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'If I could give you jail time on this I would.' Judge scolds 72-year-old cancer patient for not cleaning his yard

Hundreds of thousands sign online petition demanding judge's removal
Posted at 6:17 PM, Jan 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-21 10:24:08-05

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Judge Alexis Krot with the 31st district court in Hamtramck is in the hot seat after a clip of her scolding an elderly disabled man went viral.

“That is shameful, shameful.”

A photo of overgrown weeds and shrubs around an alleyway shed in Hamtramck sparked outrage for 31st District Court Judge Alexis Krot.

“The neighbors should not have to look at that. If I could give you jail time on this I would,” says Judge Krot during a January 10th hearing.

“I don’t know why she so angry on me,” says Burhan Chowdhury.

Chowdhury says he was trying to explain to the judge that he is a cancer patient with limited mobility. Chowdhury says, typically, his son Shibbir keeps up the yard.

However, last year Shibbir got married and was out of the country for three months, so the weeds grew.

“I know my garage yard grow up, but I try my best,” says Chowdhury.

Shibbir tells 7 Action News he cleaned up the weeds as soon as he returned home from Bangladesh. Shibbir was hoping the judge would throw out the ticket and $100 fine because of his father's health but the opposite happened.

“Nobody should face this kind of behavior,” says Shibbir.

The judges scolding sent waves across social media. An online petitionwith over 200,000 signatures is now demanding the judge be removed from the bench. And over 25-hundred dollars has been raised for the Chowdhury.

“I’m really grateful to the community and the support people gave us.”

Judge Krot says she reported herself to the Judicial Tenure Committee. A member of the committee says a review can take up to a year, but because the judge reported herself they will review the case in the next few months.

Krot issued a statement on Tuesday: