Mr Yang had been arrested in 2007 for driving an unlicensed bicycle, after which he made allegations of police brutality.
They found in favor of the city, which argued that far from harassing Mr. Saleh, the police were simply enforcing the law by giving him tickets for offenses like double-parking, disorderly conduct and driving an unlicensed taxi.
Criticism over the crash — he is being investigated by the police for driving an unlicensed car on public roads, although no charges have been filed — dented his reputation and further sapped his political capital, making it even tougher for him to battle powerful vested interests and champion overhauls.
He had to help pay for his early career by cleaning toilets in a retirement home and driving an unlicensed taxi.
The driver in Wednesday's crash, Alexander Palacio, 39, of Queens, was arrested at the scene for aggravated and unlicensed driving.
Mr. Tritto's criminal record reaches back to 1974, Mr. Safir said, including 15 arrests on charges of burglary, menacing, reckless endangerment, possession of stolen property and aggravated unlicensed driving.
Yet, the star linebacker Odell Thurman suited up after allegedly driving as an unlicensed operator while music blared just unlawfully enough to attract the police to the vehicle, where they discovered open beer containers.
Ricky Joe Hepworth, 24, is charged with three counts of death by dangerous driving, three counts of aggravated vehicle taking, three counts of causing a death while driving uninsured and unlicensed, causing seriouss injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision.
Mr. Saleh claims that the harassment extends to an unjustified charge of unlicensed cab driving and suggests that entrapment was at work.
The paraphernalia, given away at events and at storefront offices and sold on Web sites, have been a boon for the campaigns, their official vendors and unlicensed dealers, driving up enthusiasm, online donations and profits.
Far from being a hapless target of official misconduct, she said, Mr. Saleh had been given as many as 30 tickets and summonses for double parking, unlicensed cab driving and other vehicular offenses.
