Driver From Viral Court Video Had Order To Suspend License Lifted Years Ago
A Michigan man being mocked for operating a vehicle during a virtual court hearing was actually allowed to have his driving privileges reinstated years ago.
Last month, a video of Corey Harris went viral when a judge witnessed him behind the wheel in a May 15 court appearance on Zoom regarding charges of driving on a suspended license.
Judge Cedric Simpson seemed baffled by Harris’ actions and swiftly revoked his bond, leading to Harris turning himself in.
But a report from 7 News Detroit revealed the order to halt his license was rescinded back in January 2022 and never forwarded to state authorities by the Saginaw County Friend of the Court, a local government agency. The report noted that it took “less than five minutes” to search Saginaw County court records and discover the order suspending Harris’ license was canceled nearly 2 1/2 years ago.
Harris was appearing in court remotely to challenge the misdemeanor case, which originated from a traffic stop in Pittsfield Township, just south of Ann Arbor, in October 2023 ― more than a year and a half after the order to suspend his license was lifted.
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.
The secretary of state’s office told the outlet that the court would have allowed Harris’ driving privileges to be restored after he paid several fees. As 7 News Detroit noted, it’s unclear why Harris’ case wasn’t resolved months ago by his public defender or Pittsfield Township’s prosecutor’s office.
In the 2023 stop that sparked the charges, Harris said he was driving his wife to the doctor because she was in need of medical assistance.
His license was initially suspended in 2010 in relation to a child support case.
