A Michigan man who went viral last week for attending a court meeting via Zoom while driving with an allegedly suspended license was apparently not in the wrong after all.
The 44-year-old man, identified as Corey Harris, went viral online for his reaction during his Zoom court meeting on May 15 in which he appeared to have been driving on a suspended license live on video in the courtroom to the astonishment of presiding District Judge J. Cedric Simpson. But as it turns out, Harris was told in 2022 the suspension of his license was lifted. The license was still listed as suspended in error. (RELATED: Judge Speechless After Defendant In Suspended License Case Calls Into Court While Driving)
“So maybe I don’t understand something. This is a driving while license suspended [case],” the judge says in the video.
“That is correct your honor,” the public defender stated.
“And he was just driving, and he didn’t have a license,” the judge said.
“It’s with the charges, your honor, yes,” the public defender responded.
NEW: The man who went viral for driving during a hearing with a suspended license was told years ago that his suspension was lifted.
According to WXYZ, a judge ordered Corey Harris’ suspension to be lifted in 2022.
“The suspension is tied to a child support case with Saginaw… pic.twitter.com/nIbkXGJeQM
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 3, 2024
Immediately after Simpson revoked Harris’ bond and ordered the 44-year-old to turn himself in at the Washtenaw County Jail by 6 p.m. that day. But no one in the courtroom was aware that another judge in 2022 had rescinded Harris’ license suspension, according to WXYZ.
In 2010, Harris had his license suspended reportedly due to unpaid child support payments, WXYZ reported. The Michigan Secretary of State’s office allegedly never received the approval from a friend of the court to rescind the suspension, leaving the hold on his record, the outlet reported.
“With the type of ties that I have with the church and the community, it’s very embarrassing,” Harris told Baller Alert, following the incident. “What was I thinking? I was thinking about getting my wife medical help. That’s what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I got a suspended license. I don’t care about all that.”
