Teenage boy on field trip is put in handcuffs, jail garb and a jail cell because the judge didn’t like to be ‘played’ with
Juvenile Justice
Teen on field trip ends up in handcuffs and jail garb because judge didn’t want to be ‘played with’
August 15, 2024, 10:28 am CDT
A teenager sleeping during a field trip to a Detroit courtroom got a wake-up call from a judge Tuesday. (Image from Shutterstock)
A teenager sleeping during a field trip to a Detroit courtroom got a wake-up call from a judge Tuesday.
Judge Kenneth King of the 36th District Court in Michigan told the teen that he didn’t like her attitude, and he was not to be “played with.” By the end of the incident, the girl was in a jail uniform and handcuffs and subjected to a group vote on whether she should go to jail.
The Detroit Free Press, WXYZ and USA Today have coverage.
The incident in the 36th District courtroom was recorded on camera, but the video was later removed from YouTube.
Initial reports said the girl was 16 years old, but her parents and the the group sponsoring the field trip, the Greening of Detroit, said the girl was 15 years old, according to WXYZ.
In a statement, the group said the girl “was traumatized by the judge’s unnecessary disciplinary treatment and scolding.”
“Although the judge was trying to teach a lesson of respect, his methods were unacceptable. The statement said that the group of students should’ve been asked to leave if the judge thought they were disrespectful. He told WXYZ that he “wanted this to look and feel very real to her,” and it was “my own version of Scared Straight!”
“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,” King told WXYZ. The Detroit Free Press reviewed the video and found that King had spoken to the group of teens for 45 minutes. He interrupted his speech to walk over to her and shout, “Wake Up!” She was wearing handcuffs, and a jumpsuit with the words “Wayne County Jail,” printed on the back. And quite frankly, I don’t like your attitude,” King said. King asked the public defender to represent the teenager. The lawyer explained that the girl was nervous and tired because she had not slept the night before.
King asked the audience to vote on how lenient he should be. The girl’s peers voted for leniency.
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