Justin Timberlake has pleaded guilty to one count of driving while impaired as part of a deal with prosecutors in New York, following his arrest in June.
The former NSYNC member entered the plea on Friday in order to avoid a more serious drunken driving charge, following the incident in the Hamptons.
Timberlake was mobbed by fans as he entered Sag Harbor Village Court with a police escort. Officers shouted “back up, back up” to clear a path to the courthouse’s front entrance.
The charge of “driving while ability impaired” is a traffic violation that carries a $300 to $500 fine and a 90-day license suspension. Timberlake also agreed to make a public safety announcement about the dangers of drinking and driving,
Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace also wants Timberlake to perform community service, between 25 and 40 hours, which he has a year to complete. Timberlake can choose the organization where he performs the community service.
Before the agreement, Timberlake had pleaded not guilty to the DWI charge, a misdemeanor, back in August. Had he been convicted, he could have faced a maximum of one year in prison and a $2500 fine.
The star was arrested in June in Sag Harbor for drunk driving. The arresting officer said he pulled Timberlake over after he didn’t stop at a stop sign and weaved in and out of his lane. Timberlake said he had a single martini that night but refused to take a breathalyzer test.
However, according to court filings, Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath.”
“He was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” the filings, obtained by AP said.
The incident gained further traction on social media after reports that the arresting office reportedly was too young to recognise the singer, who is 43.
Timberlake also reportedly told him, “this is going to ruin the tour,” prompting the response from the officer “what tour?” “The world tour,” the singer replied.
The 10-time Grammy winner hasn’t publicly addressed the arrest but seemed to acknowledge it during a performance in Chicago just days later. “It’s been a tough week,” he told the audience during the June 21 show at the United Center. “But you’re here, and I’m here. Nothing can change this moment right now.”
Timberlake has been on tour for months in support of his latest album. He returns to the New York City area in the coming weeks with concerts in Newark, New Jersey; and Brooklyn.
