Was the Coverage of the ‘Michigan Zoom Driving Court Guy’ Unfair?

[@HamzaSayyid]

New twist just posted by Fox 2 Detroit, the gentleman NEVER has had a license in his entire life in any state!!

[@mikekeenanphd]

Correct. He had his "license" suspended for not paying child support. But, that is just a procedure to ensure he couldn't apply for one. Then, when he paid the child support, the non-existent license was un-suspended. So, maybe he deluded himself into thinking he was good to go. Steve can't pay for the re-instatement unfortunately.

[@jdmather5755]

Looks like Steve should record an update to his update to update video. Wonder if Steve has ever had a single topic with more videos. Maybe the guy was traveling as permitted by the US Constitution.

[@jefflucas7960]

he literally never had a Michigan license. He only had a state id card. Technically his “driving privileges”were revoked for Michigan- meaning even if he had a license from another state, he was not allowed to drive in Michigan. However, he did not have a license issued from any state.

[@Vykk_Draygo]

@@mikekeenanphd Considering that he told the police officer that he knew he didn't have a valid license, I doubt it. Additionally, he was remanded to be picked up for a warrant out of another court for driving while suspended. Dude knew, he just lied.

[@mikekeenanphd]

​@@Vykk_Draygo OK, thanks. I didn't know that.

[@gregmurdoch3264]

I live in Ontario, Canada. One day at work I had to get some papers renewed, so I show up at the government office, hand them my driver's license, and get told: “This license is suspended.” Before that point, no idea my license had been suspended. I go to the other government office to figure out what happened, and there's a fairly large fine on my account, several hundred dollars. I asked the lady who was helping me, who suspended my license, and when, but she didn't know. After some time talking with others, she comes back and has no answer. I pay to reinstate my license, then ask for the paper work that I should have been sent explaining it was suspended. There was no notice sent to me, because the records on the system were incomplete. This meant my license was suspended, no one told me, no one knew why, and no one who did it. Anyway, forward 6 months, the exact same thing happens, so this time I'm paying to get my license back, and an officer's name is on the record. They called him, and it turns out my license was never meant to be suspended, he ticketed someone else for speeding, twice, and my license got flagged in error. The outcome? No money back, no apology, no admission of guilt, but at least my license hasn't been suspended a third time. For the record, I do check it usually once per month.

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

How does your license keep getting flagged in error? Really similar to the guy who keeps getting ticketed?

[@gregmurdoch3264]

@@DKNguyen3.1415 They never gave me an answer, I kept asking, but they just kept saying: (Paraphrased): “It was flagged in error” Eventually I gave up, because it didn't happen again, and it wasn't worth my time.

[@philipreasons3298]

I would be sending a complaint to provincial authorities. ( no I am not Canadian, but I have heard It may get the ball rolling if it has happened to others also also)

[@xlerb2286]

My wife went in to get her license renewed years ago and was told it had been suspended. A lot of back and forth and them calling my wife all sorts of names and it turns out the clerk had transposed two digits when they typed in the drivers license number. My wife's license was perfectly fine. Not a single word of apology of course.

[@nathanbopp6163]

Accidentally steal from the cop like he did to you

[@chet2195]

"He didn't pay child support? Let's take away his license so it's even harder for him to earn a paycheck to pay his child support." Sound logic from the government as always.

[@FortuneZer0]

Its about enslaving you.

[@russellsmejkal304]

Yah is man have been fighting that for years. Because women don’t lose anything if they do the same crap

[@tduck828]

Pay what you are ordered...simple.

[@tylerbuckley4661]

Not really there us something called a bus its cheap and yet he drove illegally

[@reneejones6330]

That "logic" comes from the "conservatives" not necessarily the government. I bet you supported that "logic" with your vote.

[@mariannorton4161]

The only thing anyone needs to note is the fact that what were outstanding media outlets, the NYT, WSJ, WP etc. did not do their jobs, at all. They pushed a story, as they always do now, that was not verified on any level. They are trash. Sadly, they still have some level of credibility so people listen. You are as pragmatic and thoughtful a person as I watch. I would never doubt your integrity or effort to get it right. If someone said anything bad about you they better have video. Now, having a degree in journalism myself let me throw this out there. It's a shi* story that means nothing but if he was dealing with an emergency then why was that not the focus of the story? Whoever wrote this had a choice - human interest or "oh my god", drama story. It will play out from there. No accident, no injuries, no nothing. We have far bigger fish to fry. Thank you as always for a great channel. We have all learned a great deal.

[@Boondoggle_Mollywop]

It's important to remember that this guy couldn't have had a misleading physical license. His license was suspended longer (12ish years) than Michigan driver's license expirations (4 years).

[@zeta319]

Agree, how do you go that long without trying to fix the issue. You need a valid DL\ID for a job or anything important. Even if it might be a error in the government, it is still what the state has to go by like Steve says. It sucks, but it's up to us to follow through, or get a great lawyer to do it.

[@AAFREAK]

​@@zeta319the "reinstatement" was only available 2 years ago.

[@rdbuckels]

This was the question I had. Here in WV, you have to renew your license every 5 years. And they work it out so that 5 year mark hits on you 5th and 10th years old. Meaning, if you get your license at 16, it will need renewing at 20, 25, 30...etc. if, like me, you move here and get your WV license when you are 49 they will make it renewable on your 55th birthday.

[@TainterRacing]

I'm from the state of Michigan and I thought the exact same thing something seems off

[@TainterRacing]

If your license is suspended he would not have had any new ones given to them after the suspension

[@erictaylor5462]

Imagine doing zoom court answering charges for murder and you zoom from your kill room covered in blood with body parts visible behind you.

[@Bob-Lob-Law]

He says he’s not a cat but I know what I saw with my own eyes

[@SayAhh]

I understood that reference

[@MeRiaNevaMynd]

💜 🐱 💜

[@Cakebattered]

Thats actually a brilliant anaolgy.

