Judge who put sleeping student in prison clothes and handcuffs is punished

A judge in Detroit was disciplined after handcuffing and forcing a 15-year-old student who fell asleep in his courtroom during a field trip to put on prison garb.

The incident occurred on Tuesday (August 13) in Judge Kenneth KoenigCourtroom during a field trip organized by the nonprofit group The Greening Project. One of the students, Eva Goodmanfell asleep twice during the trial, angering King. He ordered her to leave the courtroom and put on a prison jumpsuit. She was then handcuffed and taken back to the courtroom, where King reprimanded her in front of her classmates and threatened to send her to juvenile detention.

King defended his actions to the local news channel WXYZ.

“This kind of thing doesn't normally happen. But I felt compelled to do it because I didn't like the kid's attitude,” King told the station. “I haven't been treated with such disrespect in a long time.”

Goodman's mother was furious at the way Judge King treated her daughter and savagely attacked him in an interview with the news channel.

“To belittle her in front of the whole world and her friends, to make our situation worse for her,” Hill said through tears. “The fact that he talked about 'go home and get in your bed,' how do you know my baby has a home, how do you know my baby has a bed, her own bed to sleep in? She doesn't have that right now, so she was tired.”

William C. McConicoPresiding Judge of the 36th District Court, said King was temporarily removed from the criminal docket and must undergo training “to address the underlying issues.”

“We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our long-standing relationships with local schools,” Judge McConico said in the statement.