the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Aug 19, 2024
Eva Goodman, a 15-year-old, was handcuffed, forced to wear a Wayne County jail uniform, and threatened with jail time. Her crime? She dozed off in the courtroom of Judge Kenneth King while on a field trip. Her mother, Latoreya Till, pointed out that her daughter did not understand the gravity of the situation because she had never been in a courtroom before, and had never been in trouble before.
Judge King held an impromptu hearing, where he berated Goodman and told her, “You sleep at home in your bed, not in court.” It turns out that she is homeless, does not have her own bed to sleep in and did not sleep well the night before.
The judge has since been suspended and sent to sensitivity training. But, for 18 years he has been practicing his brand of “fair and equitable justice,” meaning he is in charge, he has the power. King is not the only judge who thinks he is king. Judges have been given this immense power. Is it any wonder why black teenagers don’t trust the court system to be fair?
King justified and doubled down on his horrific behavior, stating that he wasn’t punishing the girl. It was his version of “scared straight.” Till’s response to the judge was, “You didn’t scare nobody straight!”
The only lesson anyone could get from this judge’s criminal behavior is that he can bully a homeless young woman and put her in handcuffs for being a normal teenager.