Detroit judge suspends case over verbal abuse of sleeping teenager
The chief judge of the 36th District Court in Detroit has temporarily suspended the work of one of his judges who handcuffed a teenager and threatened her with jail time when she dozed off during a field trip to his courtroom.
Judge Kenneth King came under fire this week when a livestream on his courtroom’s YouTube page showed him berating, forcing and handcuffing a 15-year-old girl who had fallen asleep. She had come to his courtroom with a group organized by the nonprofit Greening of Detroit to watch the trial and speak with King as part of the field trip.
“If you fall asleep in my courtroom one more time, I’m going to put you in the back, understand?” King tells her, according to a video from the court’s YouTube page that was broadcast by WXYZ-TV (Channel 7). At another point, he tells her, “One thing you’ll learn about my courtroom is that I’m not a toy. I’m not a toy to play with.”
The broadcaster has since reported that the teenager and her mother have not been able to find a permanent place to stay recently and that this is probably the reason why their daughter fell asleep.
King will undergo training to “address the underlying issues that led to this incident,” Chief Judge William McConico said in a statement Thursday. He added that he could not remove King from office, but the state court’s administrative office had approved the temporary suspension of King’s work and training assignment.
Greening of Detroit expressed hope in a statement that these measures will lead to improved treatment of students who visit King’s courtroom.
“We remain focused on supporting the most affected young lady, her fellow Green Corps members and their families as they work to recover from this incident,” the statement said.
McConico’s statement said King’s actions did not appear to be consistent with the 36th Circuit’s commitment to providing access to justice without intimidation or disrespect.
“We regularly and actively welcome students to observe and participate in the court process with the goal of providing valuable learning experiences and promoting familiarity with the justice system. We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our long-standing relationships with local schools,” he said.
Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch praised McConico’s decision. The incident shows how important it is for judges to act in a way that puts the rights and well-being of all people first, especially at-risk youth, he said.
“We must ensure that our courts are a place where justice prevails and every individual is treated with the respect they deserve,” he said.
