The judicial waters were disturbed this past week when Judge Kenneth King of Detroit's 36th District Court handcuffed a teenage girl, Eva Goodman, for falling asleep during a field trip to his courtroom. The judge, having served since 2006, did not only wake the teenager with reprimand but escalated his disapproval to a demonstration, which included trading her street attire for jail garb and the constriction of handcuffs. This educational visit, spearheaded by nonprofit environmental group The Greening of Detroit, was designed to give students a glimpse into the judicial system but became a spectacle of one judge's approach to discipline.
Embattled with criticisms, King’s actions have led to his temporary removal from the criminal case docket as reported by CBS News Detroit. According to Chief Judge William McConico, the directive also includes mandated training intended to address the issues that ignited this scenario. Elected to enforce the law, the judge has found himself in hot water, ironically, after trying to intensify the stakes of courtroom decorum for a teenager whose only crime was succumbing to sleep’s embrace during a court session. “The actions of Judge King on August 13th do not reflect this commitment,” McConico said, as per AP News, leaving no doubt of the court's stance concerning the situation. Meanwhile, conversations and the scrutiny of media have turned from verdicts and hearings to the question of appropriate conduct from those who wield the gavel.
The incident has tapped into a deep seam of public concern and drawn reactions from several quarters. Judge King attempted to explain his methods as a cautionary display saying, "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," he noted, per AP News. However, The Greening of Detroit, through Chairperson Marissa Ebersole Wood, denounced the judge's form of instruction as "unacceptable," aligning with the public's dismay, as conveyed by Hoodline. Meanwhile, the girl's mother, Latoreya Till, decried Judge King as a "big bully," revealing the underlying struggles contributing to her daughter's fatigue, indicating the family's lack of a permanent residence.
