Detroit Judge Kenneth King is suspended and out of a teaching job for Scared Straight shenanigans of handcuffing a homeless teen because she fell asleep on a field trip.
Source: lakshmiprasad S / Getty
According to ABC News, the incident involves a 15-year-old girl named Eva Goodman, who was subjected to a humiliating abuse of power when King demanded to restrain and dress her like a prisoner. The unjust judge doubled down on berating Goodman about sleeping at home in her bed even after her mother revealed that the girl didn’t have those.
This wasn’t just an isolated incident. It’s part of a disturbing pattern of behavior that started long before his temporary removal from the bench. However, critics argue that the consequences are not nearly enough, especially given his track record.
A Judge On A Power Trip
The latest incident occurred during a field trip organized by the nonprofit Greening of Detroit. ABC News states that Eva Goodman, a teenager without a permanent home, was understandably exhausted and fell asleep in the courtroom.
Instead of handling the situation with the empathy one might expect from a public servant, Judge King decided to make an example out of her. He forced her into a jail uniform and handcuffs in front of her peers. He claimed that he wanted to “get through to her” about the seriousness of courtroom behavior.
“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,” King said.
Seems as if he suggests the courtroom is a stage for life lessons rather than a place of justice. But this isn’t the first time Judge King has been accused of letting his position go to his head.
A History Of Judge King’s Sunken Shadiness
This latest incident is just one more example of King’s history of questionable decisions on the bench. According to some X users, his career track record is full of harsh and often inappropriate treatment of individuals in his courtroom. These past incidents made many question whether he’s more interested in exerting his power than upholding the law.
One thing about me, I never forget. This made my blood boil!
He has a problem but I’ll let y’all name it. https://t.co/hyWQ1DwoV9 pic.twitter.com/bkfXnJMVzO
— Now, girl… (@C0URTNEYC0) August 17, 2024
As previously reported by BOSSIP, he faced criticism for letting a former Detroit cop go free by upholding the dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charges against him.
70-year-old Daryl Vance died following a verbal altercation with then-Detroit Police Officer Juwan Brown back in September 2023.
Somehow the need for heavy-handed lessons, or at least a day in court, didn’t apply to a Detroit cop who fatally punched a 70-year-old Black.
This pattern of behavior challenges King’s impartiality and track record. Critics question how he rules fairly while turning his courtroom into a personal fiefdom where he dispenses humiliation and intimidation.
See Eva Goodman’s mother speaking out, Judge King doubling down, and Wayne State University dropping his employment after the flip.
Goodman’s Mother Calls King A “Big Bully” As He’s Suspended From Court For “Training”
Source: Alexander Sikov / Getty
Following the public outcry over his treatment of Eva Goodman, King was temporarily removed from the bench and required to undergo “necessary training.”
However, he will continue to be paid during this period. That fact has not gone unnoticed by those who feel his actions warrant a more severe penalty. In an ABC News report, Judge William McConico, the court’s chief judge, stated that King’s actions “do not reflect this commitment [to providing access to justice in an environment free from intimidation or disrespect].”
Yet, for many, the fact that King is still drawing a paycheck while being “trained” raises serious questions about the accountability of those in positions of power.
Latoreya Till, Eva Goodman’s mother, did not mince words in her reaction to King’s actions.
“My daughter is hurt. She is feeling scared,” Till said, calling King a “big bully” who abused his authority in a way that left lasting emotional scars on her daughter.
The distraught mother launched a GoFundMe campaign to secure permanent housing for herself and her children.
Many of you have been reaching out, asking how you could help Latoreya Till and her daughter after she was handcuffed. They don’t have a permanent residence rn. Latoreya texted me she set up a GoFundMe due to all the amazing requests to help >>> https://t.co/27I8HFTMrS
— Ruta Ulcinaite WXYZ (@RutaUlcinaite) August 15, 2024
Marissa Ebersole Wood, chairperson of Greening of Detroit, also weighed in, criticizing King’s methods.
“Although the judge was trying to teach a lesson of respect, his methods were unacceptable. The group of students should have been simply asked to leave the courtroom if he thought they were disrespectful,” Wood said to ABC News.
In an interview with WXYZ-Detroit, Till tearfully broke down about King criminalizing and traumatizing her daughter for struggling without a permanent home.
“Would you want someone to treat your child like that? Would you even treat your child like that if he fell asleep in a courtroom?” the single mother asked.
“The fact that he was talking about ‘you go home and get your bed.’ How do you know my baby got a home? How do you know my baby got a bed, her own bed that she can sleep in? She don’t have that right now so she was tired,” Till continued.
King doubled down on his Scared Straight tactics to the news outlet.
“Do I have any reservations? Do I think I was heavy-handed in what I did? No, I don’t because I’ll do whatever needs to be done to reach these kids to ensure they don’t end up in front of me. So that was my own version of Scared Straight,” he smugly said.
The recent SCOTUS ruling to make homelessness illegal will force innocent people like Goodman into the prison pipeline. This incident makes King look more aligned with judges like Clarence Thomas, criminalizing the most vulnerable rather than keeping them out of the system.
Wayne State University Terminates Judge Kenneth King’s Teaching Job
In Detroit, where communities already feel the strain of systemic injustice, King’s actions serve as a painful reminder that those who are supposed to uphold the law are sometimes the very ones who undermine it. And another institution is already distancing itself from the judge.
The Detroit Free Press reports Wayne State University ended King’s employment as an adjunct professor. The school snatched two of King’s classes set to start this fall, “The Judicial Process” and “Criminal Procedure: Investigation.”
“In light of the 36th District Court’s temporary suspension of Judge Kenneth King, Wayne State University has reassigned two Fall 2024 courses to other instructors,” spokesman Bill Roose announced.
“In light of the 36th District Court’s temporary suspension of Judge Kenneth King, Wayne State University has reassigned two Fall 2024 courses to other instructors,” he continued.
Judge Kenneth King’s behavior represents a larger problem within the judicial system, where judges often operate with impunity, even when their actions violate ethical standards.
King’s removal from the bench and the classroom is a start but is far from a real solution.
