Judge faces lawsuit after forcing student to put on jail garments and handcuffs and enter isolated holding cell

Judge faces lawsuit after forcing student to put on jail garments and handcuffs and enter isolated holding cell

A Detroit judge who briefly detained a teenage girl who fell asleep in his courtroom during a school field trip to learn about the justice system was demoted to presiding over traffic court as he faces a federal lawsuit.

Judge Kenneth King was moved to the state court’s traffic division after the incident on 13 August. King was temporarily removed from the bench as he completed mandatory training following his actions.

“We appreciate his efforts in preparing for this role, and wish him success as he transitions into this new responsibility,” said the chief judge, William McConico, in a statement.

  • @[email protected]English
    66•2 months ago

    I was so, so waiting for consequences to finally reach this asshole. Reminder that this teenage student and her family *were experiencing homelessness and was apparently exhausted trying to meet all her responsibilities! She needed an advocate, not a bully. This is the type of person that demands respect from you, while not valuing you as a human, beyond considering what you can do for him. I hope he endures excruciating traffic cases until he is removed from the bench…

    EDIT: Changed to people-first language.

    • @lazyViking
      -38•2 months ago

      She was homeless, not ✨ unhoused ✨. Stop trying to minimise other people’s suffering

      • @nemno
        17•2 months ago

        I sure everyone understood what was meant by that. Stop creating an issue over nothing.

        • @CleoTheWizardEnglish
          4•2 months ago

          People can call them whatever they want. You can call them homeless, unhoused, unsheltered, houseless, displaced, vagrant, destitute, loiterers, whatever language helps you talk about homelessness in a way that actually helps people and doesn’t obfuscate the issue.

      • @[email protected]English
        13•2 months ago

        “Unhoused” is callous and “homeless” is not?

        While others are downvoting you for missing the point (possibly because I was already attempting to consider them with empathy and dignity), I probably should have actually said “person experiencing homelessness”, and have edited it as such.

        In 2020, an entry on homelessness was added to The Associated Press Stylebook noting how “Homeless is generally acceptable as an adjective to describe people without a fixed residence” and that reporters should use person-first language to "avoid the dehumanizing collective noun the homeless, instead using constructions like homeless people, people without housing or people without homes.”

        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language

        • @drislands
          2•2 months ago

          Interestingly, the quote notes that using homeless as an adjective is fine, while using it as a noun is not. I did not know that!

        • @lazyViking
          -9•2 months ago

          Oh shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were a Associated press reporter. My bad 😔

      • @throbbing_banjo
        5•2 months ago

        How the fuck is that your only takeaway from that comment? Go play a game or something lol

      • @[email protected]
        -5•2 months ago

        People who are unhoused are not always homeless. Many unhoused people have homes in tents, camps, etc.

        The term homeless is often used to obscure these homes so that residents can be attacked, dispossessed, encaged, etc.