Public defender organizations launched a lawsuit Tuesday against The New York state court system, saying a criminal court plan to start in-person appearances discriminates against people with disabilities.

The suit, filed in the federal Southern District of New York, is brought by the Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and Queens Defenders. 

"Plaintiffs' clients with these disabilities face the tragic and illegal choice between their fundamental right to participate in their own cases and their health and safety," according to the lawsuit.