Michigan judge apologizes for criticizing elderly cancer patient for un-mowed lawn

Michigan Judge Alexis Krot of Hamtramck apologized on Thursday to an elderly cancer patient she berated and threatened with jail time over the state of his lawn, which was overgrown with weeds.

She added that she is reporting herself to a state commission that investigates judicial misconduct.

“I made a mistake,” Krot said in a statement to the Free Press. “I acted intemperately. I’m very embarrassed that I did so. 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’s comments made during an online court hearing captured on a Zoom video drew widespread criticism and media attention. A petition to remove her from the court gathered more than a quarter of a million signatures as of Thursday. 

Burhan Chowdhury, 72, appeared before Krot alongside his son for the hearing on January 10 over a ticket issued in August regarding some overgrowth of grass in an area outside his Hamtramck home.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Krot told Chowdhury. “If I could give you jail time on this, I would.” The recording of the interaction was widely shared on social media. Chowdhury responded, “I am a cancer patient, very old, ma’am. I was then very weak…I cannot look after this thing.”

Ignoring his pleas, Krot continued to berate him, saying she would fine him $100 while showing photos of the outside of his home. “Did you see that photo? That is shameful, shameful. The neighbors should not have to look at that.” 

But Krot’s recent apology statement, which was dated January 18, had a different tone. “When someone appears before me and has made a mistake, I expect them to own up to it,” she wrote.

“I expect nothing less than myself. No ifs, ands, or buts: That is the reason I self reported my behavior to the judicial tenure commission. I had no legal duty to report myself to the commission. But I did so because, like apologizing to the community, it was the right thing to do. I will continue to hold myself to the standards I set for others.”