A Chicago man who has been convicted 11 times for driving on a suspended license is facing the same charge again after police allegedly caught him driving a “child-sized ATV” in the wrong direction on Harlem Avenue.
Judge Mary Marubio had a hard time containing herself as she released Christopher Lambert, 37, on his own recognizance.
“Sir, you don’t have a valid license,” she warned Lambert before breaking down in laughter. “You can’t drive. Even if it’s a child-sized ATV.”
Prosecutors said police saw Lambert driving a “motorized, but child-sized ATV the wrong way on Harlem Avenue” and pulled him over. The arrest occurred in North Riverside on October 14, according to a court document.
Lambert’s driver’s license has been revoked due to a DUI conviction, officials said. Since then, he has been convicted of driving on a suspended license in March 2009, June 2009, January 2010, July 2011, February 2012, April 2013, May 2013, August 2013, June 2019, September 2019, and December 2019, a felony complaint said.
“You can’t drive,” the judge laughed after hearing the allegations.
“Alright,” Marubio said as she struggled to contain herself. “Even if it’s a vehicle designed for children.”
After emerging from another laugh, Marubio apologized.
“I’m sorry. You can’t, you can’t drive it … You got an I-Bond. Stop driving.”
Prosecutors said police towed Lambert’s miniature motorbike, presumably with a full-sized truck.
“When I was a defense attorney, I had a case,” Marbubio reminisced after Lambert left the court hearing. “It was a fleeing and eluding on a Vespa and, um, the uh, I’ll tell you guys how that ended later.”
Marubio failed to complete her story while court was in session.
