Driver who went viral for appearing at Zoom hearing for driving with suspended license went to jail over clerical error (video)

Corey Harris, 44, attended his virtual hearing on May 15 for charges related to an October traffic stop in Pittsfield Township, Michigan.

A Michigan man who went viral for attending a virtual court hearing while driving was sent to jail due to a clerical error, according to reports.

Corey Harris, 44, appeared via Zoom on May 15 for charges related to an October traffic stop in Pittsfield Township. Washtenaw County Judge J. Cedric Simpson was astonished to see Harris behind the wheel during the hearing. When questioned, Harris admitted he was driving, prompting Judge Simpson to revoke his bond and order him to turn himself in to the Washtenaw County Jail by 6 p.m. that day.

Judge Cedric Simpson sentenced Harris to jail time after he believed his license was suspended and he was driving.

The video of the hearing quickly went viral, drawing widespread disbelief that Harris would appear in court while driving. However, new details revealed that Harris had his license reinstated over two years ago, but a clerical error prevented it from showing in his file.

Harris’s driver’s license was initially suspended in 2010 for unpaid child support with the Saginaw County Friend of the Court. A judge rescinded the suspension in January 2022, but the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office never received the clearance notice. As a result, the suspension remained in effect.

Harris said he spent two days in jail following the hearing.

Harris spent two days in jail following the hearing and expressed concern that the incident could damage his reputation. "With the type of ties that I have with the church and the community, it’s very embarrassing,” he told WXYZ-TV.

In the viral video, Harris is seen pulling into a doctor’s office parking lot. He explained that he was focused on his wife’s worsening medical condition at the time. "What was I thinking? I was thinking about getting my wife medical help," Harris said. "I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I got a suspended license."

His driver's license was suspended in 2010 for unpaid child support with the Saginaw County Friend of the Court, but a judge rescinded the suspension in January 2022.

Since discovering the error, Harris has visited the Secretary of State’s office in hopes of resolving the issue. "Always double-check behind these workers because they will say that they will do something, and they don’t do it," he advised.

The error raises questions about why neither Harris's public defender nor the Pittsfield Township prosecutor’s office caught it earlier. Khyla Craine, deputy legal director for the Michigan Secretary of State, explained that driver’s license reinstatement can be complicated and sometimes requires clear communication between the court and the Secretary of State’s office.

"Sometimes it is as simple as the secretary of state’s office not getting a clearance from the court that everything was done," Craine said. "Something happened in the wires, and we needed to talk to the court to get the clearance and clean it up for the resident."