An exchange between a judge and a 72-year-old man with cancer has gone viral after social media users were shocked to hear the elderly man being berated for the state of his yard in suburban Detroit.
Burhan Chowdhury could be seen struggling to breathe as he attended his recent Michigan state court appearance over Zoom, explaining to the judge that he was ‘weak’ and had been unable to clear up overgrown grass at his property.
But 31st District Judge Alexis G Krot simply told the defendant that the state of the walkway was ‘totally inappropriate’ and that he should be ‘ashamed’ of himself.
The online court hearing was shown a photo of home’s exterior, as Chowdhury – of Hamtramck, Michigan – explained: “I am a cancer patient. Very old, ma’am. And I am a cancer patient. I was then very weak.”
He added that he simply could not look after the space, at which point Krot replied: “You should be ashamed of yourself.
"If I could give you jail time on this, I would."
Issuing Chowdhury a $100 (£72) fine, she added: "You've got to get that cleaned up. That is totally inappropriate."
The man's son, Shibbir Chowdhury, who attended the Zoom hearing with his father, then spoke up on his behalf, not only reiterating the ill health that had stopped the grass from being cleared away, but also explaining that the property had already been tidied.
He said: “My father is currently sick and we cleaned it up."
Krot continued: “Do you see that photo? That is shameful. Shameful. The neighbours should not have to look at that. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Speaking to the Washington Post, Chowdhury’s son Shibbir said he was ‘shocked’ at what happened, explaining that his father was diagnosed with cancer in his lymph nodes in February 2019.
“The way she said that my father should serve jail time for this thing really bugged me,” the 33-year-old said.
“I was really shocked by it. I didn’t expect her to yell at us in this kind of a situation.”
Chowdhury’s health has also deteriorated from a heart issue and high blood pressure, while his wife has faced health problems of her own after falling down the stairs and hurting her back."
“It’s been difficult,” the son added, saying how cancer treatments have affected his father’s mobility.
Speaking about the online support the family has received after the footage was shared, he said: “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.”
LADbible has contacted the 31st District Court in Hamtramck for comment.
As a judge, Krot is unable to comment on the case herself, WDIV reports.
Featured Image Credit: 31st District Court, HamtramckTopics: US News
Jess Hardiman