The Michigan man who was caught driving while attending a Zoom court hearing over his suspended license says he was mortified by the incident, yet he should not have been sent to jail over it.
In a recent interview with 7 News Detroit, Corey Harris admitted he was "very embarrassed" during the virtual May 15 hearing with Judge J. Cedric Simpson because he has strong ties with his local church and community in Ann Arbor.
While on the recorded Zoom call, Harris was seen driving to a doctor's office with his license suspended as a stunned Judge Simpson revoked his bond on the spot and ordered him to the Washtenaw County jail.
Last week, video of the court hearing went viral as Harris spent two days behind bars before getting released.
During his 7 News interview, Harris said he was thinking only about "getting my wife medical help" at the doctor's office. He added, "I wasn't thinking about the fact that I got a suspended license. I don't care about all that."
Harris also claimed his license should not have been suspended in the first place, blaming the error on Saginaw Friend of the Court. He said the court should have lifted the suspension two years ago.
According to 7 News, Harris' driving privileges were initially put on ice in 2010 over unpaid child support in Saginaw County.
In 2022, another judge reportedly lifted the suspension, reinstating Harris' driving privileges.
But, 7 News learned that those details were apparently never passed on to the Secretary of State's Office, which still listed Harris' license suspended as of late last week.
Judge Simpson allegedly went by the Secretary of State's records when he ordered Harris to jail. Harris told the news station he's trying to resolve the purported mix-up.