[@karenneill9109]

Yeah.

[@KNByam]

​@SayAhh I understood your reference to his reference.

[@slashrjl]

He *never* has had a license. Ever. He has only ever had a Michigan State ID (that you can only get if you do not have a driving license) His right to *drive* was suspended IF he had had a license, but he has never had a license, regardless of driving privileges being restored.

[@Caseytify]

Judge Simpson followed up on this. It turns out that the fellow never _had_ a license in the first place. The judge carefully followed the paperwork, and apparently the defendant got a state ID every year. He's never had a license, suspended or any other way.

[@gavinc.6357]

This reminds me of when I worked for the DMV, and I spoke to someone on the phone about how he can reapply for a Driver License after his license was revoked by the state. I could clearly hear him driving while he was talking to me. I also heard him stop, and heard a woman say to him "hey, thanks for the ride", and he replied "no problem". Some people are really that defiant.

[@hime273]

Sure you did.. Cool Story, Bro.

[@skillethead15]

People have no choice but to drive. Blame the US who decided to make so many US cities that require you to drive vs walk. Not to mention how much it costs to live in the city so many people live on the outskirts. Just because the court says “no license” doesn’t mean we are supposed to sit around and lose our jobs, miss doctors appointments and become homeless. I’m going to continue driving, I have no choice.

[@dknowles60]

@@skillethead15 there is ok Public Transportion in that area

[@zulusmith]

Really that dumb, you mean

[@karlrovey]

Apparently, he had brought the paperwork to the Secretary of State's Office, but the Secretary of State's Office was waiting on the Friend of the Court to withdraw their filing.

[@YoungGirlz8463]

sociopaths

[@CASE_of_ÆrTh]

At the very least, he should be able to sue for defamation, as he did not consent to the public figure doctrine simply as a result of being in Zoom Court. If the news stations had done even a "4-chan hour" worth of digging... In all honesty, representatives should meet with the man and start offering help with his community. He seems like a great guy to have as a friend. Skip the boring legal BS, and start living life again.

[@karlrovey]

@@CASE_of_ÆrTh Except the reporting is true. Even though his license should have been reinstated, it was technically suspended due to a failure by Saginaw County.

[@AAFREAK]

@@CASE_of_ÆrTh it was a public proceeding. There's no defamation.

[@Cakebattered]

Was that really enough to make a victim out to be a villian?

[@m.l.a.o.]

There’s big money in making mountains out of mole hills.

[@OSGCourtWatch]

BIG developments in this case today! i put up the whole 27 min hearing, story wasnt as told...but the record is straight now..lol

[@dannylgriffin]

Yep, dude has never had a license in his entire life!

[@hawhite2000]

The secretary of state was cagey with their response which said to me they were at fault. If he hadn't paid the fee they would've certainly hung their hat on that to shift the responsibility back to the man in question.

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

So you're assuming because they didn't mention that it's their wrong doing? I would think if he HAD taken care of the paperwork he'd have raised that argument at some point. But that's also just an assumption.

[@kycatfishguy671]

A government entity admitting to making a mistake? No way! Matter of fact let's double down and say that even if we do make a mistake, which we don't because you should have made sure that we didn't make a mistake and therefore it's your fault for assuming that we are competent in doing our job. But in all honesty I definitely judged that man when I first saw the video. This is the first I'm seeing that his license weren't suspended and that it was a clerical error and not his incompetence and complete disregard and disrespect to our laws, to the court and to the judge who ridiculed and embarrassed this man. Then the media running those views up telling the world how dumb he is to actually be driving on suspended license while in court with the judge! And I do have to disagree with Steve on one thing. While the secretary of state and clerks office is a separate branch from the judicial, implying that it's not something that could easily be checked upon or that because they are separate entities that gives a justifiable excuse to him being reprimanded by the judge to turn himself in to the jail and revoking his bond. If anything it shows the incompetence of the courts and makes me wonder how many times this happens to people, not the driving while on zoom call with the courts but clerical mistakes causing people to be put in jail, leading to possible loss of employment. Vehicles towed/impounded from the clerical errors showing someone pulled over has a suspended license while not actually suspended and with so many people living paycheck to paycheck quite possibly ruining people's lives. But if you are a judge, police officer, some type of government official and you break the law by violating someone's rights do something wrong you don't have to worry about any repercussions because of qualified immunity and the burden to compensate for said actions doesn't come from their pockets but the money from the tax paying citizens. I'm quite sure there would be far less mistakes if there were consequences for said mistakes just like literally every other single person who is employed and has consequences for doing something wrong or making mistakes at work

[@dknowles60]

@@kycatfishguy671 the Man made the Mistake in the End

[@tylerbuckley4661]

Personally that guy could have been lying after the fact that the whole world knows about it but he be telling the truth until evidence is shown I am not convinced

[@stupidburp]

He claimed that he submitted the paperwork and paid the fee. The secretary of state didn’t deny this but didn’t confirm it either.

[@stepheneddington1667]

Even if the man was innocent of the original charges, or they had been taken care of but hadn't made it through the systems, it was still very poor judgement to zoom in while driving. The only fake news I see here, is the journalists claiming it's a fake story trying to get click bait for their story by attacking everyone else.

[@Revkor]

yes considering that the reason he was in court was for driving without a liscence.

[@jeremykothe2847]

yeah you have to wonder how urgent the medical issue he was at the hospital for was

[@DistrustHumanz]

The video I watched had him not replying to the judge to begin the meeting until he was fully parked at the hospital.

[@jeremykothe2847]

@@DistrustHumanz I definitely saw him saying he was parking and to wait please.

[@LainK1978]

@@jeremykothe2847 Which is him demonstrating that he is a responsible driver.

