Michigan man who drove during Zoom court hearing will have his license revoked in 2022

(NewsNation) – A Michigan man who attended a court hearing via Zoom despite allegedly having a suspended driver’s license was jailed due to an apparent clerical error.

Corey Harris participated in a virtual hearing on charges related to a traffic stop last year on May 15 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In video footage, Judge Cedric Simpson appeared speechless that Harris appeared before him behind the wheel of a vehicle despite having a suspended license.

Harris’ bail was revoked and he was ordered to surrender at the Washtenaw County Jail.

Harris’ driver’s license was revoked in 2010 over a now-settled child support dispute, USA Today reported. However, a judge lifted the revocation in January 2022, WXYZ-TV reported, but the order was never sent to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.

Harris said he subsequently spent two days in jail after turning himself in following the hearing.

A video of the incident went viral on social media and Harris fears it could damage his reputation.

“Given the nature of my ties to the church and the community, this is very embarrassing,” Harris told WXYZ.

In the video, Harris told Simpson that he had pulled into the parking lot of a doctor’s office.

“What was I thinking? I was thinking about getting medical help for my wife. That was all I was thinking about. I wasn’t thinking about my license being suspended. I don’t care about any of that,” Harris told the news station.

Meanwhile, Khyla Craine, deputy legal director for the Michigan Secretary of State, told WXYZ that the process of regaining a driver’s license can be complicated.

“Sometimes it’s as simple as that: We in the Secretary of State’s office didn’t get approval from the court that everything was done, but something happened with the lines and we had to talk to the court to get approval and get the matter cleared up for the residents,” Craine said.

NewsNation affiliate KTLA contributed to this report.