District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara pled not guilty on Wednesday to numerous charges due to her crashing an unregistered and uninsured car while driving without a driver's license.
Lara was arraigned at the West Roxbury Municipal Court for charges related to a June 30 accident in which a Boston Police auto investigator determined she was allegedly going at least 53 mph in a 25 mph zone.
Among the charges against the first-term city councilor who represents Jamaica Plain, included operating a motor vehicle after suspension, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and assault and battery on a child with injury.
She was also cited for a booster seat violation, due to her 7-year old not being in a booster seat in the back seat despite legally being required for him to be in booster seat due to his height, said Boston Police. The accident left her son bloodied with a cut around his eye, and he needed stitches at Boston Children's Hospital.
She was released on personal recognizance, and the court ordered Lara to not drive without a license. The next court date in the case is a pretrial conference scheduled for Aug. 16. After the hearing, she later attended a Boston City Council meeting.
Separate from the arraignment, the city is scheduling a hearing to determine whether Lara lives in District 6, which includes Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. Five residents filed complaints saying she does not live in the district, reported the Boston Globe. One of the complaints was tossed because it was past the deadline to file complaints.
Lara has said she lives on Jamaica Plain's Saint Rose Street, where the city said she is registered to vote.
Council candidates must live in the districts they seek to represent for one year before the general election, and district councilors must live in the districts they represent.
Sabino Piemonte, head assistant registrar of voters for Boston, told the city’s Elections Commission on Wednesday that the city is scheduling a hearing about Lara’s residency, reported the Globe..
Piemonte said the Elections Commission, along with the Chief Justice of the Boston Municipal Court, sits as the Boston Ballot Law Commission to consider the objections and related evidence presented by the filers of the complaint.