ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A Washtenaw County man who went viral for joining a video court hearing for a suspended license case while driving has taken another turn.
A segment of a Washtenaw County Trial Court livestream on May 15 was spread widely after Corey Harris called into the hearing while driving. He was charged in April after reportedly driving with a suspended license in Pittsfield Township.
“I’m pulling into my doctor’s office,” Harris told the judge. “Give me a second.”
The incident and Judge Cedric Simpson’s response to a man with a suspended license who was driving during a court hearing made headlines nationally.
Harris’ bond was revoked and he spent the next two days at the Washtenaw County Jail.
A USA Today report claimed it was a misunderstanding and that Harris’ license was supposed to be reinstated in January 2022 but wasn’t due to a clerical error. During a follow-up hearing on Wednesday, June 5, Simpson said the reinstatement applied to Harris’ privilege to drive in the state and that he didn’t have a license to begin with.
“He has never had a Michigan license. Ever. Never had a license in the other states and commonwealths,” Simpson said. “They don’t suspend the license, they suspend the privilege to drive in this state.”
Harris told the judge he wasn’t able to get to a Secretary of State branch to take care of his license suspension due to an injury from a collision. Simpson refuted this and said there was a record of Harris going to a Secretary of State office to get a new Michigan ID in December.
