A judge in Detroit has been temporarily removed from his cases after he handcuffed a 15-year-old girl and threatened her with jail for dozing off during proceedings in his courtroom. The chief judge for the district announced this decision.

After a prompt and thorough internal review, it was found that 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King did not meet the court’s standards when he mandated that a girl on a field trip to his courtroom be placed in handcuffs and dressed in a jail uniform, according to Chief Judge William McConico’s statement on Thursday.

“We are hopeful that these measures will restore confidence in the 36th District Court’s commitment to serving the community with fairness and integrity,” McConico stated.

“The 36th District Court, referred to as ‘the people’s court,’ is dedicated to ensuring access to justice in a setting that is free from disrespect or intimidation. The behavior displayed by Judge King on August 13th does not exemplify this dedication.”

McConico did not specify how long King would be off the docket – which refers to the judicial schedule for cases judges handle. He described the required training as “necessary to address the issues that led to this event.”

The 15-year-old girl was in court early this week with a nonprofit organization during a field trip. Between hearings, King spoke with her and her classmates. At one point, he noticed her sleeping and shouted at her, ultimately deciding to have her detained.

She was made to wear a green jail jumpsuit, had her hands cuffed in front of her, and pleaded for forgiveness until she was finally released.

“We genuinely hope that this situation does not affect our long-time partnerships with local schools. We are focused on the student and her family, and we are determined to take corrective actions to show that this was an isolated incident,” McConico stated.

“We are committed to guaranteeing that our court upholds the highest standards of fairness and respect.”

The girl’s mother, Latoreya Till, shared with the Free Press that her daughter was probably exhausted due to the family currently lacking stable housing. They didn’t sleep until late Wednesday night.

She has since hired a lawyer.

“My daughter is hurt. She feels scared. She didn’t want to go to work. She feels betrayed by her classmates. She was very anxious and intimidated,” Till stated.

In response, King told the Free Press on Wednesday that he believed he acted properly.

“I wasn’t aiming to punish the young lady. My intent was to serve as a deterrent,” King said during a phone conversation.

“I wanted to make it clear to this young person that this is not a trivial matter; it’s a very serious situation.”

King oversees the criminal division of the 36th District Court, managing the initial stages of some of the most serious cases in the area.