On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, The Washington Post reported that the mother of a 15-year-old girl filed a lawsuit against Judge Kenneth J. King of Michigan’s 36th District Court.

The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred on August 13th when the teenage girl was part of a field trip organized by the Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit, that took a group of teenagers to Judge King’s courtroom. According to the complaint, while in the courtroom, the girl fell asleep and Judge King allegedly berated her in front of her classmates and live viewers on the court’s YouTube channel. He then ordered her to be detained and handcuffed by a female corrections officer. The judge instructed the girl to change into a jail uniform and detained her for two hours, separated from her classmates.

Later, Judge King held what the complaint refers to as a “mock trial” of the girl in front of her peers and YouTube viewers, treating her as a juvenile delinquent. The lawsuit accuses Judge King of malicious prosecution, unlawful arrest, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and other charges. It states that King’s actions were extrajudicial as the court was not in session at the time of the incident.

In response, Judge King’s attorney Todd Perkins declined to comment on the specifics of the ongoing case but said the judge only wants the best outcome for the teenage girl. However, the girl’s mother Latoreya Hill, who filed the lawsuit, disputes this. She informed a local news station that her daughter was tired during the field trip because the family does not have a permanent home.

Following an internal investigation, Chief Judge William McConico of the 36th District Court announced Judge King has been temporarily removed from hearing cases and ordered to undergo training. Judge King was also scheduled to teach two fall courses at Wayne State University but they have been reassigned because of the suspension.

The lawsuit filed by attorney Gary Felty argues that King did not have judicial immunity for his actions against the teenage girl because the court was not in session. It seeks to hold King accountable for the alleged malicious treatment and humiliation of the girl in front of her peers and a public internet audience, which the suit says has greatly upset and distressed the minor.

 

 

Source: The Washington Post