A Michigan man who recently went viral for allegedly driving with a suspended license during a virtual hearing on the matter should have had his license reinstated long beforehand, according to clerical records.
The latest update, as first reported by 7 News Detroit, highlights the kind of behind-the-scenes clerical issues that can carry significant implications for people down the line. Corey Harris, 44, ended up in jail through no fault of his own because of the error about his license.
Harris made news headlines and gained unflattering social media fame after a clip of his court session spread widely online.
During the 15 May virtual hearing, the presiding judge, Cedric Simpson, noticed that Harris was driving despite the hearing being about Harris’s suspended license.
“Mr Harris,” said Simpson. “Are you driving?”
“Actually, I’m pulling into my doctor’s office actually, so just give me a second,” Harris said, appearing to look for a parking spot.
Once Harris confirmed he was behind the wheel, Simpson ordered Harris to turn himself into the county jail that night for violating the law.
“I don’t even know why he would do that,” said Simpson, shaking his head in disbelief while Harris also had a stunned facial expression.
But according to Saginaw county court records viewed by 7 News, Harris’s driver’s license was supposed to have been reinstated in January 2022.
The Michigan secretary of state’s office reportedly never received clearance from Saginaw county’s Friend of the Court office to restore Harris’s driver’s license even though he had paid off all required fees.
As a result of the clerical error, Harris’s driver’s license was never officially reinstated, setting the stage for the notorious court hearing.
The Guardian could not reach a representative of the Michigan secretary of state’s office or Saginaw county’s Friend of the Court office.
While the initial video of Harris’s hearing inspired many humorous reactions online, the ordeal was no laughing matter for Harris.
After his arrest, Harris told 7 News Detroit in a 30 May interview that he was initially driving during the virtual hearing because he was “getting my wife medical help”. “I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I got a suspended license,” he added. “I don’t care about all that.”
Harris spent two days in jail and said the entire process was “embarrassing”. He also said that officials were “supposed to have … lifted [the suspension] two years ago, but they didn’t”.
