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Justin Timberlake has pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while impaired in the Hamptons, New York, a lesser offense than his initial charge of driving while intoxicated.
The 43-year-old pop star arrived at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on Friday morning to a throng of media cameras and reporters that descended on the small beach town for his hearing. As part of his plea deal, Timberlake agreed to pay a fine, commit to 25-40 hours of community service — which was not initially part of the plea agreement, but was included upon Judge Carl Irace's insistence — and make a public statement on the dangers of drinking and driving, NBC News reported.
Timberlake had previously pleaded not guilty to the original charge of driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor that carried up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000. Driving while intoxicated is classified as having blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, while the BAC for driving while impaired, a traffic violation, is more than .05, according to New York state law.
Timberlake was arrested just after midnight on June 18 after he drove through a stop sign and veered out of his driving lane, according to the criminal complaint. The police officer who stopped Timberlake wrote in the complaint that the singer claimed to have had one martini, but there were tell-tale signs that he was not sober: His eyes were “bloodshot and glassy,” his breath smelled strongly like alcohol, his speech was slow and his balance was off. Timberlake also “performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” the officer wrote, adding that the “Cry Me a River” singer declined a breath test.
A judge suspended Timberlake's license in August, citing his refusal to take a breathalyzer test when he was pulled over. The judge also reprimanded Timberlake's attorney, Edward Burke Jr., for telling reporters that Sag Harbor Police had made “very significant errors” in the case and that he expected charges to be dismissed.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after his hearing on Friday, Timberlake said that he made a mistake and “could’ve made a different decision” on the night of his arrest. “To everyone watching and listening, even if you had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” he said. “There’s so many alternatives — call a friend, take an Uber ... take a taxi.”
He also acknowledged the “strain” that the incident has taken on Sag Harbor, whose residents had to deal with an influx of media attention following his arrest.
“I grew up in a small town,” Timberlake said. “I can appreciate and understand the strain or unique nature that this must’ve been on the people of Sag Harbor, but I just want to say to everyone involved, from everyone in the courtroom to everyone outside ... that I’m very grateful and I thank them.”