Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Judge Calls Elderly Cancer Patient 'Shameful' For Not Cleaning Up Brush Around His Property

Judge Calls Elderly Cancer Patient 'Shameful' For Not Cleaning Up Brush Around His Property
WDIV Click On Detroit; 31st District Court

A Michigan Republican judge was captured scolding an elderly man with lymphatic cancer and threatening him with jail time for not cleaning up his property facing an alleyway in a viral video.

72-year-old Burhan Chowdhury of Hamtramck, Michigan was diagnosed with cancer in his lymph nodes in February of 2019.


His 33-year old son, Shibbir Chowdhury helped his parents with household chores, including cleaning and maintaining their yard.

But when the younger Chowdhury took a three month trip to Bangladesh in 2020, those simple chores proved too much for the elder Chowdhury, whose mobility is severely impaired due to the cancer as well as high blood pressure. His wife was similarly impaired due to a back injury from an accident.

But 31st District Court Judge Alexis Krot—a Republican elected official—was unsympathetic to the elderly couple.

youtu.be

Their inability to do the yard work resulted in an abundance of weeds growing out of their front yard. Shibbir Chowdhury's parents were issued a ticket.

The younger Chowdhury told The Washington Post:

"It was a chain reaction."
"The neighbors probably complained and took the picture that was sent to the city."

While the Chowdhury family cleaned up their front yard, they were still required to make a court appearance via Zoom.

The fairly shocking events which took place in their digital court appearance quickly went viral after being shared on Twitter.

His shortness of breath due to difficulty breathing painfully evident, Burhan Chowdhury tried to explain to Judge Krot his physical condition made maintaining his front yard difficult to the point of impossible.

But Judge Krot showed a complete lack of compassion towards Chowdhury, telling him he "should be ashamed" of himself.

'If I could give you jail time on this, I would."

Following the stunned silence of everyone else on the Zoom court appearance, Judge Krot fined Burhan $100, before taking yet another opportunity to publicly scold him.

"You've got to get that cleaned up."
"That is totally inappropriate."

Shibbir Chowdhury then confirmed they would pay the $100 fine and once more pointed out his father is currently in very poor health.

But Judge Krot was firm on her stance.

"Do you see that photo?"
"That is shameful. Shameful. The neighbors should not have to look at that."
"You should be ashamed of yourself."

Shibbir Chowdhury shared his horror regarding Judge Krot's comments with The Washington Post.

“She was telling my father, a sick person, that he should go to jail. That’s ridiculous."
“You can’t give a 72-year-old person jail time for not cleaning an alley.”

Twitter user's were equally horrified by Judge Krot who was originally appointed to the bench by Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder in 2016.

The Republican judge was reelected in 2020 after running unopposed.




Several took the video as a call to action, sharing a petition to remove Judge Krot from her position, with others beginning a campaign to fill her seat with a new judge.




Shabbir Chowdhury told the Washington Post he plans to pay his father's fine and assured them the house's exterior has remained in tip top shape over the last few months.

He also expressed how moved he was by all the support and compassion his father received on social media.

"People understand that a situation like this can happen with someone who is old or sick."
“I’m really thankful to those in our city who have supported us and letting us know that they’re beside us."

Judge Krot has not commented on the video or backlash, citing her position as an elected judge prohibits her from doing so.

Her current term ends in 2027.

More from Trending

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon on accoustic guitar
@kevinbacon/TikTok

Kevin Bacon And Kyra Sedgwick Hilariously Admit Secrets To Each Other In Viral 'We Don't Judge' Video

Successful communication between spouses is when one listens first while the other shares a revelation.

Actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, who've been married since 1988, demonstrated they had this in the bag while participating in the viral TikTok challenge, "We listen and we don't judge."

Keep ReadingShow less
Blue Ivy Carter
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/GettyImages

Fans Defend Blue Ivy After People Call Her Dress At 'Mufasa' Premiere 'Wildly Inappropriate'

Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy drew backlash at the Mufasa premiere because she was attired in a "wildly inappropriate" dress for a pre-teen. But, fans quickly came to the young actor's defense.

In Mufasa, the sequel and prequel to the live-action 2019 remake of The Lion King, Ivy voiced Kiara, the granddaughter of Mufasa and daughter of Simba and Nala.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kyrsten Sinema; Joe Manchin
Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images; Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Kyrsten Sinema And Joe Manchin Give Dems And Labor Unions The Middle Finger With Vote

Outgoing Independent senators Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) and Joe Manchin (West Virginia) gave Democrats and labor unions the middle finger by siding with Republicans to oppose confirming President Joe Biden's renomination of Lauren McFerran for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which will let President-elect Donald Trump seize control of the board next year.

NLRB is the federal agency responsible for safeguarding employees’ workplace rights. Sinema and Manchin's decisive “no” votes doomed the nomination, as all Senate Republicans also opposed it. Only one of their votes was needed to secure McFerran’s confirmation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vivek Ramaswamy
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Vivek Dragged After Claiming Federal Worker Told Him She'd Be Fine Being Fired

Billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy—fresh off being named the co-head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—was dragged after claiming on X that a federal worker came up to him praising DOGE and told him she'd be "OK" with being fired.

Ramaswamy claimed:

Keep ReadingShow less
United States of America flag in window behind wooden pane
Max Sulik on Unsplash

Culture Shocks Americans Faced Moving Home From Abroad

Culture shock is defined as "the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes."

But what if the culture is the one you were born and raised in?

Keep ReadingShow less