A Michiganman who became an internet hero for logging into a Zoom court appearance for a driving offense from behind the wheel never had a license in the first place.
The new development is the latest in the saga surrounding 44-year-old Corey Harris, after footage May 15 hearing for an October traffic stop gained ground online.
He was said to have a suspended license - leading Judge Cedric Simpson to express disbelief over his signing into such a hearing behind the wheel.
But now it's been revealed he wasn't driving on a suspended license - he never even had one.
At a heated hearing yesterday, he was jailed again.
The new development is the latest in the saga surrounding 44-year-old Corey Harris, after footage May 15 hearing for an October traffic stop gained ground on social media. He was jailed again Wednesday
He was said to have a suspended license - leading Judge Cedric Simpson to express disbelief over his signing into the hearing behind the wheel. Simpson, fresh off a deep dive into the driver's history, is seen during Harris's latest hearing on Wednesday
'He has never had a license, ever!' Simpson said Wednesday,looking to finally set the record straight in Harris's strange case.
'And [he[ has never had a license in any of the other 49 states or commonwealths that make up this country,' the jurist added, visibly fed-up.
He went on to explain how Harris had his driving privileges suspended, not his license, and also had a non-driving state ID.
In Michigan, you cannot have both a driver's license and another form of state ID - a point Simpson hit home as he came ready with receipts to disprove the driver.
'When they suspended his license…they don't suspend the license, they suspend the privilege to drive in the state,' he said, noting how the suspension technically still would have applied even if Harris obtained a license at some point after the fact.
'Hence, if he had a Kentucky license, he would have been allowed to drive anywhere that Kentucky allowed him to drive, he just couldn't drive in Michigan because his privileges have been restricted.
'He didn't have a license. Ever,' Simpson reiterated, after his court was subjected to some unfounded public embarrassment this past Monday.
Harris that day revealed the order to halt his nonexistent license was rescinded in January 2022, but word of it never reached him or the state.
It comes three weeks after Harris was caught driving with a suspended license - despite never having one in the first place. Judge Cedric Simpson, in turn, expressed disbelief over Harris signing into such a hearing behind the wheel. He ordered Harris report to jail, which he did
Bolstered by some reporting from 7 News Detroit that uncovered the error, Harris at that point promised to seek justice, while expressing embarrassment over the incident, claiming he was being wrongly lampooned by the greater public.
He asked it be rectified as soon as possible, before Simpson put him on blast Wednesday
There, the judge said Harris, who did not speak this time around, actually failed to take steps to get his driving privileges back.
'The reason I know that is because, Mr. Harris, on December 28, 2023 - do you know where you were?' the judge asks in footage of the hearing filmed by 7 Action News
'You were at the Secretary of State's office,' he sniped. 'You were at the Secretary of State's office because you re-did and you got your new Michigan ID.'
He added:'The way I know that he's never had a license is because - on May 3, 1999 he was 19 at the time - he applied for his first Michigan ID.
'He has religiously, every year, gotten a new ID. And so he knows that he doesn't have a license.'
Harris' attorney, in turn, argued her client was not responsible for the 'hoopla' surrounding the case, stating, 'Perhaps he made some comments but he didn't start the hoopla.'
Simpson, in turn, cited Harris' very public remarks during his TV interview - which he said did not help his case. Harris, meanwhile, looked on silently - wearing a bright yellow t-shirt bearing the words 'trust me.'
Simpson also cited Harris' very public remarks about the charges - which he said did not help his case. Harris, meanwhile, looked on silently - wearing a bright yellow t-shirt bearing the words 'trust me'
'The one thing I don't like is when people don't take responsibility for what they've done,' Simpson said, not buying the defendant's new defense
'The one thing I don't like is when people don't take responsibility for what they've done,' Simpson said, not buying the defendant's new defense.
'The person that needed to be blamed is the person that he was staring at in the mirror.'
'Just own it!' he went on to add, almost shouting at a point.
'Once you own it, it becomes a whole lot easier to move forward.'
Harris's attorney,Dionne E. Webster-Cox, shot back thather client was working to secure a license, and has paid the reinstatement fee following his suspension,
He's also scheduled a permit test this week, after spending two days in county jail in the wake of the other, more widely seen hearing on May 15.
'I just want him to have a license,' the judge snapped back, eventually revealing Harris had a warrant for driving with a suspended license nine years ago, and asking officers to take him into custody.
Webster-Cox, donning a bright green jacket, expressed shock over this - after which Simpson offered her some more harsh words.
“The shocking thing about it is, it’s for driving with his license suspended that he didn’t take care of,” he said, ordering him to be held until Thursday, unless police in Allen Park, where the offense took place, pick him up.
Harris - seen here in court Wednesday - is due back for another hearing on August 7. He will remain held until at least Thursday, at which point he will be allowed out on a $500 bond
'Mr. Harris, are you driving?' Simpson is heard asking during the hearing two weeks ago- which concluded with Harris' bail being revoked and Simpson ordering him to surrender to cops by 6 p.m.
Harris, in turn, replied that he is behind the wheel - to which Simpson expressed surprise.
'OK, so maybe I don't understand something,' the Ann Arbor jurist says, visibly incredulous.
'This is a driving-while-license-suspended [case]... And he was just driving, and he doesn't have a license.'
Harris, at this point, also appears surprised, and tells Simpson he had been pulling into a parking lot at a doctor's office for an appointment - later revealed to be for his wife.
However, the judge remained unconvinced, and ruled Harris should turn himself in and spend two days in the county lockup.
He reported to Washtenaw County Jail that day.
His next court appearance is slated for August 7.
