After a long day in court, Judge Terrence Miles expected nothing more than a quiet evening. Still dressed in his formal shirt and slacks, he stepped out onto his porch to pick up a package that had just been delivered. Within moments, his peaceful evening turned into an unsettling confrontation that would soon make headlines across the nation.
As he stepped outside, two police officers appeared at the bottom of his porch, their hands resting on their weapons.
“Step away from the door and put your hands where we can see them,” one of them shouted.
Judge Miles froze, confused but calm. He had no reason to think this was more than a misunderstanding. But before he could explain, the officers moved closer, barking orders. They believed they were confronting a man trying to break into a house. What they didn’t know was that the man in front of them owned the house — and was a respected state judge.
The call that brought the officers there came from a neighbor who didn’t recognize Judge Miles. Seeing a Black man standing near the front door, the neighbor assumed the worst and dialed 911. The judge held his house keys in plain sight, but that didn’t stop the situation from escalating.
Within moments, the officers had grabbed him, cuffed him, and pressed him against his own front door.
“I live here,” Judge Miles said, keeping his voice steady. “I’m Judge Terrence Miles.”
One officer rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and I’m the governor,” he replied dismissively.
They didn’t check his identification. They didn’t call it in. They simply assumed.
As the commotion grew, several neighbors came outside. Some watched silently, while others recorded the incident on their phones. Then one woman stepped forward. “Wait,” she said. “He does live there. That’s the judge from Channel 6 News last week!”
One of the younger officers hesitated. “Judge? Like actual judge?” he asked.
Judge Miles nodded calmly. “Check the courthouse database. I’m the presiding judge over the 6th District. My photo’s probably on the bulletin board in your own station.”
Minutes later, after a quick call to dispatch, everything changed. The officers removed the handcuffs, their tone suddenly apologetic. But the damage had been done.
Judge Miles didn’t yell or demand punishment. He simply looked the officers in the eye and said quietly, “This is exactly what bias looks like.”
The next day, the story spread quickly across local and national media. Headlines read: “Judge Wrongfully Detained Outside His Own Home.” Civil rights groups spoke out, and the police department issued a formal apology, promising to review its training policies.
At a press conference, Judge Miles shared a message that resonated far beyond his city:
“You can wear a robe, hold the gavel, and still be seen as a suspect in your own home. That’s why we must change — not just policy, but perception.”
His story became a reminder that justice isn’t just about the courtroom — it starts with how we see one another.