Teenager fell asleep during field trip to courtroom and had to go to prison

DETROIT-

A teenager who took part in a field trip to visit a Detroit court was shackled in prison garb and handcuffs because a judge said he did not like her behavior.

Judge Kenneth King even asked other children in the courtroom on Tuesday whether the 16-year-old girl should be placed in juvenile detention, WXYZ-TV reported.

King, who works in the 36th District Court, defended his actions.

“I wanted it to look and feel very real to them, even though there's probably no real chance I'll put them in jail. This was my own version of 'Scared Straight,'” King said, referring to a documentary about juvenile offenders in New Jersey.

The teenager was visiting King's farm as part of a visit organized by the environmental nonprofit group The Greening of Detroit. During the visit, King noticed the girl falling asleep, WXYZ reported.

“If you fall asleep in my courtroom again, I'll put you in the back, understand?” the judge said, according to a video of his remarks.

Judge Kenneth King listens during a sentencing hearing in Detroit on April 2, 2015. (Todd McInturf/Detroit News via AP)

King then had the girl put on prison clothes and handcuffs.

“It was her whole demeanor and her whole demeanor that disturbed me,” the judge told WXYZ. “I wanted to get through to her, show her how serious this is and how to conduct yourself in a courtroom.”

King also threatened her with a juvenile prison sentence before releasing her.

“I will do whatever it takes to reach these children and make sure they don't end up ahead of me,” the judge said.

The organization Greening of Detroit released a statement saying the “young lady was traumatized.”

“Although the judge attempted to teach a lesson in respect, his methods were unacceptable,” said presiding judge Marissa Ebersole Wood. “The group of students should have simply been asked to leave the courtroom if he found them disrespectful.”

Judge Aliyah Sabree, who holds the court's second-in-command position, issued a statement Wednesday evening saying King's conduct “does not meet the standards we uphold in the 36th District Court.”

“I am committed to handling this matter with the utmost care,” Sabree said.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from King on Wednesday. The court's chief judge, William McConico, was absent and unavailable for comment, his office said.

“There were so many other opportunities to help this young girl learn,” said Larry Dubin, a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

King told WXYZ he spoke to the girl's parents and offered to act as a mentor.