A young girl fell asleep in Judge Kenneth King’s courtroom. He handcuffed her

Normally, when 15-year-old Eva Goodman attended a summer program run by the local environmental nonprofit Greening of Detroit, she was actively involved in activities such as planting trees around the city. But last week, her youth group went on a excursion to the 36th District Court in Detroit. The group had planned for the participants to speak to a judge and observe a real trial. And while Judge Kenneth King was speaking to the young people, Eva fell asleep.

King, who heads the 36th District Criminal Investigation Division, responded to the tired teenager with Threats“If you fall asleep in my courtroom again, I’ll put you in the back,” he said. “Got it?”

Eva accidentally dozed off again a few minutes later. At this point, King began to berate her. “You sleep at home in your bed, not in the courtroom,” he said. “And quite frankly, I don’t like your attitude.” Eva not currently have a permanent residence; their mother says they “have to jump around right now” and “arrived quite late” the evening before the excursion.

Angered by the poverty, which he perceived as disrespect, King ordered the court staff to Take Eva into custody. Eva had to strip and put on one of the prison’s green jumpsuits, and she was handcuffed. Then King reenacted a court hearing, with a lawyer acting as Eva’s mock representative. And he asked her classmates to vote by a show of hands on whether Eva should go to prison. “I think maybe she should go to juvenile hall,” King said. “You know we have a prison for children.”

Most of Eva’s colleagues chose King let her go. King later said he “probably” didn’t intend to throw the teenager in jail, but he “probably” could have.