An Oakland County judge has denied a motion to reconsider her decision to incarcerate a fifteen-year-old Black girl for violating probation.
The case involves a girl identified only by her middle name, Grace. Her case has sparked a national firestorm because her main probation violation was not doing her online schoolwork.
But at today’s [MON] hearing, Judge Mary Ellen Brennan says the girl was on what she called “strict probation” after physically assaulting her mother numerous times.
Judge Brennan says the girl’s mother, who is now fighting to free her, also reported the probation violations to Grace’s case worker.
“She is a threat of harm under our current circumstances without the mental health treatment she needs, and interventions so she can get a handle on herself,” said Brennan.
Grace is detained at Oakland County’s Children’s Village, where she’s participating in a residential treatment program. Judge Brennan says it would be a disservice to Grace to release her before she completes that program.