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Detroit chief judge hopes other judge handcuffing sleepy teen won’t undermine court

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Detroit chief judge hopes other judge handcuffing sleepy teen won’t undermine court


The teen girl was sleepy because she had no permanent spot to stay. But the Detroit judge who caught her nodding off in his courtroom wanted to send a message.

Days after having the teen don jail garb and handcuffs while threatening jail time, 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King is receiving death threats and was temporarily removed from his docket. The girl is traumatized and afraid. Her family hired a lawyer.

It’s a situation antithetical to “the people’s court” atmosphere that one of Detroit’s busiest courts aims to provide, acknowledged Chief Judge William McConico. He also announced King’s temporary removal from the docket and required training.

“We sincerely hope that this incident does not undermine our longstanding relationships with local schools. 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,” McConico said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

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“We are dedicated to ensuring that our court continues to uphold the highest standards of fairness and respect.”

‘My daughter is hurt’

Eva Goodman, 15, works with The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit that aims to improve the “green infrastructure” of the city. On Tuesday, Goodman and peers with the project attended King’s courtroom to both watch proceedings and learn from the judge.

While speaking to the teens, King noticed Goodman sleeping. Video of King’s courtroom showed he yelled at her to wake up, but minutes later saw her sleeping again. At that point he ordered her taken into custody.

Latoreya Till said her daughter acknowledged sleeping, but did not understand the gravity of the situation. She has never been in a courtroom before, and never been in trouble before, Till explained.

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After court staff led Goodman out of the room, Till said they told her daughter to undress and put on a green jail jumpsuit. Till said her daughter refused to take off certain clothing items, but was given the opportunity to change in an empty room. While there was no staff present in the room observing the minor changing, Till said her daughter believes there was a security camera.

After she changed, Goodman was handcuffed. Video shows she remained out of King’s courtroom for roughly two hours before he brought her back. At that point, he held a hearing, asking a defense lawyer to help her before berating her for sleeping and threatening her with jail time.

Ultimately, King allowed Goodman to leave, but not before asking her peers for a show of hands to decide whether she needed to spend time in jail.

“My daughter is hurt. She is feeling scared. She didn’t want to go to work. She feels like as if her peers went against her. She was real nervous and intimidated,” Till told the Free Press in a phone interview.

“We have to bounce around currently because we don’t have a permanent address. And so, that particular night, we got in kind of late. And usually, when she goes to work, she’s up and planting trees or being active.”

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King told the Free Press on Wednesday he thought he acted appropriately.

“I wasn’t trying to punish the young lady. What I was trying to do was, I was trying to serve as a deterrence,” King said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.

“I wanted to instill in this kid that this is not a joke, this is a very serious situation.”

But Till said her daughter did not need the lesson: she’s a kind, smart, funny, athletic teen.

“(King) basically was being a big bully to a child that was sleeping and unaware of the etiquette of a courtroom, because she’s never been there, she’s never been in trouble,” Till said. “She’s not a problem child.”

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‘You guys are making me tear up’

King did not return a phone message seeking additional comment on Thursday.

Before being removed from his docket, King conducted court as usual on Thursday, according to YouTube footage of his courtroom. Throughout the morning, viewers commented with messages of support for King.

About 27 minutes into the footage, in between hearings, King appears to review the YouTube comments. Then someone posting under the name “CTRM 234 36th District Court” typed in the chat “receiving death threats.”

King typically presides over courtroom 234.

At the end of his morning docket, he turned to the camera and gave the “heart hands” symbol.

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“That concludes the docket for today, folks. Hope to see you tomorrow, same bat station, same bat time,” he said, making a reference to the classic Batman television show.

Later, he appears to type several more times in the chat.

“You guys are making me tear up,” he writes, wiping his eyes, as commenters wish him well.  

His final post indicated he’s not allowed to comment on his situation.

It’s unclear how long he will be removed from the docket.

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Reach Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com and on X, previously called Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.



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Detroit, MI

Pistons News: Malik Beasley Feels Detroit is ‘a Second Home’

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Pistons News: Malik Beasley Feels Detroit is ‘a Second Home’


Over the past years, Malik Beasley has suited up for countless different franchises across the NBA. His journeyman voyage continued this summer when he inked a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons in free agency.

