A Detroit judge has been temporarily removed from the bench after a controversial incident involving a 15-year-old student. The teenage girl, who was visiting the courtroom as part of a field trip, was handcuffed and made to wear jail clothes after being caught asleep.
An unexpected turn during an educational visit
The incident occurred on Tuesday when District Court Judge Kenneth King noticed the girl sleeping during a visit with The Greening of Detroit, a local environmental nonprofit. Visibly angered, Judge King reacted strongly when the student talked back to him.
“You fall asleep in my courtroom one more time, I’m gonna put you in back, understood?” the judge said.
A drastic lesson in courtroom etiquette
Following his warning, Judge King escalated the situation by having the girl change into jail clothes and wear handcuffs. He also threatened her with juvenile detention, providing graphic details about the conditions inside the detention center.
Defending his actions, Judge King claimed he “wanted to get through to her” and demonstrate “how you are to conduct yourself inside of a courtroom.”
“I wanted this to look and feel very real to her, even though there’s probably no real chance of me putting her in jail. That was my own version of ‘Scared Straight,’” Judge King said, referring to a documentary about teen offenders in New Jersey.
“I’ll do whatever needs to be done to reach these kids and make sure that they don’t end up in front of me,” he added.
Immediate consequences and reactions
On Thursday, it was announced that Judge King had been temporarily removed from the bench for “necessary training.”
Judge King has been a part of the 36th District Court since 2006, initially appointed by the former governor. He briefly served as chief justice from 2012 until 2013, when he was removed following a financial mismanagement scandal.
The Greening of Detroit, the nonprofit organization that facilitated the field trip, expressed deep concern over the judge’s actions. The group’s chairperson, Marissa Ebersole Wood, stated that the teenage girl was “traumatized” by the experience.
“Although the judge was trying to teach a lesson of respect, his methods were unacceptable,” Wood said. “The group of students should have been simply asked to leave the courtroom if he thought they were disrespectful.”
Official statement and future proceedings
Following a “swift and thorough” investigation, Chief Justice William McConico confirmed Judge King’s temporary removal in a statement obtained by The New York Times. The duration of his absence from the bench remains unclear.
Judge King has not responded to requests for comment from the Associated Press. However, he told WXYZ that he had spoken to the girl’s parents and offered to be a mentor.
This incident has sparked a broader conversation about appropriate disciplinary measures and the responsibilities of judicial figures in educational settings.