Baby Born In Los Angeles Courthouse

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A different kind of courtroom drama went down Thursday in downtown LA -- the birth of a baby boy.

Ambermarie Irving Elkins says she was two days overdue and actually in labor, but thought that because her contractions were 15 minutes apart, she had time before the baby was going to be born.

"I had to make a payment at the courthouse," Irving Elkins said from her hospital bed.

Elkins was walking down a hallway of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse when she felt it.

"That one contraction where you know it's about to happen hit me and I went down to my knees and -- he was coming," Irving Elkins said with a big smile.

Dozens of workers, visitors and reporters -- including CBS2/KCAL9's Laurie Perez -- were on the first floor of the courthouse when it happened and they all scrambled to help the experienced mom with the birth and some privacy.

Three Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were on hand to help catch the baby, who has been named Malachi.

"I removed the trousers like a good deputy would -- I didn't look -- and I put my hands down there and the baby's head comes out and the rest of the body just slid into my hands," Deputy Marquette Oliver said with a giddy smile.

Deputy Michelle Reyes rushed to bring the now-mother of three paper towels, while onlookers cheered Irving Elkins on.

"We deal with the bad and when things have already gone wrong for people, so to be there when they're beginning a beautiful journey it was overwhelming and very, very cool," another deputy said.