Pop star and NSYNC member Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in connection with a DWI arrest at a court hearing on Friday. Arriving with his attorney, Edward Burke Jr., at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Courthouse in Long Island, New York, the singer was sentenced to community service.
According to a live report from TMZ, the “Mirrors” hitmaker agreed to participate in 25-40 hours of community service and make a public service announcement, which is expected to be about drunk driving.
His lawyer said in July that he was not intoxicated when police stopped him in Sag Harbor on June 18, but JT has also reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol before his arrest. He has also agreed to pay a fine. Timberlake’s plea deal with a lesser charge than the original DWI charge forced him to do a public service announcement – an all too familiar scenario, as he filmed a PSA with his fellow NSYNC members in 2001.
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What did Justin Timberlake’s lawyer say in July?
The settlement comes a month after Judge Carl Irace suspended the musician’s driving license in New York — which, as Burke pointed out, “is standard in every DUI case.” Timberlake initially pleaded not guilty, and his attorney released a statement: “I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these charges. I will have much more to say at the appropriate time, but I am currently awaiting a full investigation from the District Attorney’s office.” In July, Burke also filed a motion to dismiss the original charges involving Timberlake in the DWI case. However, he later withdrew the request at an August hearing when the singer appeared virtually in court.
However, Burke Jr. changed his story somewhat on Friday, claiming the “Suit & Tie” artist had one drink over two hours at the American Hotel.
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“Contrary to what has been reported, he was not drinking other people’s beverages or had not been previously warned not to drive,” the lawyer said, NBC News reports. “He was not rude, he was not obnoxious, he was not belligerent. In fact, he was polite, he was cooperative, he was respectful throughout this entire encounter with law enforcement as they were toward him.”
The initial report of his arrest on June 18 stated that police caught Timberlake’s BMW running through a stop sign because he failed to stay in the road lane. The pop star ultimately performed poorly on his field sobriety tests and refused a Breathalyzer test, leading to a DWI arrest. He was released from custody the following morning.
This is a developing story.
