The Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled that a Michigan judge can be sued for ordering the handcuffing and detention of a teenager who'd fallen asleep in his courtroom during a field trip.
While judges enjoy broad immunity from lawsuits for their official acts, the 6th Circuit ruled that Judge Kenneth King was acting well outside his official capacity when, in August 2024, he had then-15-year-old Eva Goodman placed in a detention cell, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, and then forced to undergo a mock livestreamed hearing, all for nodding off while he talked to her class about his career as a lawyer.
