitly provide those who are harmed the right to sue. Pregnant and postpartum individuals who are subjected to shackling may thus be without recourse when the law and their rights are violated.”