Willie Singletary won a Democratic nomination for Traffic Court last week despite being a scofflaw of major proportions.
As of primary day, Singletary, 26, owed $11,427.50 for 55 violations, including reckless driving, driving without a license, careless driving, driving without registration, and driving without insurance.
In fact, a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest - a fact made public after the election by Bernard Strain, who lost in the Democratic primary for Traffic Court but who won a Republican nomination.
Yesterday, Singletary's father paid all of the fines on his son's behalf and the warrant was lifted, according to Richard Hoy, the younger Singletary's lawyer.
Hoy said roughly half of the violations were accumulated over several years by a brother of Singletary's who was using a car owned by the Traffic Court candidate.
Before the tickets were paid, Strain told reporters outside Traffic Court yesterday that he did not believe voters would have chosen Singletary had they known of his history.
Regardless of whether Singletary is elected to the bench in November, he will have a hard time amassing any more traffic fines.
As a result of the violations, his driver's license has been suspended through at least 2011.
