By: Olivia Luo

On August 14, 2024, a field trip to Detroit’s 36th District Court took a troubling turn when a 16-year-old girl fell asleep during court proceedings. The trip, organized by the nonprofit The Greening of Detroit, aims to educate students about the legal system by allowing them to observe a real trial. However, Judge Kenneth King, who was presiding over the session, was displeased with the girl’s sleepy behavior. In response, he ordered that she be handcuffed and made to wear a jail uniform as a form of punishment.

Judge King also threatened to send the girl to a juvenile detention center and allowed her peers to vote on her fate. Though he ultimately did not follow through with the detention, the incident has sparked significant controversy. The nonprofit organization, along with the girl’s family, criticized the judge’s actions as excessive and traumatizing. The girl’s mother, who revealed that the family does not have a permanent home, suggested that the girl’s tiredness was a result of their unstable living conditions.

Despite the backlash, Judge King defended his decision, stating that the girl’s attitude was disrespectful and that he felt compelled to discipline her to teach a lesson about courtroom behavior. The incident has ignited a debate about the appropriateness of the judge’s methods and the impact of such disciplinary actions on young people.