PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit-area man whose May court appearance on a driving offense went viral when he appeared by video from behind the wheel was arrested Wednesday for the same violation years earlier in a different community.
The man was in a court near Ann Arbor for a follow-up hearing on a charge of driving with a suspended license when Judge J. Cedric Simpson said there was a 2015 warrant for his arrest in Allen Park, a Detroit suburb.
The man was taken to jail by a court officer.
“Wow. Was I shocked? Absolutely,” defense attorney Dionne Webster-Cox said outside court.
The man became an internet sensation last week when video surfaced of a May 15 appearance in Simpson’s court.
The man was accused of driving on a suspended license. He showed up by video, a common practice at the court, even after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m pulling into my doctor’s office. Just give me one second,” the man told the judge.
Simpson was astonished that a man with a suspended license was driving — during a court hearing. He revoked the man’s bond and ordered him to appear at the Washtenaw County jail that night. The man was held for two days.
The judge made clear Wednesday that the license suspension had never been lifted, knocking down news reports that suggested the man was a victim of government incompetence.
“He has never had a license — ever,” Simpson said.
The Michigan secretary of state, which issues licenses, said the judge was correct.
Webster-Cox said her goal is to get the court cases cleared up and get the man eligible to drive legally.
“I can’t do anything about the past. … At the end of the day, handle your business,” she said.
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