Teen handcuffed and taken to jail during courtroom field trip after falling asleep

A visit to a Detroit court by a teenage girl took a surprising turn when Judge Kenneth King decided to teach her a lesson about respect. The incident occurred during a field trip organized by The Greening of Detroit, where the 16-year-old was seen falling asleep in court. Observing her behavior, Judge King called attention to her attitude and warned her to stay awake. When the girl continued to doze off, the judge had her don jail clothes and handcuffs, aiming to illustrate the seriousness of courtroom behavior.
Judge King explained his actions, saying he wanted the experience to feel authentic to the girl, even though he had no intention of actually sending her to jail. Drawing inspiration from the ‘Scared Straight’ documentary, which features interactions with troubled youth, the judge aimed to make a strong impression on the teenager. He further shared that his goal was to prevent young individuals from appearing in his courtroom in the future by instilling a sense of responsibility and respect towards the legal system.
Following the incident, The Greening of Detroit expressed concern over the girl’s distress, deeming Judge King’s methods as inappropriate. Marissa Ebersole Wood, chairperson of the nonprofit organization, criticized the judge’s approach and mentioned that the students could have been asked to leave if their behavior was deemed disrespectful. Despite the backlash, Judge King offered to mentor the girl and reached out to her parents after the incident.
While Judge King defended his actions as an effort to educate the youth, legal experts like Larry Dubin from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School suggested alternative approaches could have been more effective in teaching the young girl a lesson about courtroom conduct. As the controversy unfolds, the court’s chief judge, William McConico, was reportedly unavailable for comment on the matter.