A Detroit judge who ordered a teen to be handcuffed for falling asleep in the courtroom has been temporarily removed from his docket, 36th District Court Chief Judge William McConico said in a statement.
Judge Kenneth King is ordered to attend training “to address the underlying issues that contributed to this incident,” read the statement. The decision came after an internal investigation into Tuesday’s incident.
On Friday, Wayne State University announced it reassigned two courses that King was going to teach this fall to other instructors. King worked as an adjunct professor at the university.
“As a contracted part-time faculty member, Judge King has never had an ongoing faculty appointment. Since 2022, he has taught a total of five sections of courses between Wayne State’s Law School and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,” Wayne State said in a statement.
King’s profile on WSU’s website has been removed.
The teen was in the courtroom as part of a field trip when King called her out for sleeping. The judge then had the teen change into jail clothes and wear handcuffs.
McConico said he is not authorized to remove King from the bench but the court “remains deeply committed to providing access to justice in an environment free from intimidation or disrespect.”
“We regularly and actively welcome students to observe and engage with the judicial process, aiming to provide valuable educational experiences and foster familiarity with the justice system. We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our longstanding relationships with local schools,” McConico said. “Our thoughts and actions are now with the student and her family, and we are committed to taking these corrective measures to demonstrate that this incident is an isolated occurrence.”
King has served in the 36th District Court since 2006.