[@phlogiston21]

Back in 2002 while in college i made some bad decisions while driving and got my driver's license suspended technically twice from the same incident, but they were supposed to be running concurrently. When the year ended, and i'd paid the reinstating fees, I got my license back and was really excited. Excited until a week later when i got a letter saying they were suspending my license again for the next year and there would be new reinstating fees and everything else i'd just completed.... Made a bunch of calls to the court in Charlotte, MI and tracked down the actual woman who fucked up while filing my initial paperwork. Then came the fun part.... they were powerless to fix the situation. She did say sorry which is when i hung up before the end of the sentence she was speaking. I find out that i need to hire a lawyer to fix this problem, so i go back to the same law firm. Two, five minute calls and $1000 bill from the lawyer later, it got straightened out. Why the courts could only fix it this way still makes zero sense. A fucking extra $1000 that i totally had as a college student because of a good damn clerical error that for some reason the courts just couldn't fix on their own. Stay out of Charlotte, MI. It's just a dirty little hick town that should be leveled.

[@shawn4888]

The latest update was that he never had a license in the first place, and you were right he didn't pay reinstatement fee to remove suspension from child support issue, but as stated it wouldn't matter since he never had a license.

[@scootermagee6680]

What made it go viral was the man’s face and reaction during the entire zoom hearing.

[@jefflewis4]

True.

[@karenneill9109]

Yes. And what was he doing DRIVING on a zoom court call? You’re not even supposed to be on the phone unless it’s hands free.

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

"Duh.... Oh"

[@gorak9000]

@@karenneill9109 But he wasn't on the phone, he was on zoom. And it was a court matter, so it trumps the law /s

[@karenneill9109]

@@gorak9000 🤣

[@stevepolek4226]

That story seemed to be in all media outlets. It seemed to me to be unfair coverage. I had a similar situation where my wallet was stolen on a Friday at 5PM and I got caught up in a DUI checkpoint on Saturday night. I went to court thinking my stolen wallet would be an acceptable excuse for driving without my license. It did not go over well with the judge who found me guilty and told me I needed to stop driving once I knew i did not posess my license and not drive until I went to the DMV and obtained another. **Side story** I was so pissed, I was venting in the hallway at the payment window about how the judge was a $*#&. He happened to have finished court and was right there. He threatened me with contempt of court. I said "What court? This hallway isn't your courtroom and you certainly are a $*#&." He walked off knowing he was wrong.

[@andycivil]

I agree: if your wallet is stolen, having the law say "you can't drive now" is adding insult to injury. If they can look up records and determine that someone's licence is suspended, they should also be able to look you up and see that you have permission to drive.

[@patrickday4206]

Hahaha yeah that judge was a piece of work

[@SirIdot]

Seems like an antiquated system. In my country you just need some way to identify yourself, then the cop can just look up the status of your license, your registration and insurance on the computer in his squad car. In fact many squad cars now automatically and continuously look up the insurance status and other info of all cars around it by reading the license plates with cameras and it alerts the cops if there are any violations.

[@ninjalectualx]

In America, cops will only do work to bust you, never to help you out

[@mr.kettle5189]

@@SirIdot US cops (for the most part) can look all this up and obtain all the necessary information, including a photo they can use for comparison to who they are talking to, or use the radio strapped to their uniform to ask the dispatchers. The question is, will they and not give you a hard time?

[@calvinthedestroyer]

These, light hearted stories are way better than regular "scare tactic" news stories. Rip Grumpy Cat.

[@peterkottke2570]

I once heard from someone that went to a Michigan jail for a few weeks that half the people were there for driving on a suspended license. In this state it is incredibly hard and expensive to get your license back and a lot of people just stop trying. Unless you have a strong support system you don't have much choice but to drive. There was even a news story years ago about how they set up a sting operation to get people who drove to their probation meetings on suspended licenses. ( Michigan often likes to put their probation offices out in the boonies with no public transportation access ) I believe they had to stop because they were getting too many people and it was raising entrapment concerns.

[@cornlips7247]

So don't do things that cause your license to get suspended. This is typical crying about being held accountable for your own actions.

[@dknowles60]

you know there is a reason a lot of people are moving out of Michigan

[@heroslippy6666]

@@cornlips7247 Being held accountable for your own actions is different from entrapment. "Oh you made a mistake when you are guess that means your life is over now, and that the government will do everything in its power to hinder you for the rest of your life beyond your original sentencing"

[@cornlips7247]

@@heroslippy6666 please define entrapment and how it fits this situation at all...

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

They don't have Uber in Michigan? Busses? Bicycles? Feet? I haven't had a license or a car in 20 years. I get around just fine.

[@johnsciara9418]

He NEVER had a Michigan drivers license. He did have a Michigan State ID, and on December 28th, 2023 he went to the Secretary of State office to renew his State ID. He claimed earlier that he couldn't get to the Secretary of State office for being laid up from an accident. He was also arrested again because of a bench warrant in another county.

[@user-no1cares]

Ben’s zooming around on the hood of the Viper.

[@gorak9000]

Is his license revoked? Was he zooming into court?

[@radiocameron]

He wasn't driving, he was traveling. LOL!

[@G.Harley.Davidson]

Reminiscent of the guy that showed up to the court appearance in the same shirt as the guy on camera robbing a gas station.

[@pureoxin8135]

Still really dumb to be driving during a COURT zoom meeting

[@deathminder9206]

Exactly. His was defending his liscencse and he had the bright idea to zoom while driving.

[@DistrustHumanz]

1. He was not driving. In fact, he held off replying to the judge until he was fully praked at the hospital. 2. He was having a medical episode that was getig worse, hence his going to the hospital.

[@DVSProductions]

@DistrustHumanz Everything you said is wrong.

[@scottmcshannon6821]

that was really really stupid and dangerous, if i was the judge i would have suspended his license right then and there.

