A Detroit judge blasted a woman who logged into an online court hearing from a moving car — then appeared to catch her in a lie when he questioned whether she was actually behind the wheel.
Kimberly Carroll showed up late to her own virtual court date Monday in Woodhaven, where she’s accused by LVNV Funding LLC — a consumer debt buyer — of owing $1,788.08 as the hearing got off to a bumpy start, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
Judge Michael McNally chose to move forward without Carroll in attendance and entered a default judgment ordering her to pay the debt, plus filing and service fees, before she even joined the call.
Moments later, a court clerk said an unknown iPhone was attempting to enter the Zoom session.
After being admitted and told to turn on her camera, Carroll appeared seated in a car with a seatbelt across her chest, video obtained by the outlet showed.
“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.
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