Rapper Flavor Flav Pleads Not Guilty To Charges In Long Island Traffic Stop
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Rapper Flavor Flav has pleaded not guilty to a grand jury indictment related to a traffic stop while driving to his mother's funeral more than a year ago.
The hip-hop icon, whose real name is William Drayton, appeared in a Mineola courtroom Wednesday, wearing a trademark clock around his neck and a baseball cap.
He was released without bail and is due back in court Feb. 3.
Rapper Flavor Flav Pleads Not Guilty To Charges In Long Island Traffic Stop
"The best happened, you know I'm not locked up, I'm going back home to my family and I'll be back on Feb. 3 to continue," Flavor Flav, 55, told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reported.
He declined to discuss the allegations but told reporters, "I don't like the circumstances, but I like the attention'' as a throng of fans snapped his picture.
Flav was arrested on Jan. 9, 2014. Police said he was caught speeding and driving with a suspended license on Long Island's Meadowbrook Parkway while driving to his mother's funeral.
He was allegedly driving 79 mph in a 55 mph zone in his black Hyundai. Police said he also had a small amount of marijuana.
Prosecutors say Flav had his license suspended 15 times prior to being stopped.
Flav was indicted last month on a felony charge of driving with a suspended license and also faces a speeding violation and two misdemeanors for allegedly driving without a license. If convicted of the top charge, he could face a maximum of four years in prison.
He had several court appearances last year on the case, but attempts at a plea agreement never materialized.
Flav now lives in Las Vegas, but grew up in Freeport, Long Island.
He was a founder of the rap group Public Enemy in the 1980s, and later returned to prominence as a reality television star.
A Nevada judge closed a criminal case against Flav in August after he completed a required domestic violence counseling course.
Flav pleaded guilty in April to attempted battery and battery constituting domestic violence, misdemeanors, for wielding a kitchen knife during a home argument with his longtime girlfriend's 17-year-old son.
Prosecutors dropped felony assault and child endangerment charges that could have gotten Flav up to 12 years in prison. He served probation and underwent counseling.
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