With little more than a slap on the wrist, Justin Timberlake will now not face drunk driving charges after all thanks to a plea deal.
Justin Timberlake Pleads Not Guilty To Revised DWI Charge In Virtual Court Appearance In NY
Under the agreement, the ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ singer will enter a guilty plea of a traffic violation, a far lesser charge. Additionally, Timberlake will have to pay a fine of around $300 to $500 depending on what a judge decides on September 13 when the deal is expected to be rubber stamped and made official.
The plea deal will see the initial Driving While Intoxicated misdemeanor charge dropped. That charge carried a maximum of one year behind bars and a $2500 fine.
Even with the generous deal, Timberlake will not be able to drive in New York state for almost another year. Under the laws of the Empire State, the suspension of his license was automatic because Timberlake refused a breathalyze test when stopped by police in Sag Harbor earlier this summer.
The office of Timberlake’s lawyer Edward Burke, who has always insisted on his client’s innocence, told Deadline this morning that “for right now he’s not making any comment.” However, Deadline has confirmed the deal, which was first reported (no surprise) by TMZ.
Timberlake was arrested for drunk driving in the early hours of June 18 after a night out with pals in this popular summer beach destination, where weekend visitors and vacationers mingle with the wealthy residents and longtime locals of Long Island’s pricey Hamptons region. The Grammy-winning pop singer and Emmy-winning actor was on a weeklong break from the international tour in support of his latest album, Everything I Thought It Was .
A spokesperson for the Suffolk County, N.Y. District Attorney confirmed on Wednesday that their office “anticipates Mr. Timberlake will enter a plea” and will appear on Friday in person before Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace to finalize the deal.
“We are not releasing any details on the plea,” the spokesperson added.
Friday will be the entertainer’s first time back in Sag Harbor since his arrest. He attended a case hearing in August by a video link from Europe with the judge’s permission.
The closely watched case, which saw reporters lining up and crowding into Irace’s courtroom twice this summer, took more twists and turns than a typical DWI matter.
Justin Timberlake "Not Intoxicated" When Arrested, Lawyer Says At DWI Hearing; Arraignment Set For Next Week
The courtroom, with seating for about 30 people, sits inside a four-story red brick municipal building on Sag Harbor’s picturesque Main Street. From the bench, Irace dispenses fines and tickets for a variety of driving offenses and chats amiably with lawyers and defendants. But Irace threatened Burke with a gag order in August for combative comments the defense lawyer made outside court a week earlier.
Burke said in July that his client was “not intoxicated” and that Sag Harbor police had made “significant errors” and should not have arrested him. Irace said those remarks came off “as an attempt to poison the case before it even begins.”
After the DA submitted a revised complaint to address a paperwork issue raised by Burke, Timberlake re-entered his not guilty plea while observers wondered if the case might actually go to trial.
The former ’N Sync vocalist turned solo star was pulled over on June 18 for blowing through a stop sign and weaving in his rented BMW SUV, according to the criminal complaint filed by the arresting officer. The writeup described Timberlake “in an intoxicated condition” with “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, and emitting “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.” Timberlake said he’d had one martini but refused a breathalyzer test and spent the night in a local jail.
In court in July, Burke singled out the arresting officer as a “young” and “part time.” The cop’s age apparently showed when, according to Page Six, Timberlake fretted aloud that getting arrested would “ruin the tour” and the officer replied, not recognizing Timberlake, replied “What tour?”
Timberlake appeared to address his legal woes at a Chicago concert n late June, telling the audience, “It’s been a tough week, but you’re here, and I’m here and nothing can change this moment.”
The “Forget Tomorrow” tour began in April and last week finished a run of summer dates in Europe. Timberlake is set to return to North America on Sept. 26 in Newark and continue into 2025 with dates in Mexico, South America and then again in Europe
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