A teen was falling asleep during a courtroom field trip. She ended up in cuffs and jail clothes
DETROIT– A teenage girl on a field trip to visit a Detroit courthouse ended up in prison garb and handcuffs because a judge didn’t like her attitude.
Judge Kenneth King even asked other children in the courtroom on Tuesday whether the 16-year-old girl should be taken to a juvenile detention center, This was reported by WXYZ-TV.
King, who works in the 36th District Court, defended his actions.
“I wanted this to look and feel very real for her, even though there’s probably no real chance that I would put her in jail. That was my own version of ‘Scared Straight,'” King said, referring to a documentary about teenage delinquents in New Jersey.
The teen was visiting King’s court as part of a visit organized by The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit environmental organization. During the visit, King noticed the girl falling asleep, WXYZ reported.
“If you fall asleep in my courtroom one more time, I’m putting you back in jail, understand?” the judge said, according to a video of his remarks.
The girl was then forced to change into prison clothes and put on handcuffs.
“Her whole demeanor and her whole character bothered me,” the judge told WXYZ. “I wanted to reach out to her, show her how serious this is and how to conduct yourself in a courtroom.”
King also threatened her with a juvenile prison sentence before releasing her.
“I will do whatever it takes to reach these children and make sure they don’t end up in front of me,” the judge said.
The Greening of Detroit released a statement saying the “young lady was traumatized.”
“While the judge was trying to teach a lesson in respect, his methods were unacceptable,” said Presiding Judge Marissa Ebersole Wood. “The group of students should have simply left the courtroom if he felt they were being disrespectful.”
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from King Wednesday. The court’s Chief Justice William McConico was out of office and unavailable for comment, his office said.
“There were so many other ways I could have helped that young girl learn,” said Larry Dubin, a law professor at the University of Detroit Law School at Mercy.
King told WXYZ he spoke with the girl’s parents and offered to be her mentor.