[@tigers7834]

Judge asked was he driving. He said I'm just pulling into my doctors office and parking. He never said he had a medical emergency or his wife had an emergency

[@waldo1967]

Empathy is in short supply in today's society. It's as if we're all guilty until proven innocent anymore.

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

What country do you live in? That's how it's always been. If it was really innocent until proven guilty they wouldn't put you in jail.

[@cat4444-n4k]

My mother once received a parking violation ticket from Victoria, but hadn't been in Victoria for some time. She was kind of freaking out as to what to do with the ticket and asked me if she should just pay it. I looked at the ticket and noted that the plate number was one digit off her plate number (ticketed plate ended with 738 and her plate was 739). I told her not to pay it under any circumstances and to send it back to Victoria parking enforcement with a note telling them to send it to the right vehicle owner. She did and never heard from them again. My father also got a parking violation ticket for having an expired licence plate on a vehicle (also from Victoria) some years later for a car that he had sold several months earlier. He was freaking out because he couldn't find the paperwork signed by the purchaser I told him where he had put it, but he said he had already looked there. I checked and found the paperwork where it was supposed to be. He provided a copy to Victoria parking enforcement and the ticket went away. He also said he had learned his lesson to NEVER leave an expired licence plate on a vehicle when it is sold. Turns out the purchaser never registered the transfer and simply drove around using the expired plates. Also, BUT, STEVE . . . Grumpy Cat was female and had feline dwarfism, and, I think, some other genetic problems. Her real name was Tardar Sauce.

[@marnold624]

Side note, I have a friend I served with in the USAF from Nimrod, Mn. What makes Nimrod so special, its population at that time at least was 46. Mostly his family.

[@camkelly7785]

Excellent video Mr. Steve! My favorite part was the pause, then pointing to Heaven before speaking the holy name of 'Secretary of State's Office'..😂.. 10:42 ..One must confess and be clean before entering the holy of hollies....😂

[@gahzicoh1622]

What is accountability? Who needs something as silly as that?

[@dknowles60]

in Michigan there is no Accountability for any one in state Gov

[@SmallJack86]

Accountability is for slaves

[@LainK1978]

The Secretary of State screwed up, the guy did everything he was supposed to do and was capable of doing. He also had a valid driver's license.

[@nothing4mepls973]

Bleeding hearts defending a criminal as usual again, egg on face, no retraction no apology.

[@davidchristensen6908]

Yes this was ok. It shows how bad decisions can affect your life. No one said this was news only the news station made it news. I watch hearings in judge Simpson almost everyday.

[@DankDragon62]

Love judge Simpson 🎉

[@ruspj]

in the UK they clamping down so hard on using a phone while driving that being dumb enough to attend court over the phone like this while driving (about something not driving related) would likely result in a driving ban and hit the national news.

[@terripebsworth9623]

Well, his wife was awfully quiet in the passenger's seat. He did say he was "taking her to the doctor," not picking her up, and he had just arrived at/"pulled into" the doctor's office. And if she was having a "medical emergency," shouldn't he have been pulling up to an emergency room entrance at a hospital or at the very least wouldn't his wife been exiting the car quickly and making a beeline for the door of her doctor's office as soon as the car came to a stop . . . as opposed to sitting VERY quietly in the passenger's seat during a zoom call?? And that guy didn't seem like he was in a particular rush to get anywhere, like the doctor's office for emergency treatment. I don't buy the guy's story. And true, a driver's license in Michigan is only valid for 4 years, so he needed to do more than just pay a fee the the Sec of State's office to be driving legally with a valid driver's license. And yep, I watched and shared the video. Horrible as it may be, many find comic relief in the moronic things people do. It was funny, especially that Homer Simpson expression at the end of the video. 😆 I make no apology for laughing at his utter idiocracy.

[@greenflagracing7067]

if my wife needed medical attention that urgently, the last thing I'm doing is a court call.

[@B.L.S.]

Whether his license was actually suspended or whether it wasn't, he still should NOT have been actively driving while on the court Zoom call.

[@mikearringtonbf52]

I mean technically he was in a parking lot right? Private property

[@B.L.S.]

@@mikearringtonbf52 Doesn't quite work that way. A doctor's office is a parking lot regarded as accessible to the public, notably for public business. The private property exemptions don't apply in this case.

[@mikearringtonbf52]

@B.L.S. I get that but we don't know all facts. I was playing devil's advocate for someone getting blasted out here because the attention deficit world thinks his pain and misfortune is funny. Eff that

[@gorak9000]

But how do you zoom if you're not driving? You just going to sit there and make "vroom vroom" noises? Or are you going to pretend to be 4 years old and "drive a big truck" like a certain felon we all know...

[@TheHipisterDeer]

​@@mikearringtonbf52it doesn't matter, he isn't supposed to be in his car behind the wheel period under a suspended license.

[@catnvol]

Many Libertarians don't believe the government should issue drivers licenses. We know the guy who wrote the article is a Libertarian since it was in Reason so I am guessing he is writing from a viewpoint that states should not have the authority to issue licenses in the first place. As Steve mentions, there are lots of layers to this story. I am sure many stories floating around have been unbalanced but it remains newsworthy regardless. I suspect many, unlike Steve's, were very biased based on writers' viewpoint bias and at the top of the list is the Reason article.

[@lifestream4191]

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is to stay as far away from the law as possible.

[@robertmooberry725]

Or obey it and even then don't answer questions that you legally can decline to answer.

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

No, the most important thing to remember is to not give the law a reason to know you exist. And definitely don't break the law while you're on trial for breaking that same law. Also, have your excuse ready, don't just sit there with a stupid look on your face and say, "Oh..."

