Currently going viral is a video showing a Michigan man caught driving during his court Zoom call after his license was suspended, but it’s not the first time the judge who oversaw the proceeding has had to deal with some silly defendants.
Washtenaw County District Court Judge Cedric Simpson looked utterly perplexed after meeting defendant Corey Harris, whose record showed his license was suspended. Yet, Harris dialed into his virtual court hearing from behind the wheel anyway.
But this kind of interaction isn’t new for Simpson.
Last June, he presided over another virtual court hearing that also went viral. That proceeding involved Anthony Lane, who met with Simpson to waive his probable cause hearing after being charged with drug possession.
At one point, Simpson addressed the prosecutor, who revealed Lane was seen in the Zoom waiting room rolling a blunt.
Video showed Lane rolling what appears to be a blunt in plain view of an attorney and another defendant awaiting their court meetings in that same waiting room. He was seen smoking in other court Zoom calls while the judge was meeting other defendants. Court staff then notified the prosecutor in Lane’s case.
Once the prosecutor told the judge about Lane’s actions, Simpson changed course and ordered Lane to go to an official corrections facility for drug testing that day. Lane never made it, and his bond was revoked.
Although recreational use of marijuana is legal in Michigan, Lane’s bond agreement prohibited him from partaking.
However, while Simpson attempted to move to the next docket, Lane remained on the call and bursted out laughing.
“You keep laughing, Mr. Lane,” the judge says. “I don’t think you want to do that with me. You better take yourself off before you think things are too funny.”
The other bizarre hearing with the suspended license driver took place two weeks ago, and clips went viral online this week.
During the virtual hearing with Harris, Simpson asked him if he was driving. Harris confirmed to the judge that he was pulling into the parking lot of his doctor’s office.
“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,” Simpson said out loud to all the Zoom participants as Harris began to make sense of what he had done.
All Harris could do was sit in his driver’s seat, dumbstruck by the realization of his actions, while Judge Simpson revoked his bond.
“Oh my God,” Harris said.
People praised Simpson on both occasions for maintaining poise and patience.
“I legit feel for the judge, he’s popped up in so many videos and seems composed and fair given the sheer stupidity in front of him,” one person wrote in a Reddit thread.
“The judge deserves his own TV show. Seems to be a pretty no-nonsense guy,” another person commented.
