Teenager Shackled in Courtroom as Judge’s ‘Scared Straight’ Lesson Sparks Controversy

Detroit — A teenager on a field trip to a Detroit courtroom found herself in jail clothes and shackles after a judge took issue with her attitude.

Judge Kenneth King, presiding at 36th District Court, even involved other kids in the courtroom, asking if the 16-year-old girl should be sent to juvenile detention.

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Defending his actions, King stated, “I wanted this to look and feel very real to her, even though there’s probably no real chance of me putting her in jail. That was my own version of ‘Scared Straight,’” referencing a documentary about teen offenders in New Jersey.

The girl, part of a visit organized by The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit environmental group, was seen by King dozing off in the courtroom. “You fall asleep in my courtroom one more time, I’m gonna put you in back, understood?” the judge remarked, caught on video by WXYZ-TV.

Following through on his warning, King had the teen change into jail attire and wear handcuffs. “It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me,” King explained to WXYZ. “I wanted to get through to her, show how serious this is and how you are to conduct yourself inside of a courtroom.”

King went further, threatening the girl with time in juvenile detention before ultimately releasing her. “I’ll do whatever needs to be done to reach these kids and make sure that they don’t end up in front of me,” King asserted.

The Greening of Detroit responded with a statement, noting that the “young lady was traumatized.” Marissa Ebersole Wood, the chairperson of the organization, criticized King’s approach, saying, “Although the judge was trying to teach a lesson of respect, his methods were unacceptable. The group of students should have been simply asked to leave the courtroom if he thought they were disrespectful.”

Furthermore, Judge Aliyah Sabree, holding the No. 2 leadership role at the court, denounced King’s actions in a statement, clarifying that his behavior “does not reflect the standards we uphold at 36th District Court.” Sabree added, “I am committed to addressing this matter with the utmost diligence.”

King did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

“There were so many other ways in which to have helped that young girl learn,” commented Larry Dubin, a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy law school.

King mentioned to WXYZ that he had a conversation with the girl’s parents and offered to serve as a mentor.