A video has recently gone viral of a man appearing in Zoom court while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. The video shows Kevon Burns of Missouri being questioned by 14-B District Court, Judge Erane Washington, as to why he is driving while his license is currently suspended. Burns claimed he was just parking his friend's car. 

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been countless hilarious Zoom fails, but this one may just take the cake! After Burns told the judge he was just parking his friend's car, he even asked the judge: "Are you having a bad day?" Judge Washington responded, "I haven't had a bad day until you started talking while you were driving while you were suspended."

The most ironic part of this hilarious Zoom court fail is the fact that Burns made the strange decision to attend his virtual trial for his suspended driver's license – while driving.

Under Florida Statute 322.34, a first offense for driving with a suspended license can result in up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. A second offense driving with a suspended license can be charged as a first-degree misdemeanor which carries the maximum penalty of up to 1 year in jail. 

If you are charged with driving on a suspended license in Florida, some possible defenses a Palm Beach criminal defense attorney can potentially argue are:

  • You were unaware your license was suspended.
  • Your license should not have been suspended.
  • You took action to correct the suspension.
  • There were mitigating circumstances.

In the case of Kevon Burns, however, it is unlikely any defense can support his case. In fact, Burns' also filmed himself committing another crime: distracted driving. Florida Statute 316.305 allows law enforcement to stop motor vehicles and issue citations to motorists that are texting and driving. A person may not operate a motor vehicle while manually typing or entering multiple letters, numbers or symbols into a wireless communications device to text, email or instant message. This also includes video chatting especially if looking down at a mobile device. While these actions are not only illegal, they put other individuals on the road at risk of being involved in a significant accident.

Other Zoom Fails and Bloopers

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many lawyers have resorted to using Zoom to virtually attend their court hearings. This honorable mention occurred when a Texas lawyer appeared in Zoom with a cat filter announcing, "I'm not a cat," will go down as a classic. Watch the hilarious footage below:

While this next fail isn't as lighthearted, we covered a story earlier this year when a virtual court hearing took a turn after an assault defendant was caught at the alleged victim's house

In February of 2021, Coby Harris was ordered to have no contact with his girlfriend after allegedly assaulting her. Harris' trial was held via Zoom where the appearance by Harris' and his victim was presumably in separate locations. Within minutes, the judge noticed the victim looking around as someone whispered to her in the background. A prosecutor swiftly interrupted stating that she believed the defendant was in the same apartment as the complaining witness and was scared for her safety. Both parties nervously stated they were in different locations, but police arrived within minutes to Harris' home to find both himself and the complaining victim under the same roof. This scary moment can be seen here:

Criminal Defense Lawyer in West Palm Beach FL

An experienced Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer will know how to get your charges dialed down, penalties decreased, or even have the charges completely dismissed. If you were charged with a crime in Florida, The Law Offices of Matthew Konecky can help. Do not hesitate to contact us online or call us at (561) 671-5995 to speak to a Florida criminal defense attorney today.

The Law Offices of Matthew Konecky handles criminal defense cases in all of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Boca Raton, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Loxahatchee, Royal Plam Beach, Riviera Beach, Lake Worth, Greenacres and all of Broward County.

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