Michigan man who phoned into court for suspended license arrested for never having one in the first place
WXYZ-TV DetroitThe internet-famous man who phoned into his court hearing for a suspended license while driving has once again been arrested after authorities learned he’d never even had a driver’s license to begin with.
The saga of 44-year-old Michigan resident Corey Harris is taking over social media, with yet another twist leaving netizens’ jaws on the floor.
On May 15, 2024, Harris joined a Zoom call while driving to a doctor’s office for his court hearing regarding his suspended license. The incident went viral online, thanks to the judge’s stunned reaction and Harris’s subsequent realization of what he’d done.
However, it wasn’t long before viewers began saying they needed to “apologize” to Harris after it was found that a judge had ordered the suspension to be rescinded back in 2022 — something Harris said was “very embarrassing.”
After spending two days in jail, Harris attempted to resolve the issue with the Secretary of State, also revealing that he’d been driving his sick wife to the doctor during the time of his infamous hearing.
WXYZ-TV DetroitHarris wouldn’t have the internet’s sympathy for long, though. Mere days later, thanks to resurfaced records discovered by Washtenaw County Judge J. Cedric Simpson showed that Harris never even had a valid driver’s license to begin with.
On top of that, Harris also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest due to driving with a suspended license. Although he boasted a state-issued ID, which he renewed on a regular basis, he’d never been issued a driver’s license.
“Let me make it very clear, based on what the court looked at — [Harris] has never had a Michigan license. Ever,” Simpson said. “And he has never had a license in the other 49 states and commonwealths that form up this great union. He has never had a license.”
“He has religiously, every year, gotten a new ID. And so he knows that he doesn’t have a license,” Simpson continued. “And quite frankly, I wish he would have said this at the beginning, and all of this hoopla could have been put aside.”
Now, Harris is working toward getting his learner’s permit, and eventually his license, as told in a statement to the court by his lawyer, Dionne Webster-Cox.
“From this day forward, he is working diligently to take the steps necessary to get a driver’s license,” she said.