Hamtramck District Court judge apologizes for wishing jail on man with weedy yard

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — A Hamtramck District Court judge has apologized for wishing that she could send a 72-year-old immigrant with cancer to jail for a weedy property.

“I acted intemperately. I’m very embarrassed that I did so,” said Alexis Krot, a judge in Hamtramck’s District Court.

“I apologize to the person who appeared before me and to our entire community for having failed to meet the high standards that we expect of our judicial officers, and that I expect of myself,” Krot said in a statement posted on the court’s website.

The statement was dated Tuesday, days after she ordered Burhan Chowdhury to pay $100 for failing to get rid of weeds and other vegetation at the rear of his property. The judge’s apology followed a TV report about the case and criticism about how she treated the man.

“Shameful! The neighbors should not have to look at that. You should be ashamed of yourself,” Krot said during the online hearing. “If I could give you jail time on this, I would.”

Chowdhury, a native of Bangladesh, explained that he was weak with cancer. A son, Shibbir Chowdhury, said he helps his father with the yard but was out of the country at the time last year.

Krot said she reported her behavior to the Judicial Tenure Commission, a state watchdog over the judiciary.