Michigan man's viral court appearance reveals licensing error

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A Michigan man who went viral for bizarrely driving during a virtual court hearing about his suspended driving privileges actually never had a valid driver’s license to begin with, adding an unexpected twist to the already strange story.

Corey Harris, 44, made headlines last month when a judge caught him driving during a Zoom court appearance for a case involving suspended driving privileges.

The judge’s amused reaction and Harris’ stunned face quickly spawned memes and artistic renderings across social media.

“Mr. Harris, are you driving?” a seemingly amused Judge Cedric Simpson asks Harris on the May 15 video.

“Actually, I’m pulling into my doctor’s office actually, so just give me a second,” Harris responded.

The judge says in the video that the charge for which Harris was to appear was regarding driving with a suspended license and then orders Harris to turn himself in to the Washtenaw County jail that same day.

Harris’ stunned face quickly sparked memes across social media and artist renderings of him went viral.

Initially, reports stated Harris’ license suspension was simply a clerical error that should have been cleared over two years prior. However, the Michigan Department of State has now clarified that Harris never actually obtained a driver’s license in the first place.

While Harris had driving privileges at one point that were later suspended, he failed to take the proper steps to convert those privileges into an official driver’s license when he became eligible to reinstate them.

At a new hearing this week, the judge made clear Harris has never held a valid license. He was briefly taken into custody again before being bailed out by his wife the same day.

Harris’ attorney says he is now working towards getting his driver’s permit and properly registering to drive legally. Describing her client as a “lovable goofball,” she says Harris simply wants to follow the law going forward after this highly publicized ordeal.

So in an unexpected turn, what was initially portrayed as a mere licensing issue was in fact Harris having never obtained a valid driver’s license despite having driving privileges suspended, compounding the bizarre nature of his viral virtual court appearance behind the wheel.