Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving Friday, resolving the criminal case stemming from his June arrest in New York’s Hamptons.
The singer and actor appeared in Sag Harbor Village Court to enter a new plea to the lesser charge.
The judge sentenced Timberlake to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, and 25 hours of community service at the non-profit of his choosing.
During the proceedings, Timberlake remained standing throughout and gave a statement in which he expressed remorse for his actions. He said he grew up in a small town and appreciated the kind of strain his arrest has made on Sag Harbor. He said he has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions.
“I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he said.
Police officers escorted Timberlake, 43, as he left his lawyer’s office and crossed a street to Sag Harbor Village Court on Sept. 13. The singer later pleaded guilty to impaired driving.
Timberlake said he is “grateful for the opportunity to move forward” and use his platform to hopefully help others make “better decisions.”
“I should’ve had better judgment,” he said to the judge. ” I understand the seriousness of this.”
Singer stopped June 18
The pop star originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated. He had his driver’s license suspended during a hearing last month.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment ahead of the hearing, as did Timberlake’s attorney, Edward Burke.
Justin Timberlake was arrested on New York’s Long Island after running through a stop sign and ‘operating a vehicle ‘in an intoxicated condition,’ according to police. Culture critics say this could impact his public image.
Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, a little after midnight on June 18 after police said he ran a stop sign in the village centre, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol.
Police in court filings also said the Tennessee native’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and that he had “slowed speech,” was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on all sobriety tests.
Timberlake told the officer he had had one martini and was following some friends home, police said.
Sag Harbor is a one-time whaling village — mentioned in Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick — that is nestled amid the Hamptons, an area of seaside communities around 160 kilometres east of New York City.
Driving could be affected in other states
Timberlake’s licence suspension in New York likely affects his ability to drive in other states, a legal expert said this week.
Refusing a Breathalyzer test, as Timberlake did during his arrest, triggers an automatic suspension of one’s licence under New York state law, which should then be enforced in other states, according to Kenneth Gober, a managing partner at the law firm Lee, Gober & Reyna in Austin, Texas.
“Most states participate in the interstate Driver’s License Compact, an agreement to share information about licence suspensions and traffic violations,” he explained in an email. “If a licence is suspended in one state it should be suspended in all states.”
In practice, though, it can take a long time for such changes to be reflected across state lines, Gober acknowledged. The pop star also has the resources to easily arrange for a driver and doesn’t need a car to drive to do his job, he said.
Timberlake’s agent and other representatives didn’t respond to emails seeking comment this week.
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, N.J., and Brooklyn.
