‘Particularly inappropriate’: Hamtramck judge warned over berating of cancer patient

Judicial Tenure Commission now says judge violated Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct with her demeanor

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – A Hamtramck judge gets a warning over the way she spoke to a cancer patient about the weeds on his property.

Judge Alexis Krot won’t be losing her job, but the judicial tenure commission says she humiliated a 72-year-old Hamtramck man during a January hearing.

Krot told the man he should be ashamed of himself for the overgrown weeds and that she’d give him jail time if she could.

Read: Hamtramck judge shames 72-year-old cancer patient over blight: ‘You should be ashamed of yourself’

In a letter to Krot, the commission wrote, “That threat was particularly inappropriate.”

Shibbir Chowdhury says he couldn’t believe he was there to see Krot, the 31st District Court Judge, virtually lashing out at his father Burham Chowdhury, that’s battling cancer, during a hearing about overgrown weeds.

“I don’t know,” said Chowdhury. “Maybe she was having a bad day or something like that. I have no idea why she did that to us.”

Chowdhury said he had to go to Bangladesh, leaving his now 73-year-old father battling cancer alone for three months. Because of that reason, the property was not adequately kept up.

“Normally, he is having difficulty breathing,” Chowdhury said. “He can’t even lift stuff. It’s very difficult for him to bend as well. If he does any kind of stuff for maybe a half hour or one hour. He has to lay in the bed for three days.”

The Judicial Tenure Commission now says Krot violated the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct with her demeanor. Even citing the senior with a $100 fine. But those who were watching along made sure he was fine.

“The interesting thing is that I went to pay $100, but I heard that somebody already paid by phone,” Chowdhury said. “The community support was like overwhelming.”

Local 4 has not been able to reach Krot, but she did issue an apology to the community for the way she handled the hearing.

Read: Hamtramck Judge apologizes to 72-year-old cancer patient after shaming him for weeds

Chowdhury, however, says no apology was ever made directly to his father.


About the Authors:

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.

Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.