(WWJ) A virtual courtroom incident serves as a reminder to that you shouldn't appear in court while driving.
A Metro Detroit-area woman is going viral after she did just that during a Zoom hearing this week in a Woodhaven courtroom concerning a financial matter. Woodhaven posts all court Zooms on YouTube.
The first issue is Michigan's hands-free law prohibits drivers from even touching their phone while behind the wheel.
The second is that woman lied to 33rd District Court Judge Michael McNally.
When he confronted her, she defended herself, claiming she was the passenger.
"You cannot be driving, ma'am. What are you doing? Come on," the judge said.
"I'm not driving. I'm a passenger in a car," the woman fibbed.
"I'm not hearing cases with people driving or as passengers in cars...Short of us coming out to everybody's house and doing these on boats and stuff in the summer, I don't know," the judge replied, clearly irritated.
McNally then noted what side of the car the woman appeared to be on; the position of the seat belt indicating that she was in fact in driver's seat.
Yet the woman, identified as Kimberly Carroll, stuck to her story.
"I'm sorry, I have an emergency. I'm going out of town for a family member, but I will have my driver pull over. I didn't know that I wasn't allowed to be in a car, but I'll have my driver pull over. One second."
"Am I crazy or does it not look like you're driving that car?" the judge replied.
When Judge McNally asked for proof she wasn't driving, Carroll said she needed to ask the driver for their permission to be on camera. That's when she got out and re-entered the passenger side.
Her camera was on the entire time.
"Do you think I'm that stupid?" McNally asked.
The hearing wrapped up when the judge entered the default ruling: Carroll paying back her debts, plus court fees.
