Teenager Handcuffed in Court During Field Trip for Falling Asleep

DETROIT — A teenager on a field trip to a Detroit court found herself in jail clothes and handcuffs after a judge objected to her attitude.

Judge Kenneth King, presiding at the 36th District Court, asked other students in the courtroom whether the 16-year-old girl should be taken to juvenile detention, according to WXYZ-TV. King defended his actions, explaining that he wanted the experience to feel “very real” for her, likening it to a version of “Scared Straight,” a documentary intended to deter youth from crime.

TRUSTED PARTNER ✅

The field trip was organized by The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit environmental organization. During the visit, Judge King noticed the girl falling asleep, as reported by WXYZ.

According to video footage, King warned her, “You fall asleep in my courtroom one more time, I’m gonna put you in back, understood?” Shortly after, he had the girl change into jail clothes and put on handcuffs.

“It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me,” Judge King said. “I wanted to get through to her, show how serious this is and how you are to conduct yourself inside of a courtroom.”

King threatened her with time in juvenile detention before eventually releasing her. He expressed a commitment to preventing youths from appearing in his court, stating, “I’ll do whatever needs to be done to reach these kids.”

The Greening of Detroit criticized King’s methods, stating the “young lady was traumatized.” Marissa Ebersole Wood, the chairperson, attested that, although the judge aimed to teach respect, his methods were unacceptable. “The group of students should have been simply asked to leave the courtroom if he thought they were disrespectful,” Wood said.

Judge Aliyah Sabree, the No. 2 official at the court, released a statement the following night, declaring that King’s conduct “does not reflect the standards we uphold at 36th District Court.” She assured the public that the matter would be handled with “the utmost diligence.”

Larry Dubin, a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy law school, commented that there were many other ways to impart a lesson to the young girl.

King stated that he had spoken to the girl’s parents and had offered to be a mentor.