SAG HARBOR, N.Y. — Justin Timberlake has took a plea deal in his DWI case on Long Island.
Timberlake, 43, appeared in court Friday in Sag Harbor and agreed to plead guilty to driving while ability impaired (DWAI), a lesser traffic violation. The DWI charge against him was dropped.
Timberlake spoke outside of court after the proceedings Friday.
“Many of you have probably been covering me for a lot of my life, and as you may know, I try to hold myself to a very high standard,” Timberlake said. “And this is not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision.”
“And so what I’d like to say to everyone watching and listening, even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” Timberlake added. “I’m hoping whoever’s watching right now can learn from this mistake. I know I have.”
Timberlake’s attorney said he was pleased with the reduced charge, and disputed any reports that Timberlake was drunk when he was arrested.
“The evidence revealed that my client finished the contents of one drink in two hours at the American Hotel,” attorney Edward Burke said.
The judge was not happy with the terms of the plea, which required Timberlake to make that public safety announcement outside court as well as face a fine, CBS News New York’s Carolyn Gusoff reported. The judge called that penalty minimal, and asked Timberlake if he would also accept community service, which Timberlake agreed to. Timberlake has a year to work out the community service portion of his deal, Gusoff reported.
Camera crews surrounded Timberlake as he entered court Friday morning, and a large crowd gathered outside the courthouse to await his statement.
Justin Timberlake arrested for DWI in Sag Harbor
Sag Harbor Police Department
Back on June 18, Timberlake was pulled over in the Hamptons village after he allegedly drove through a stop sign and failed to stay on the right side of the road.
According to court documents, the arresting officer said he could smell alcohol on Timberlake’s breath and that the pop star had bloodshot eyes, “performed poorly” on field sobriety tests and refused a breath test. Timberlake allegedly told the officer he had one martini earlier in the evening.
Timberlake was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. He was released on his own recognizance after his arraignment later that morning.
Timberlake appeared in court virtually on Aug. 2 and pleaded not guilty. At the hearing, a Sag Harbor village justice suspended his license to drive in New York, which is a standard practice in the state for DWI cases. Timberlake was in Germany at the time for his world tour.
The next stop on Timberlake’s tour is the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sept. 28. He will then play the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Oct. 7 before returning to the Prudential Center on Oct.8.
