As if it wasn’t obvious to begin with, we can now add “calling into your court hearing” to the list of things to not do while you’re driving.
According to ABC affiliate WXYZ, Kim Carroll had called into a virtual hearing with District Court Judge Michael McNally when the judge noticed that Carroll was in a car.
When McNally asked whether Carroll was driving, she said she was in the passenger seat of the vehicle. McNally then requested to see the driver, and Carroll replied by saying she needed the driver’s permission to do so, and never showed anybody else on camera.
“Do you think I’m that stupid?” the judge retorted.
“I’m entering a default judgment,” McNally added. “You lied to me.”
Carroll has since issued a statement to WXYZ, reading, “I want to be clear that I take responsibility for my mistake.”
“Appearing on a Zoom court hearing while I was driving was poor judgment, and I regret that decision,” Carroll says. “I panicked in the moment and made the wrong call instead of pulling over or asking to reschedule. For that, I am truly sorry.”
“At the same time, I believe what has happened since then has gone far beyond addressing a mistake,” she continues. “A brief moment of poor judgment has turned into a viral spectacle that is affecting my reputation, my family, and my ability to move forward with my life.”