Mayor's lawyer hits parked car fleeing reporters at federal courthouse

In the shadow of Boston Federal Court, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña emerged from his arraignment carrying the weight of federal charges alleging he diverted more than $1.5 million in pandemic relief meant for struggling small businesses. The moment that followed — his attorney reversing into a parked car while trying to escape the press — became an unintended parable about the difficulty of fleeing accountability, and the way public office transforms private missteps into public theater. When trust is the currency of governance, its alleged misuse tends to compound in ways no one fully anticipa