The Washtenaw County Court Case That Turned a Michigan Man into a Meme

Corey Harris, a man from Washtenaw County, found himself at the center of a viral sensation after attending a virtual court hearing for his suspended license case while driving. This unusual event not only captured the internet’s attention but also highlighted several unexpected turns in Harris’s legal journey.

The Incident

On May 15, Corey Harris joined a Zoom court hearing from his car, and the irony couldn’t have been more glaring. Here was a man facing charges for driving with a suspended license, actively driving while attending his hearing. Judge Cedric Simpson, who was overseeing the case, quickly caught on and questioned Harris about his actions.

As soon as the hearing started, Judge Simpson asked, “Are you driving right now?” Harris responded that he was just pulling into a doctor’s office and asked for a moment to park. Within about a minute, Harris stopped his car, but the oddity of the situation was already apparent.

Judge Simpson, after looking at the court documents, clarified with Harris’s public defender, Natalie Pate, that Harris was charged with driving on a suspended license.

The judge’s disbelief was evident as he pointed out the irony: Harris, accused of driving without a valid license, was caught driving again during his court hearing. Harris, clearly flustered, remained seated with his seatbelt fastened, while the courtroom fell silent for a few moments.

Judge Simpson then delivered his decision: “Defendant’s bond is revoked in this matter.” He ordered Harris to turn himself into the Washtenaw County Jail by 6 p.m. that evening. Failure to do so would result in a bench warrant with no bond. Harris complied and spent the next two days in jail.

Going Viral and Legal Complications

The video of Harris’s courtroom antics quickly spread across social media, making him an overnight meme. The situation drew widespread attention and led to further scrutiny of Harris’s driving privileges. Initially, some reports suggested that Harris’s license should have been reinstated earlier in the year but wasn’t due to a clerical error. However, this claim was soon clarified.

In a follow-up hearing on June 5, Judge Simpson explained that the issue wasn’t about reinstating Harris’s license because Harris had never had a valid Michigan driver’s license, or one from any other state. What had been suspended was his privilege to drive in Michigan.

During this hearing, Harris argued that he couldn’t resolve his license suspension because he was injured in a collision and couldn’t get to a Secretary of State office.

Judge Simpson rejected this excuse, pointing out that there was a record of Harris visiting a Secretary of State office in December to get a new Michigan ID. According to Michigan law, an ID can only be issued if a person’s license is suspended, revoked, or restricted, indicating that Harris was aware of his suspended status.

To complicate matters further, it was revealed that there was an outstanding bench warrant for Harris from a 2015 incident in Allen Park, where he was reportedly driving without a valid license. This led to Harris being sent back to jail.

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