Suspended driver went viral for calling in to Zoom court hearing from car. But he reveals it wasn’t what it seemed

Martha McHardy
·2 min read

A suspended driver shocked a judge by joining his court via a Zoom call while parking his car.

But it has now been revealed that the video was not all that it seemed.

In a video that went viral last month, Michigan driver Corey Harris shocked Judge Cedric Simpson when he dialed into his May 15 Zoom court appearance for charges of driving on a suspended license while parking his car.

“I don’t even know why he would do that,” the judge said, perplexed as Simpson explained that he was pulling into his doctor’s office.

“The defendant is to turn himself into the Washtenaw County Jail by 6pm today,” the judge added, before Harris replied: “Oh my God,” looking skyward in disbelief.

The video quickly took social media by storm, with many criticizing Harris for his behavior.

But a report from 7 News Detroit has now revealed that the order to halt his license was rescinded back in January 2022 and never forwarded to state authorities by the Saginaw County Friend of the Court, a local government agency.

Corey Harris said he spent two days in jail following the hearing (Honorable Judge Cedric Simpson via Storyful)
Corey Harris said he spent two days in jail following the hearing (Honorable Judge Cedric Simpson via Storyful)

According to 7 News Detroit, the Michigan secretary of state’s office said they never received a clearance from the Saginaw County Friend of the Court in 2022, hence Harris’ license was never reinstated.

Following the court hearing that went viral, Harris spent two days in jail after turning himself in, despite his knowledge that the license suspension should have been lifted over two years ago.

It is unclear why Harris’ case wasn’t resolved months ago by his public defender or Pittsfield Township’s prosecutor’s office.

After his court appearance, Harris told 7 News Detroit that he had driven to the doctor’s office to get his wife medical help, and that was his only concern at the time.

“What was I thinking? I was thinking about getting my wife medical help,” Harris told the news station.

“They were supposed to have lifted [the driving suspension] two years ago, but they didn’t... and with the type of ties that I have with the church and the community, it’s very embarrassing,” he said.

Harris’ driver’s license was originally suspended in 2010 for unpaid child support. An order for the ban to be rescinded was issued after he paid a fine.