A 16-year-old from Detroit was placed in handcuffs and a jail uniform after a judge says she was sleeping and talking back to him during a recent field trip to a local court to watch a trial, according to reports.
A Detroit nonprofit called the Greening of Detroit hosted a field trip at the 36th District Court in the Motor City so the juveniles could learn about the legal system on Tuesday.
During the visit, a teenager was caught sleeping in front of Judge Kenneth King before the defense and prosecution entered the court, according to WXYZ.com .
When Judge King told the student to go to the back of the court, he said she talked back and he didn’t like her “attitude” inside his courtroom, so he put her in handcuffs and in a jail suit, according to reports.
"It wasn't so much, in fact, that she had fallen asleep because I have attorneys that fall asleep sometimes, so that's not too big of a deal. It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me," Judge King told 7 News Detroit. "I wanted to get through to her, show how serious this is and how you are to conduct yourself inside of a courtroom."
"That's not something that normally happens. But I felt compelled to do it because I didn't like the child's attitude," Judge King added. "I haven't been disrespected like that in a very long time.”
Judge King also threatened the 16-year-old with jail time at the juvenile detention facility but had other students vote if she should be sent to the detention facility; he ended up letting her go, according to WXYZ.com
"Was I really going to do that? Probably not. Could I have? Probably so. But that's not what I want to do to a kid who's there on a field trip," King said. "Do I think I was heavy handed in what I did? No, I don't. Because I'll do whatever it needs to be done to reach these kids and make sure that they don't end up in front of me,” Judge King told 7 News Detroit.
The incident was part of the court’s live broadcast of the case that was about to unfold in front of the students but amid community backlash has been deleted from the court’s YouTube account, according to the Daily Beast .
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to the Greening of Detroit for comment and they declined to participate.
In a statement to the Daily Beast, Greening of Detroit called King’s behavior “unacceptable.” “We have spoken to the student and her parents and the young lady was traumatized by the Judge’s unnecessary disciplinary treatment and scolding,” they added.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to 36th District Court for comment and in a statement by Chief Judge Pro Tem Aliyah Sabree reads, “I have been made aware of the concerning events involving a student group in the courtroom of Judge Kenneth J. King. The 36th District Court does not condone the actions taken by Judge King, and the conduct displayed does not reflect the standards we uphold at the 36th District Court. Ensuring justice and fairness is critical at all times, including when judicial discretion can be exercised. I am committed to addressing this matter with the utmost diligence.”
Because the teenager is a juvenile, she has not been named nor was her image shown during the YouTube broadcast.
King says he has reached out to the student and would like to mentor her.
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