Audio By Carbonatix
A Detroit judge has been temporarily taken off the bench after he forced a 15-year-old girl to wear handcuffs and a jail uniform because she appeared to fall asleep during a field trip to his court.
District Court Judge Kenneth King said he did not like Eva Goodman's "attitude" and said he wanted to show her "how you are to conduct yourself in a courtroom".
The teenager was visiting the 36th District Court for a trip organised by the environmental charity The Greening, whose other excursions include kayaking and bird-watching.
On Thursday, the chief judge of the 36th District Court, William McConico, said in a statement that he had conducted a "swift and thorough internal investigation" of the incident and decided to temporarily take Mr King off his cases to undergo "necessary training".
“We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our longstanding relationships with local schools,” Judge McConio said.
The girl's mother, Latoreya Hill, told local news: "Would you want someone to treat your child like that?
"To belittle her in front of the whole world and her friends, to make her feel even more worse about her situation."
Video from the court shows Judge King telling Ms Hill's daughter: "One thing you'll learn about my courtroom is that I'm not a toy. I am not to be played with."
He asked other visitors on the trip to vote if he should put Eva in a juvenile detention centre, before deciding to have her handcuffed and dressed in a jail outfit before releasing her.
"It was her whole attitude and her whole disposition that disturbed me," the judge said in interviews afterwards.
"I wanted to get through to her, show how serious this is," he said, adding: "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."
In the video of the incident, Judge King tells Eva: "You sleep at home in your bed, not in court."
Her mother, however, said Eva did not have "her own bed that she can sleep in".
"She was tired," Ms Hill, a single mother of two, said. "I'm trying my best."
Judge Aliyah Sabree, who has the No 2 leadership post at the court, said on Wednesday that said Mr King's actions did "not reflect the standards" of the court and would be "addressing this matter with the utmost diligence".
Mr King said he stood by his decisions. "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 said.
"That was my own version of Scared Straight."
Latest Stories
-
Ghana is rising again – Mahama declares
2 hours -
Firefighters subdue blaze at Accra’s Tudu, officials warn of busy fire season ahead
2 hours -
New Year’s Luv FM Family Party in the park ends in grand style at Rattray park
2 hours -
Mahama targets digital schools, universal healthcare, and food self-sufficiency in 2026
3 hours -
Ghana’s global image boosted by our world-acclaimed reset agenda – Mahama
3 hours -
Full text: Mahama’s New Year message to the nation
3 hours -
The foundation is laid; now we accelerate and expand in 2026 – Mahama
3 hours -
There is no NPP, CPP nor NDC Ghana, only one Ghana – Mahama
3 hours -
Eduwatch praises education financing gains but warns delays, teacher gaps could derail reforms
3 hours -
Kusaal Wikimedians take local language online in 14-day digital campaign
4 hours -
Stop interfering in each other’s roles – Bole-Bamboi MP appeals to traditional rulers for peace
5 hours -
Playback: President Mahama addressed the nation in New Year message
5 hours -
Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union call for strong work ethics, economic participation in 2026 new year message
7 hours -
Crossover Joy: Churches in Ghana welcome 2026 with fire and faith
7 hours -
Traffic chaos on Accra–Kumasi Highway leaves hundreds stranded as diversions gridlock
7 hours
