Learner's permit next step for Michigan man in viral case

A Michigan man recently obtained his learner's permit following a long legal process.

Corey Harris, 44, initially went viral for appearing via Zoom while driving for a court hearing on a suspended license case on May 15. Then, Harris returned to court, where a judge announced he never had a driver's license.

Following the May 15 hearing, Judge Cedric Simpson ordered Harris turn himself into the Washtenaw County Jail, where Harris spent two days, USA Today reported.

The case took a turn when Saginaw County court records showed Harris' license suspension was ordered rescinded by a judge in the Saginaw County Friend of the Court in January 2022 after a child support case was settled.

However, Simpson and others in the courtroom didn't know about the suspension lift because the Michigan Secretary of State's office never received a clearance from the Saginaw County Friend of the Court two years ago, WXYZ-TV reported. The Michigan Secretary of State's Office told USA TODAY on June 5 that Harris did not follow the proper procedure to have his license suspension lifted.

Simpson announced at a June 5 hearing that Harris never had a driver's license, only a state ID and had a bench warrant out for his arrest, according to USA Today.

More: Michigan man with suspended license joins Zoom hearing while driving in viral video

"(Harris) has never had a license in the other 49 states and commonwealths that form up this great union," Simpson said during the hearing. "He has never had a license.”

Harris was arrested and returned to the Washtenaw County Jail after the June 5 hearing, as he had a bench warrant out for his arrest from a 2015 suspended license case, USA Today reported.

Simpson's announcement during the hearing left many surprised, even Harris' new attorney, Dionne Webster-Cox, who said she was "shocked," according to WXYZ-TV.

"It should be something of a lesson for all of us," Webster-Cox told the TV station. "Handle your business. At the end of the day, handle your business."

Harris got his learner's permit Friday at a Michigan Secretary of State's office, People reported.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan man gets learner's permit in viral case