Don’t do illegal shit, but especially don’t do it when you’re calling in to talk to a judge about the last time you were accused of doing illegal shit. Earlier this month a Washtenaw County, Michigan man was ordered to appear before the court on a video conference for driving on a suspended license. Corey Harris called in to his court date from the driver’s seat of his car, while driving. With a suspended license. It is illegal in Michigan (and many other states) to hold your cell phone while driving, which Mr. Harris also accomplishes.
As soon as the call is picked up by the court, the Judge sees the scene laid out before him and asks the defendant, “Are you driving?” Mr. Harris, clearly not understanding the gravity of the situation, replies nonchalantly, “Actually, I’m pulling into my doctor’s office, so just give me one second.”
This is just purely astonishing behavior. Watch it play out below.
“OK, so maybe I don’t understand something. This is a driving while license suspended, and he was just driving, and he didn’t have a license,” Judge Simpson said.
There is only one response the public defender could possibly give, “That is correct your honor.”
Public defenders don’t get enough credit. Representing people who otherwise could not afford to hire an attorney is a noble cause, and is often a thankless profession. Natalie Tate, the incredibly patient and visibly flabbergasted public defender representing Mr. Harris requests an adjournment of the case, despite knowing he had just driven the final nail in his own coffin, legally speaking. The judge immediately revoked Mr. Harris’ bond, requiring him to report to the county jail later the same day.
If Mr. Harris had waited until he arrived at the doctor’s office, or gotten a ride, or changed the appointment so he didn’t have a court date and a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the same time, he wouldn’t be in this mess. Or if he hadn’t gotten his license suspended in the first place, of course.
Public transit could have fixed all of these problems.