Michigan man driving during viral Zoom court hearing had license suspension lifted in 2022

A Michigan man who went viral after a judge noticed him driving while he attended a virtual Zoom court hearing with a "suspended license" is being vindicated by an apparent clerical error.

Corey Harris, 44, attended the virtual hearing May 15 for charges related to an October traffic stop in Pittsfield Township, Michigan. A clip from the hearing spread like wildfire across the internet last week, with many in disbelief that Harris would drive with a suspended license right in front of Judge Cedric Simpson.

After noticing what Harris was doing, Simpson revoked his bond and ordered him to turn himself in at the Washtenaw County Jail by 6 p.m. that day. What Simpson and no one in the courtroom apparently knew was that another judge had rescinded Harris' license suspension in January 2022, according to Saginaw County court records obtained by USA TODAY on Monday.

Here's what we know.

Why didn't court know Harris' license had been reinstated?

Harris' license had been suspended during a now-settled child support case with Saginaw County Friend of the Court before it was ordered reinstated, court records show.

The reason Simpson and no one in the courtroom knew about the reinstatement is because the Michigan Secretary of State's office never received a clearance from the Saginaw County Friend of the Court, reported WXYZ-TV, which was the first outlet to track down the clerical error in court records.

Without clearance, the lift on Harris' license never officially went into effect, according to the Detroit-based TV station.