Local News

An attorney for the embattled city councilor has argued that the case should be dismissed because police did not give her a citation at the time of the crash.

A lawyer for Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara is seeking to dismiss the charges she’s facing in connection with a June car crash that injured her 7-year-old son and damaged a home in Jamaica Plain.

Lara was allegedly driving an unregistered and uninsured car without a valid license when she crashed into a house on Centre Street. Officials have said she was driving at least 53 mph in a 25 mph zone, and that her son was not properly restrained at the time.

The city councilor has pleaded not guilty to charges that include negligently operating a motor vehicle, assault and battery on a child with injury, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle, according to The Boston Globe.

Lara was back in court Wednesday morning for a pretrial conference. The Globe reported that her lawyer, Carlton Williams, has argued that the case should be dismissed because officials did not give her a citation at the time of the crash.

“[I]t was the obligation of the Boston Police Department to give a copy of the citation to the defendant at the time and place of the offense,” Williams wrote in a motion, according to the Globe. “This was not done. The proper remedy for this oversight is dismissal.”

But prosecutors pushed back, stating in a motion obtained by the Globe that police mailed citations to the address Lara provided on the day of the crash. Further, they argued, the need to investigate further also justified any delay in delivering citations.

The two sides are scheduled to argue the motion to dismiss on Oct. 20, WBUR reported. 

The next court date comes after Boston’s Sept. 12 preliminary municipal election, when Lara will face District 6 challengers William King and Benjamin Weber in her race for re-election.

Despite calls for her resignation, Lara has emphasized her focus on City Hall while her case plays out in court. 

“I am committed to ensuring that I’m following through with the process,” Lara said after Wednesday’s hearing, according to WBUR. “Until then I am going to ensure that I continue serving the people of my district.”