Kenneth King, the Detroit judge who was suspended after he ordered a teen to be placed in handcuffs for sleeping in the courtroom and being attitudinal towards him, has been demoted following his reassignment.
Per The Associated Press, King has now been tasked with overseeing cases pertaining to speeding tickets and minor offenses of such nature. The chief judge at the 36th District Court ordered King to undergo social-emotional training after he was suspended in August for his actions. Prior to the incident that drew nationwide attention and scrutiny, King oversaw major felony cases.
“We appreciate his efforts in preparing for this role, and wish him success as he transitions into this new responsibility,” Judge William McConico said in a statement.
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Responding to his reassignment, King’s attorney, Todd Perkins, said the judge is OK with discharging his duties at any place in the court. “He truly understands and wholeheartedly embraces the concept of teamwork,” Perkins said.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, King made national headlines after he ordered a 15-year-old student to be placed in handcuffs for sleeping in the courtroom. The teen, identified as Eva Goodman, was also detained for about two hours and made to wear a jail uniform. King additionally threatened to have her jailed. His actions drew outrage, and he was subsequently removed from the docket on a temporary basis and made to undergo training.
The August 13 incident occurred while Goodman and other students went to the court during a field trip that was organized by a local non-profit. King is said to have spoken with the students during his hearings. But he later took issue with Goodman after he realized she was sleeping. The teen was later taken out of the courtroom.
King also had Goodman released, but that was after he asked the other students to raise their hands to establish if the 15-year-old should be jailed, the Detroit Free Press reported. In the wake of the incident, King, in an interview with the news outlet, justified his actions, claiming that he wanted to teach her a lesson.
“I wasn’t trying to punish the young lady,” he claimed at the time. “I wanted to instill in this kid that this is not a joke, this is a very serious situation.”
Goodman’s mother, Latoreya Till, however, said King’s actions left her daughter feeling scared and intimidated, adding that she probably dozed off because they do not have a permanent place to stay at the moment.
Till has since filed a lawsuit for “inflicting fear and severe emotional distress.” She is seeking over $75,000.
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