[@justsayen2024]

No truer words were ever spoken

[@110311DONTWANTCHANNE]

absolutely not, it doesn't matter if the original suspension was not fair. only an IDIOT would get on a zoom call with a judge while driving on a suspended license. it indicates the type of irresponsible person is..the same irresponsibility that caused him to lose his license. if there is a medical emergency, you call the court and let them no. If its not an emergency. You don't drive to a doctors office when you are scheduled for court! Doesn't matter that it is a clerical error....the FACT is he has a court hearing for a SUSPENDED LICENSE..so obviously the court believes he is not supposed to be driving.....and you don't drive on camera with the judge!

[@DustinEvans1966]

I met that cat on a Alaska trip. The town was called Talkeetna. The cat would hang around the general store. I think the original cat Stubb's died. Maybe they got another cat now.

[@jackwickman2403]

Idyllwild California has a dog for their mayor. No cat ran in the election.

[@roxcyn]

One of the comments of Twitter really resonated with me: he should have said one moment, got out of the car and sat down on a bench.

[@dansanger5340]

Seems like the guy at Reason might have gotten his facts wrong. Since he's wagging his finger at media outlets for not issuing retractions, I wonder if he is going to issue a retraction when all the facts come in, if warranted. And, not one of those "I may have gotten a few details wrong, but..." retractions, but a straightforward retraction and apology without editorial comment.

[@dannylgriffin]

The guy has never had a license in his entire life. That's the true story. It just came out.

[@eriktorget192]

This story still has problems. IF his case was resolved previously by the court, then why is he having a hearing? And another thing I see everyone reporting this skips over is what the public defender is saying in the video about this case. This story just doesn't add up.

[@pipbernadotte6707]

Fake news is anything you're not supposed to notice. Kinda like pretending Santa is real for the sake of little kids.

[@DoomPigeon]

Or like an Adult trusting A Government or Corporation to do no wrong. Or thinking Politicians care about their citizens.

[@TomsBackyardWorkshop]

Or anything you don't agree with.

[@sped6954]

Wait a minute here... Do you actually mean to stand there, or sit there as it were, and try to tell me that Santa isn't real???

[@678rwhp]

Fake news is a rallying call for idiots who let Fox News give them their opinion.

[@raygunsforronnie847]

@@sped6954 But... Santa lives within us! His jolly spirit, etc etc etc...

[@redcarbon4395]

I think the real news is the court appointed attorney, hired with tax monies, to defend someone with a suspended license, caught driving live, and using a cell phone while driving. So the cycle will continue to the next court appointed lawyer to defend the newest charges.

[@charleschilders2041]

He knew he was suspended you could tell by his reaction. It was not news because he was suspended and did not know it. The oddity was he was driving while the court hearing was for driving suspended.

[@LainK1978]

No, he knew that the State was incompetent and had not removed the flag on his license stating that it was suspended.

[@blackdog842001]

I love watching your videos. I am waiting for an update after yesterday court hearing. This driver never had a license and lied to the public

[@vontar1]

regardless, he should not have been driving and on zoom at the same time.

[@HospitalLocksmith]

he was driving for less than a minute from my watching..

[@peanutbutterygoodness8455]

@@HospitalLocksmith Distracted Driving can lead to a lot of damage in less than a minute.

[@SpoonHurler]

​@@HospitalLocksmith right and it takes 61 seconds to get into an accident, everybody knows that

[@Dj.MODÆO]

He was parking and was hands free….totally legal. Some people just don’t want to admit they were wrong

[@DarkPesco]

You are correct...what reasons might these people have in this case to side against the truth?

[@maximilian1640]

Thanks for being a source that actually knows what he's talking about. BIG difference!

[@JonnyBoy07a]

Should he have had to go through all this since his license wasn't supposed to be still suspended, no I don't think so. That said, if you are going to a hearing about driving on a suspended license, even if it's not supposed to be, you don't zoom into the hearing while driving. It's that simple. Do it from another location and none of this would've happened and they probably could've resolved it then or explained to him how to take care of it and none of what happened would have happened.

[@dannylgriffin]

He didn't have a license. He's never had a license his entire life!

[@burkeiowa]

I like the good balance and detail in this video, as usual. The only thing that would have made it more interesting would be if Steve had recorded it in his car in a parking lot. :)

[@Dj.MODÆO]

The man’s license was reinstated in 2022 but someone didn’t do their job properly and his license still showed as suspended for an additional two years.

[@reubensandwich9249]

Steve went over this multiple times, which Steve practices law in Michigan. Harris is responsible to apply for the reinstatement. What if he's no longer medically qualified, other outstanding cases, ect. They check that when Harris applies for reinstatement...

[@desertstar223]

Why are you repeating what Steve has already told his audience? Bit slow today?

[@janitorizamped]

​@@desertstar223Steve didn't say that...

[@markbajek2541]

but they still got their state pension and this guy got 6 squares and cot for his two days in jail, probably picked up a foot fungus for his trouble as well.

[@desertstar223]

​@@janitorizampedThere's something wrong with your ears and/or your level of comprehension. Go look at the 2nd video he made about this topic

[@brendamorris6475]

He never had a license period - please do an update on this.

[@adrianspikes6454]

Not sure but we got great memes from it 😂 but there was a guy a few months back that was caught smoking weed on Zoom court 🤷

[@jilbertb]

DOH!

[@colingale]

lets not forget the Abuser who was at the victims house during the hearing and it was figured out quite quick.

[@Glass_Desert]

Or the guy accused of shoplifting a nfl jersey wearing it to court

[@billyboy969]

I drove for quite awhile without a licence because my license was incorrectly suspended right after Indiana passed a $500 reinstatement fee ( extortion fee!) I can reasonably prove this!

[@JKlein713]

Rabbit Hash, Kentucky had a dog as a mayor. People drive on suspended licenses all the time. I laughed at the judges reaction. Its inconceivable to him that someone with a suspended license was driving.

[@chrisfleischman3371]

No….it was surprising to him that his nitwit actually was on a zoom court appearance while driving with a suspended license. Stop smoking that stuff!

