Judge temporarily dismissed for handcuffing teenager during outing
A Detroit judge who sparked controversy earlier this week after he handcuffed a 16-year-old and dressed her in a prison uniform after she slept and talked back to him during a recent trip to a local courthouse, according to the judge, the case was temporarily struck from his docket, the court said.
Chief Judge William C. McConico of the 36th District Court issued a statement to Inside Edition Digital, saying, “Following the recent incident in which Judge Kenneth J. King ordered a minor student to be handcuffed and arrested for appearing to fall asleep in his courtroom, we conducted a swift and thorough internal investigation. Based on our findings, we are taking the following immediate actions to prevent similar incidents in the future:
1. Judge King was temporarily relieved of his mandate.
2. Judge King will undergo the necessary training to address the underlying issues that led to this incident.”
A Detroit-based nonprofit called Greening of Detroit held a field trip to the 36th District Court in the Motor City on Tuesday so the youth could learn about the legal system.
During the visit teenager was caught sleeping in front of Judge Kenneth King before the defense and prosecution entered the courtroom, according to WXYZ.com.
When Judge King asked the student to go to the back of the courtroom, she retorted and said he did not like her “behavior” in his courtroom, so he reportedly handcuffed her and put a prison jumpsuit on her.
“It wasn’t so much that she fell asleep, because I have lawyers who fall asleep sometimes, so it’s not a big deal. It was her whole demeanor and her whole demeanor that bothered me,” Judge King told 7 News Detroit after the incident. “I wanted to get through to her, show her how serious this is and how to conduct yourself in a courtroom.”
King says he has been in touch with the student and would be happy to mentor her.
Judge King also threatened the 16-year-old with a sentence in juvenile hall, but let other students vote on whether to send her to detention; he ultimately let her go, according to WXYZ.com.
Because the teenager is a minor, her name was not mentioned and her picture was not used during the YouTube Broadcast of the preliminary hearing and the court hearings.
Chief Judge William C. McConico added that while he could not remove Judge King from office, he said, “We hope these steps will help reassure the public of the 36th Circuit Court’s commitment to serving our community with integrity and fairness. The 36th Circuit Court, known as the ‘People’s Court,’ remains firmly committed to providing access to justice in an environment free from intimidation or disrespect. Judge King’s actions on August 13 do not reflect that commitment.”
“We regularly and actively welcome students to observe and participate in the court process to provide them with valuable learning experiences and familiarize them with the justice system. We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our long-standing relationships with local schools. Our thoughts and actions are now with the student and her family, and we are committed to taking these corrective actions to demonstrate that this incident is an isolated incident. We are committed to ensuring that our court continues to uphold the highest standards of fairness and respect,” the statement concluded.
Inside Edition Digital reached out to Greening of Detroit for comment, but the team declined to participate.
Inside Edition Digital reached out to Judge King for comment but did not receive a response.
