On Tues. Jan. 28, Flavor Flav plead not guilty to charges that stemmed from a traffic stop earlier this year while he was in route to his mother’s funeral.
According to the Associated Press , Flav’s attorney Indji Bessim, informed the Nassau County District Court Judge Norman St. George that she and her client have made a gratuitous effort to resolve the 16 outstanding traffic violations that resulted in the unlicensed driving charge.
Flav showed up at the courthouse with his humongous, signature clock around his neck. The 54-year-old rapper was all smiles, as he embraced family and fans who came to show him support. He even made time to stop, sign autographs, and take a few pictures with adoring fans.
After exiting the courtroom, he briefly addressed reporters. “God is good. G-I-G.” Then he continued by sharing his hopes of the charges later being dismissed.
“I’m hoping they would have a heart and dismiss it all because of the circumstances,” he said. “Because if it wasn’t for me driving to my mother’s funeral and being late getting to my mother’s funeral, I wouldn’t have been behind the wheel in the first place to get the charge.”
He went on to state his disdain of the unidentified state trooper who showed no concern for his immediate circumstance on that particular day. However, he also lauded the officers who did make great strides to help him get to his mother’s funeral in a timely fashion. Flav’s mother Anna Drayton died Dec. 31, 2013.
According to TMZ , New York State Police cited that on Jan. 9, Flav, whose real name is William Jonathan Drayton, Jr., was pulled over for speeding in Hempstead, NY. The former Public Enemy rapper was reportedly driving a black Hyundai on Meadowbrook Pkwy, going 79 in a 55 MPH zone and driving without a driver’s license.
Further investigation uncovered a number of other issues that led to Flav’s arrest. NY state troopers also discovered that 16 license suspensions, that derived from a variety of unpaid traffic tickets. A small amount of marijuana was also found in the car.
State troopers informed the publication that he was ultimately arrested for felony aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. However, Flavor Flav was released without bail in time to attend his mother’s funeral.