WOODHAVEN, Mich. (WXYZ) — An encounter between a judge and a woman appearing in court during a virtual hearing has gone viral on social media after the judge accused her of being untruthful about driving during the hearing.
Watch the hearing below:
During the hearing, Kim Carroll told Woodhaven 33rd District Court Judge Michael McNally that she was a passenger in the car when he noticed the vehicle was moving.
Carroll also told the judge she was out of town for an emergency.
"I'm going out of town for a family member, but I will have my driver pull over. Hang on one second. I'm sorry. I didn't know that I wasn't allowed to be in a car, but hang on one second," she said.
Then, during an exchange about where she was sitting in the car, Judge McNally accused Carroll of lying to him. He then asked to see the driver, which Carroll did not do, saying she needed to ask permission.
The judge then questioned if she was on the driver's side, saying, "Do you think I'm that stupid?"
McNally then re-entered the default judgment that the hearing was addressing.
When reached by 7 News Detroit for an interview about the hearing, Carroll declined and issued the following statement:
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. 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. 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.
I respect the court and the rule of law, but I also believe in fairness and proportionality. The question I’m left asking is whether this situation needed to become a public example at the expense of someone’s livelihood and dignity.
I am human. I made a mistake, I own that mistake, and I am willing to accept the consequences. But I hope people will also consider whether the response has been about accountability, or about turning a moment into something far bigger than it needed to be.
