May 3rd, 2007 • Related • Filed Under
Busta Rhymes was arrested on a drunken driving charge early Thursday, police said, marking the latest in a series of recent legal troubles for the rapper.
Officers stopped Rhymes at about 12:40 a.m. because the sport utility vehicle he was driving had overly tinted windows, Sgt. Mike Wysokowski said. He said officers then smelled alcohol on the rapper’s breath.
Rhymes, 34, was taken into custody on a charge of driving while impaired, Wysokowski said. An arraignment was expected later Thursday.
A lawyer for Rhymes, Scott Leemon, declined to comment early Thursday, saying he would address the charges in court.
Wow I got to use this picture for a second time, what’s the odds of an African American rapper getting arrested more than once?!
Comment by Busta Update on 10 July 2007:
UPDATE:
Rhymes just walked out of Manhattan Criminal Court, and was all smiles for the cameras, as all four of the charges — two misdemeanor assault charges, a DUI, and a suspended license charge — will be handled separately. TMZ is told that the D.A. had sought to try the four cases together for the sake of expediency, but Rhymes thought he’d get a better deal if the cases weren’t done in tandem. The rapper rejected a plea deal last month that would’ve meant a year of jail time and a $1,500 fine.
Rhymes — real name Trevor Smith — has been arrested four times in the last 10 months. He’s due back in court September 5, and trial dates will be set then, if necessary.