A Michigan woman learned a hard and expensive lesson about multitasking recently, when a virtual court appearance she tried to squeeze in during a car ride ended with a judge ending the hearing, calling her out for dishonesty, and entering a judgment she probably did not expect, though perhaps she should have been paying a little closer attention to her surroundings.
Kimberly Carroll appeared via Zoom before Judge Michael K. McNally of Michigan’s 33rd District Court for a hearing related to a debt case filed against her. The original claim sat at around $1,788, a number that was about to get a little bigger.
Almost immediately, the judge noticed something was off. He told Carroll he would not conduct a hearing with someone in a moving vehicle, whether driving or riding as a passenger. Carroll pushed back, insisting she was not the one driving and was simply a passenger dealing with a family emergency. She said she would have the driver pull over.
The Left Side Problem
Embedded video follows, please allow a moment for it to load. Skip to 50:30 for the moment the judge realizes she’s in a car.
That might have been a reasonable explanation, except for one small detail that unraveled it almost instantly. When Judge McNally asked where she was sitting, Carroll said she was on the left side.
Now, for anyone who has ever been in a car in the United States, you already know where this is going. The driver sits on the left. The judge pointed that out and asked, essentially, if he was missing something.
He was not missing something. Carroll was.
The judge noted what appeared to be a driver-side seatbelt across her shoulder and pressed her to show who was actually behind the wheel. Carroll said she needed permission before showing the other person on camera. Moments later, she exited the vehicle entirely, which did not exactly help her case.
At that point, Judge McNally had seen enough. He told Carroll he did not believe she had been truthful, ended the hearing, and entered a default judgment against her.
Judge: You cannot be driving, ma’am. What are you doing? Come on.
Carroll: I am not driving. I’m a passenger in a car.
Judge: What side of the car are you on?
Carroll: I’m on the left-hand side.
Judge: How would you be on the left-hand side if you’re a passenger in the front seat? Am I missing something?
Carroll: 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. Hang on.
Judge: Let me see the driver.
Carroll: Hang on one second. I have to ask their permission.
Judge: Now.
Carroll: (exits the vehicle)
Judge: You think I’m that stupid? You lied to me. I’m going to go ahead and enter a default judgment.
The final total came out to $1,921.85, which includes court costs and service fees on top of the original debt.
The original $1,788 debt went from something that might have been handled in a quick Zoom appearance to something more expensive, and far more memorable, because one small detail did not line up.
The takeaway here is straightforward. If you are going to Zoom into court, park the car first. The judge will notice.