Judge Cedric Simpson announced Wednesday that Corey Harris, who went viral for joining a virtual court hearing about his suspended license while driving, never had a driver’s license from any state.

Corey Harris, appearing in court again, wore a yellow shirt with “trust me” on it. The video of his May 15 hearing showed him driving during a Zoom session, sparking widespread attention. This latest hearing followed reports questioning whether Harris should have faced misdemeanor charges from an October 2023 traffic stop, given that his driving suspension was reportedly lifted in 2022.

However, Judge Simpson clarified that Harris’s suspension was never fully resolved. Angela Benander from the Michigan Department of State explained that Harris’s driving privileges were suspended in 2021 for not paying child support. Despite new laws lifting suspensions for such cases later that year, Harris did not complete the necessary steps to reinstate his driving privileges.

Simpson emphasized that Harris never held a license in Michigan or any other state. In Michigan, even without a license, a person can have a driving record reflecting suspensions. Benander noted that Harris would have been ineligible for a license while his record showed an unresolved suspension.

Harris failed to follow through with the Friend of the Court in 2022, which was required to lift the suspension from his record. He needed to pay a fine and submit a release form to the Secretary of State’s office, a step he neglected. As a result, the suspension remained on his record until he recently paid the reinstatement fee and submitted the necessary forms.

Judge Simpson pointed out that the Friends of the Court and the Secretary of State handled the case correctly. The fault lay with Harris, who did not take the required actions. Benander confirmed that Harris’s suspension was lifted on Monday after he completed the reinstatement process.

During the hearing, Simpson revealed that Harris had lied about being bedridden following an accident when asked why he hadn’t resolved the issue between October and May. Records showed Harris was renewing his Michigan state ID at the Secretary of State’s office during that time, proving he had never held a driver’s license since state law prohibits holding both a license and an ID simultaneously.

The court acknowledged that even if Harris’s driving privileges had been reinstated before the October traffic stop, he would still face charges for driving without a license, as he never had one. Harris is now working towards obtaining a proper driver’s license, with his permit test upcoming.