[@jupitercyclops6521]

I had a pretrial hearing on zoom. My background made it look like I was on a beach with palm trees & everything. I wasn't supposed to leave the state. We don't have palm trees or oceans in kansas. My attourney struggled to keep a straight face. We don't have oceans, but we have kangaroo courts

[@MeRiaNevaMynd]

I wonder how that town got it's name, Rabbit Hash . I can take a wild guess.... 🐇 🍽

[@119Agent]

This aged well. As did all the comments.

[@MarkM430]

WAIT... You're saying a 2 minute video on the internet doesn't provide full context and nuance along with a clear explanation of all sides????? NO, It can't be SO! How am I going to get my news in two minutes anymore?

[@Cakebattered]

The article isnt about the story becoming an internet meme, but its coverage by the mainstream media as news.

[@MarkM430]

@@Cakebattered Which was my point. If you take the time to follow multiple sources of news including television, print, internet and the ever so occasional social media you'll get a much better picture of the world than the 100,000,000 people that saw a 2 minute viral clip somewhere and know nothing else.

[@MikeyDee25]

Steve as a child I lived near NYC's Chinatown. There was a penny arcade on Mott Street that had an amusement where a chicken played tic tac toe with humans - (Clara the Clucking Clerk). The chicken was trained to play and win if it wanted food to eat. Always got beat by Clara too!

[@benjie128]

Let's remove the entire license issue. People are waaaaay to relaxed on the zoom court. People smoke, drive distracted, take showers, go to the toilet, have intimate relations, while being broadcast on zoom. Entirely inappropriate actions for actions for a courtroom. Now addressing the "fake news" claim. Unless they completely doctored with spliced video footage, it wasn't fake. It was a real court case. Perhaps misleading, as there is more to the story, but isn't that true of most sensationalized news? Media either intentionally or unknowingly presents only part of the story, I. E. Bias.

[@runswithraptors]

Kangaroo courts are a joke you say? Who knew 🤯

[@JosephHauger]

I have worked in the newspaper business for more than 30 years - including a few years in Michigan. As to the national media covering local and regional stories of novel interest, that has been happening for quite a long time before the internet became popular. On its national wire, the Associated Press would distribute short "man bites dog" stories under a category called "Odds & Ends." Those would appear anywhere from the Alpena News to the Detroit Free Press, and they were popular for their value as topics for water-cooler conversations.

[@HeatherGemmen]

Fact is, the Michigan Secretary of State's office is crooked. I got my driver license and did the check-off list, including, "Do you want to be an organ donor?" I checked "No" because I had had pulmonary sarcoidosis. This precludes me from being an organ donor. Before this, I was an organ donor. The crooked clerk in Hudsonville, Michigan checked "Yes, on her computer and gave me the print-out to sign, whereupon I objected. Her supervisor came over to help out. I contested, "I can't donate organs because I had pulmonary sarcoidosis." I don't have to explain my medical conditions to some puffer government clark. That's where it stands. Crooked, crooked Michigan Secretary of State office.

[@Vykk_Draygo]

So, what could be more likely be explained as a simple error instead implies the entire organization is crooked? 🤦‍♂

[@dom3029]

According to the Judge’s latest video, this person never had a drivers license but an ID.

[@boikatsapiens499]

Ben on the hood of the Viper.

[@bobbybarnes408]

Good eye !

[@user-no1cares]

I’m only 12 mins late. 😂

[@howlinwulf]

I never could have spotted that. Isn't Steve just the best.

[@MyPixelJourney]

No one seems to be highlighting that he was driving DISTRACTED into a about driving related issues. Yes he was parking but the car was in motion while he joined the call.

[@GoatzombieBubba]

Cops drive while distracted all the time.

[@Nobody85746]

I just found out that grumpy cat passed away

[@AndrewRoberts11]

Isn't driving one handed, as making a zoom call, something you shouldn't be doing in view of a judge, even if you have a licence?

[@Dragonstalon1001]

This Reason Article writers story is FICTION, and who died and made him the purveyor of what is and is NOT 'Newsworthy'?? You have to renew your License every 4 to 5 years depending on the state....in this instance, he would have had to renew the license atleast TWICE, yet obviously he didn't, at which time they would have also told him that his license was SUSPENDED and wouldn't have been renewed!!

[@LDuncanKelly]

Read the comments on the reason article and close to half pointed out that the only "fake news" was the reason article as the video and even the linked documents were consistent with the news reports...

[@philliplewis3754]

No it was fair! It's the BEST Public Service Announcement of all time. If you're going to skirt the law remember, the criminal has to be lucky every minute of every day, law enforcement only has to get lucky ONCE! Judge got lucky today.

[@dwaynepenner2788]

The reporter for Reason did have a good point. There is a difference between reporting and journalism. One is retelling a story, the other creates context and meaning.

[@christschool]

Giving context and meaning is what websites like Reason object to though. You guys can't have it both ways.

[@I_AM_BAYTOR]

True journalism is dead, we just have sensationalism.

[@dwaynepenner2788]

@@christschool huh? Do you disagree with that writers point or his employers bias/editorial choices? You don’t have to equate those to the being same thing.

[@fraliexb]

I don't think people are getting the true lesson from this news story going viral.... Don't drive and zoom, to any court or business meeting, it's rude and doesn't make you look good...

[@tjsynkral]

No sympathy for this guy from me. It's not OK to Zoom into court while driving a car regardless of being suspended or not. Judge Kim in Texas (when he used to do Zoom) would immediately kick out parties who appear while driving because it's not safe to drive that way and it is disrespectful to the court. It wouldn't be completely out of bounds for someone to catch a contempt charge for doing it.

[@jenniferredd1430]

Agreed, don't break the law while in court should be common sense. Judge Simpson will call people out when he catches them driving in court, it isn't that hard not to drive while in court.

