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In a recent online court hearing, a Detroit judge took issue with a participant who joined the virtual session from a moving vehicle, suspecting her of not being truthful about her driving status.
Kimberly Carroll was behind schedule for her virtual court appearance on Monday in Woodhaven. She faces allegations by LVNV Funding LLC, a company specializing in purchasing consumer debt, for an outstanding amount of $1,788.08. The hearing started with complications, as reported by Fox 2 Detroit.
Despite Carroll’s absence, Judge Michael McNally decided to proceed with the case, ultimately issuing a default judgment against her. The ruling required Carroll to pay the debt along with additional filing and service fees, even before she had joined the session.
Shortly after, a court clerk informed the judge that an unidentified iPhone user was attempting to access the Zoom meeting.
Once admitted and prompted to activate her camera, Carroll was revealed to be seated in a car, with a seatbelt fastened, as captured in video footage obtained by the news outlet.
“I was sitting in some room or something, and then I didn’t know I was just staring at myself,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“You cannot be driving, ma’am,” McNally shot back. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not driving. I’m a passenger,” Carroll replied.
McNally, who is the longest-serving judge of Michigan’s 33rd District Court, said he would not hear cases from “people driving or sitting in cars,” prompting her to pull over.
“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,” she said. “I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to be in a car.”
But McNally wasn’t convinced and began pressing her on whether she was actually the driver.
“Am I crazy, or does it not look like you’re driving that car?” he asked.
Carroll insisted she was not, but the judge kept probing.
“What side of the car are you on?” McNally asked, as she stumbled over her answer and said she was on the wrong side.
“How would you be on the left-hand side if you’re a passenger in the front seat? Am I missing something?”
“Left hand … right-hand side, I’m sorry,” Carroll replied.
“Yeah, the seatbelt’s coming out of the driver’s side. Now you’re lying to me, right?” he said.
When she denied it, the judge ordered her to show the driver.
“Hang on one second!” Carroll said, claiming she needed permission to film the driver, before abruptly getting out of the car.
“No, you weren’t on the passenger side. Do you think I’m that stupid?” McNally snapped.
He ended the hearing by re-entering the default judgment.
“You lied to me,” he said.
McNally then instructed his clerk to note that Carroll “was not available at the time and then was driving a car and telling the court she was not.”
As the hearing wrapped, Carroll had one last comment after climbing back into the “passenger side.”
“I signed in at 1:30, sir,” she said, prompting the judge to call her out again.
“You’ve got an attitude, I’ll tell you that,” McNally replied, before wishing her luck and ending the hearing.