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Detroit judge who had sleeping teen handcuffed removed from docket

By FOX 2 Staff
Published  August 15, 2024 4:08pm EDT
Detroit
FOX 2 Detroit

Detroit judge cuffs teen who disregarded orders during court field trip

The teen was on a field trip with the environmental non-profit Greening of Detroit when Judge Kenneth King expressed his displeasure with her behavior after she fell asleep twice in his courtroom.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit Judge Kenneth King has been removed from the docket in Wayne County after ordering a teenager into cuffs and a jail jumpsuit when she fell asleep in court while on a field trip.

Judge King was removed from the docket on Thursday, two days after the incident in the 36th District Court.

King had a group of students from the environmental non-profit Greening of Detroit in his courtroom when one student fell asleep twice in his courtroom. 

"Why are you being disrespectful to this court?" King said. "You sleep at home, in your bed – not in court. And quite frankly, I don’t like your attitude."

When the judge asked the 16-year-old, "what is your problem?" She responded with, "I apologize, I’m just tired."

FOX 2 sources say, at that point, it turned into a "Scared Straight!" simulation to send a message.

"I’m thinking maybe she needs to go to the juvenile detention facility. You do understand we have a jail for kids?" King told the teen.

King reportedly said he no real intentions of sending the girl anywhere, but instead described the conditions at the Detroit Detention Facility to all the teens on the trip.

"Not a very pleasant place to be in," the judge said. "You guys enjoy your freedom, don’t you?" 

"Yes," the teens responded.

The incident was captured on video by the court, via Zoom, and created an uproar around King.

Chief Judge William McConico issued a statement on Thursday, saying that a review was done and King would be removed from the bench and have necessary training to address "the underlying issues that contributed to this incident"

"We hope that these steps will help to reassure the public of the 36th District Court's dedication to serving our community with integrity and fairness. The 36th District Court, known as "the people's court," remains deeply committed to providing access to justice in an environment free from intimidation or disrespect. The actions of Judge King on August 13th do not reflect this commitment," Judge McConico said in a statement on Thursday. "We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our longstanding relationships with local schools. Our thoughts and actions are now with the student and her family, and we are committed to taking these corrective measures to demonstrate that this incident is an isolated occurrence. We are dedicated to ensuring that our court continues to uphold the highest standards of fairness and respect."