[@alanmcentee9457]

A major problem that hasn't been answered. A driver's license is good for a set term, usually five years. His license was originally suspended ten (12?) years ago. That means he would have had to go to the DMV at least once, maybe even twice to get it renewed. Since the DMV (State Department) renews his license then they should have known it was reinstated or suspended when he tried to get it renewed. If he didn't get it renewed, then it would have expired and he wouldn't have a valid license. If he has a valid physical driver's license then the State Department screwed the pooch. If he doesn't have a valid physical license then this is on him. I suspect that he did have a valid driver's license, which he showed the cop, but the DMV had not fixed their paperwork.

[@dannylgriffin]

Exactly. After umpteen stories about this, still, no one knows if he ever bothered going to the SoS within the last two years to get a new DL. Btw, MI licenses are only valid for four years.

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

Not unfair dude did something worthy of some mocking. Namely he recorded himself and transimitted his criminal activity to a judge.

[@SadPuppySoup]

The guy said he was just turning into HIS doctors office, now what husband takes their wife to the husbands doctors OFFICE for a medical emergency and not just call 911 or take them to the ER? The guy is making up lies to get out of it.

[@shawndonnelly862]

It was a public hearing. He appeared via zoom. He had no expectation of privacy. He chose to drive while IN court on a suspended license. He chose poorly.

[@CaptainXJ]

His license wasn't suspended.

[@abandonedcranium6592]

Do you not understand that his suspension was supposed to be lifted previously? As far as he knew his license was valid. What is so hard to understand about that?

[@chris122380]

He may have thought his license was valid but he knew he was appearing in court for an invalid license. Knowing that that is the reason they are appearing in court should be enough not to zoom in from a car. I agree that anytime you're dealing with the public including courtroom proceedings, there is a possibility it can go on the news, so don't do dumb stuff.

[@paulsylvester1394]

@@abandonedcranium6592But he was stopped and given a summons claiming his license was suspended! So he does nothing and keeps driving to court! This is HIS fault!

[@110311DONTWANTCHANNE]

@@abandonedcranium6592 DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HE WAS TOLD HIS LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED STILL...AND THAT IS WHY HE HAS A COURT HEARING? he wouldn't have gotten a ticket for suspended license if his license was showing valid. WHAT IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT....even if it was falsely listed as suspended, it was still listed as suspended.....and he should not have been driving during court! even with a valid license you should not enter a court hearing while driving!

[@aurtisanminer2827]

Stubbs, Talkeetna, Alaska’s mayor, passed back in 2017 at 20 years old. He was the cuddliest mayor I ever met.

[@judylapointe3507]

How was it fake? I watch this judge all the time, he is not a fake judge.

[@frednewman2162]

It is absolutely not unfair! He is the one with the suspended license, he is the one that logged onto the Zoom call with a judge and the prosecutor while driving! Why is it or would it be unfair, he is the one that did it! Would they use this unfair contention with anyone else! If someone logged onto a Zoom call and assaulted someone else while logged in, and were arrested for it, would that be unfair! The whole unfairness argument is total stupidity!

[@SonnyShizzle]

So he’s not stupid, he just sat there on Zoom with his mouth wide open looking like the dumbest guy on earth while feeling no need to explain through all the dead silence how this is a mistake. Nope… definitely not stupid. Also… he said “MY” doctor’s office.

[@LainK1978]

You are regularly told by attorneys to just answer the question asked, don't say more than is asked. He could have just as easily have made things worse and annoyed the judge by explaining things that were not asked of him. Some judges don't care why you did something.

[@stupidburp]

Apparently he *did* file the license reinstatement paperwork with the secretary of state and paid the fees. It was the secretary of state that failed to take action on that. He should have understood that his license isn’t actually reinstated until he gets notification from the secretary of state that they did so. However, it is reasonable for the average person to expect that it should be an automatic process at that point. The same as getting a license in the first place: do the paperwork, meet the requirements, pay the fees and you should be good to go. But you need the documentation in any case to prove that it was processed and that you can show proof when challenged.

[@dannylgriffin]

So did he have a new license issued by the SoS in his wallet? Because he hadn't had one since 2010.

[@stupidburp]

@@dannylgriffin No, he didn't have a valid license and should have known that he didn't have one. It doesn't make driving without one right but if the government failed to issue one after he applied and there was no valid reason to deny him, then the government also wasn't right.

[@dannylgriffin]

@@stupidburp In Michigan, when you reinstate your license and apply for a new one, the SoS gives you a piece of paper that you can use as a license until your plastic one comes in the mail with your new photo, begin and end dates, etc. It's valid for 30 or 45 days or whatever, although your new DL will typically come in about one week. They are surprisingly efficient. Supposedly he got it reinstated one or two years ago, so has he been driving around on the temporary paper license for all that time? That doesn't make any sense. No one is asking this man the right questions. I don't doubt the ability of the Michigan SoS to mess things up, but this guy very, very, very easily has a defense. Unless he doesn't. If he's thinking that his old 2010 license was reinstated, then he's not too smart. That expired a decade ago regardless of anything else. Why has no one who has spoken to him asked him to show his current SoS issued DL? If he has one, then that is 100% on the state for this screw up! I strongly suspect he does not.

[@pinkysgarage4517]

You're good Steve. You are obviously fair and honest. Really weird traits for a lawyer!

[@MeRiaNevaMynd]

Yep he's a good guy. One of the only channels I watch regularly. Wishing you a lovely day 🏵

[@AllDogsAreGoodDogs]

No. He had no license and he was driving. He deserves jail.

[@Sean_A999]

If it was a known clerical error, neither he nor his attorney bothered to bring it up at the hearing.

[@stevef68]

NOW, I am anxiously awaiting a new video update from Lehtos Law! Seems this guy NEVER had a license at all!