Through the first few weeks of the season, Beasley is looking like one of the best value signins of free agency. His outside shooting has provided a much-needed dynamic to Detroit’s offense, and he is putting up some of his best numbers in the process. Beasley is currently averaging 15.4 PPG and shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc on 9.1 attempts per game.

Along with having success on the court, Beasley seems to be enjoying his new life outside of basketball as well. During a recent appearance on The Detroit Pistons Podcast, the veteran sharpshooter opened up on how Detroit is a bit of a second home for him.

“My mom’s from here born and raised,” Beasley said. “My mom used to bring me out here every summer with my sister. To be out here right now playing for the Pistons is a dream come true. It’s like my second home…I’m just glad to be here.”

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At the moment, Beasley finds himself in the midst of one of the best offensive streaks of his career. Despite shifting between the second unit and starting lineup, he has racked up five straight 20+ point performances. Beasley has notched a season-high 26 points on two occasions in the past week, once against the Milwauke Bucks and once against the Washington Wizards.

Between his complementary play on the court and being a veteran leader behind the scenes, Beasley has been a huge addition to the Pistons this season. His presence on and off the floor has been a catalyst to their impressive start to the year.





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Detroit, MI

Family of well known Detroit-area pastor killed in crash questions why suspect was released

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Family of well known Detroit-area pastor killed in crash questions why suspect was released


A well-known Detroit-area pastor has died after police say he was struck by a car driven by an undocumented immigrant. Now his family is wondering why that driver was let go as they grieve. 

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The word “Heartbreak” does not even begin to describe what Teri Singleton had been feeling in the days since losing her husband, 72-year-old Stephen Singleton.

“I had to sit and watch my husband of 53 years die in front of me and then to know that the person who did this is walking around is very difficult to deal with,” said Teri Singleton.

He was a well-known area pastor, who would do anything for anyone. Police say he was struck by an undocumented immigrant as he crossed the street in Rochester Hills earlier in November. Singleton died several days later.

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“He had almost every bone in his body broken,” said Singleton. “He had his collarbone fractured, internal organ damage, and his skull was cracked. He had two craniotomies in the hospital.”

Family members say Pastor Singleton was a dedicated servant of god and a former medic who traveled to New York City to help injured victims of the 9/11 attacks. He gathered at a church there with other religious leaders to pray and spoke about it with FOX 2’s Amy Lange in September 2023.

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“After everybody had prayed, he started saying the Lord’s Prayer, and he said it with a whisper, he said it with a shout, he said it with a sing, and then he said it with so much passion that it brought me to tears,” Stephen Singleton said. “I wanted to save somebody. That’s-bottomline.”

He also helped in the search for survivors. It would be local medics who would desperately try to save Singleton’s life after he was hit by a man driving a 2013 Ford Focus as he crossed Rochester Road at Avon. He had just gone for his usual morning walk.

“He’s been coming back within, I’ll say, 45 minutes at the most. He didn’t return. I was sitting there waiting,” said Teri Singleton. “I was actually less than a block away from where it happened.”

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Detectives say that the driver was a citizen of Columbia. US Customs and Border Protection determined he entered the US illegally and was released pending a future date in federal court. That’s the most painful part for the pastor’s family.

“He’s dead and they’re walking around. That’s bothering me,” Teri said. 

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For now, they continue their quest for justice…while staying in faith and love.

“I will not be angry because this has happened,” said Stephen’s daughter Ruth. “I refuse to be angry. I will still love like my Dad taught me to.”

They have also put together a Go-Fund-Me page, hoping to give Pastor Singleton the dignified send-off he deserves.

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“He was a loving person who cared about everybody,” said Teri Singleton. “I mean, the whole neighborhood, everybody in our community has come to my door. They didn’t even see the name on the report, but they knew him because of his habits.”

FOX 2 has reached out to government sources to see exactly why the suspect was released and when the next court date will be. Police say Singleton was wearing a reflective vest and was walking in a properly marked cross-walk when he was hit. 

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Police believe speed or alcohol were factors in the crash.
 



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Detroit, MI

Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers has been named the American League Cy Young award winner

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Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers has been named the American League Cy Young award winner


Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers has been named the American League Cy Young award winner.

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