- Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving
- Fined $500, 25 hours community service ordered
- Timberlake warns others: “Don’t drink and drive”
Justin Timberlake has reached a plea deal to resolve his drunk driving case in the United States.
The pop diva, who was initially accused of driving while intoxicated, appeared in court in New York state and pled guilty to the less serious traffic offense of driving while impaired, which is not a crime.
Timberlake has been ordered to pay a $500 (£380) fine, plus a $260 (£200) penalty, perform 25 hours of community service, and make a public safety announcement outside court.
“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” the performer instructed.
“This is a mistake I made, but I hope anyone watching or listening right now can learn from it. “I know I have.”
The ten-time Grammy winner was arrested on June 18 for running a stop sign and failing to stay on the right side of the road in the Hamptons, a prominent celebrity vacation spot in New York.
According to a charge complaint, Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy,” and a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath” when authorities pulled him over.
He refused to take a breathalyzer test and did poorly on sobriety tests, according to police.
“I had one Martini and followed my friends home,” Timberlake allegedly told the officer who pulled him over.
Outside court on Friday, Timberlake’s lawyer stated that the pop star drank one drink in two hours that night.
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I addressed all of you a few weeks ago and stated that my client was not driving while inebriated; nevertheless, following considerable discussion and a thorough investigation, the DA’s [district attorney’s] office decided not to pursue that issue.
Timberlake made his first appearance in court last month, virtually from Europe, where he was touring.
In that hearing, he denied driving while intoxicated, which carries penalties of up to a year in jail in New York, and his driver’s license was revoked in the state, as is typical process following a DWI arrest.
Timberlake, who has previously spoken openly about his difficulties with heavy drinking, mentioned the arrest days later at a performance in Chicago, telling the audience, ”It’s been a tough week.