[@gordonshumway7239]

Agree with Steve 100% (again) … My suggestion for this fellow is to contact AFROMAN and see if they could collaborate on a music video. Something like, “Will You Help Me Reinstate My License”. Put these 15 Minutes of Fame to use! Sometimes you really do have to just make Lemonade …

[@LVNeptune]

The PoPo suspended my license so I went home. Oooo waaaa oooo Then I got a court date that I could Zoom. Oooo waaa oooo I joined the meet, in my car. Why man why? Because I could drive, because I could drive, because I could drive.

[@kermitmoen443]

Would it have been possible to ask the judge at the suspension hearing to waive the reinstatement fee?

[@phillipmarlowe0525]

Can be re-instated is not is re- instated. I swear people just don’t listen. Common sense would tell you the difference.

[@darrinrebagliati5365]

The only gbing common about common sense is that it's not common!

[@CASE_of_ÆrTh]

Sovereign Citizen Bingo is most fun when the victim is not indeed a self-proclaimed Sovereign Citizen.

[@brianm.6271]

Honest question. Did he not have to renew his license or register a car/renew registration since 2010? I would think that any of those would have been blocked because of the suspended license.

[@jesstreloar7706]

His attorney should have had the story. Advised him to get his license reinstated to mitigate the potential fine.

[@ericstewart517]

Public Defenders aren't "private attorneys" that get THAT involved 🙄 "his attorney" is a stretch

[@LainK1978]

You're working on the mistaken idea that he had not done everything that was required of him to reinstate his license to begin with. Steve was too lazy to actually request the information which would actually be easy for him to do as an active attorney within Michigan.

[@steverichter9825]

Fake news....they keep using that phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means... This wasn't fake, he was driving on a suspended license, knowingly. Nothing fake here just because there's more to the story. Hw was STILL driving when he knew he had a suspended license. It stinks but he needed to get that clerical error cleared before driving. He obviously would not have had a hearing on the suspension if he didn't know. At some point, he was notified that it was still suspended and needed to take care of it ASAP before he drove. Well, to be honest, just don't drive on a Zoom call with the judge in court. And THAT is the story. That he was in the middle of driving WHILE going to court for a suspended license - clerical or not. It was certainly entertaining that anyone would do that ever. The lack of self-awareness was just too funny.

[@rationalbushcraft]

But you already paid for your license. Why on earth is it fair to pay a large "reinstatement fee" for the SOS to find your account and tick a box that says you are okay to drive. That just seems like a money grab. I mean $5 would be okay but $125 this is dumb if you ask me.

[@scslre]

hey, it's the _land of the fee_

[@patrickday4206]

Washington state was 1,500 which you had to pay if one month late on paying a ticket

[@cornlips7247]

The lesson here is don't commit traffic violations and if you do, pay your fines so your license doesn't get suspended. Don't cry that you are held responsible for your own actions/lack of action.

[@scslre]

@@cornlips7247 how can you watch these videos and still think this has anything at all to go with traffic violations? your lesson is: pay better attention; engage with the topic conscientiously

[@patrickday4206]

@@cornlips7247 what's the penalty for the government breaking the constitution for unreasonable fines or penalties clause smart ass rules for everyone but the government??

[@chococow98]

Your coverage of this story was fair IMO. You always give it a bit more perspective than mainstream media.

[@_winston_smith_]

Do they take your physical license away when it is suspended? If not, then when a judge removes the suspension any reasonable person would presume that they can drive again. If anyone other than the government set up a system like this it would be racketeering.

[@niyablake]

You have to pay to get it reinstated after the suspension ends.

[@SayAhh]

Not everyone knows every law or procedure, not even cops, lawyers nor judges.

[@justhecuke]

​@@SayAhh and yet it is only the people who suffer for it. Governmentsl immunity for illegal behavior is, i think, one if yhe primary causes of corruption and poorly behaved government.

[@SayAhh]

@@justhecuke That was my point. This person thought that they could still drive legally.

[@scslre]

​@@niyablakeamerica is such a silly place, lol

[@CompletelyLawless]

He appeared in Simpson’s court yesterday. His comments on the news were addressed but apparently he has never had a Michigan license, been suspended for a long period, then was taken into custody on a warrant - you guessed it - driving while suspended out of another jurisdiction!

[@stevef68]

FINALLY, *someone* has acknowledged the question I have been asking since the first video. He had to KNOW his license was suspended because the police pulled him over and cited him for it. Now, my NEXT question-the judge said his *BOND WAS REVOKED* That seems to me to mean that he had already been to court at least once prior to this hearing.

[@lindaward3156]

I think it struck a chord with everyone because we've all done something so incredibly dumb you ask yourself how you manage to walk & talk at the same time. The driver seemed like a reasonable guy and hardly a criminal so we could safely laugh w/o any guilt, the best kind

[@jeffreypiek]

Negative ghost rider, the pattern is full.

[@pdxRetired]

I watched your video about this and I saw it as an educational presentation. Anyone watching should now understand the need to apply for re-instatement (with fee) after the court releases the suspension on a license. Trolls should be ignored!

[@MarsMan1]

The Reinstatement FEE is where I have a Problem. As Always Follow the Money to a government Thiefdom! The government loves to make you jump through their hoops and kick you while you are down.

[@ninjalectualx]

I have ADHD. The idea of jumping through all the hoops and in the right order is daunting and terrifying. 90% of my legal problems are from failing to deal with the paperwork properly

[@aryaastark9201]

Take care of your kids and the government wouldn't be in your business.

[@repentnow2946]

So, a Judge can suspend license and notifies the State but when a Judge reinstates license you have to notify State. Makes perfect sense. What if clerical error was intentional i.e they just didn't like the guy or had grudge and use the "clerical error" defense. Nowadays you can even get a felony for bookkeeping error in NY. What is this world coming to? The END.