According to court records, Harris had his license suspended due to a child support case with Saginaw County Friend of the Court, which has since been resolved. However, his license was eventually reinstated.
According to WXYZ-TV, the Saginaw County Friend of the Court failed to provide a clearance to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, which resulted in Simpson and the courtroom being unaware of the reinstatement. This clerical error in court records was discovered by WXYZ-TV, who was the first outlet to report on it.
When USA TODAY reached out to both the Michigan Secretary of State’s office and Simpson’s chambers for a response, none was provided. Unfortunately, the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office, responsible for representing Harris in the current case, was closed at the time of USA TODAY’s call.
‘I don’t even know why he would do that’
According to WXYZ-TV, Harris was on his way to take his wife to the doctor for a deteriorating medical condition when Simpson made his ruling.
In the video clip that has now gone viral, Simpson can be heard expressing her confusion and bewilderment regarding Harris’ actions with the words, “I don’t even know why he would do that.”
As Simpson ordered Harris to jail, his mouth hung open, taken aback by the suddenness of the decision.
‘It’s very embarrassing’
After the hearing, Harris complied with Simpson’s order and turned himself in, spending two days in jail. Even though he served the time, Harris revealed to WXYZ-TV that his license suspension was supposed to have ended two years ago, but for some reason, it did not.
Harris expressed his feelings of embarrassment regarding the entire situation.
According to Khyla Craine, the deputy legal director of the Michigan Secretary of State, the reinstatement process for a driver’s license can often be complex and challenging to navigate.
