“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car. There’s so many alternatives — call a friend, take an Uber, there’s many travel apps, take a taxi,” Timberlake said in front of a crowd of reporters gathered outside the Sag Harbor courthouse.
“This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”
Justin Timberlake spoke out about his plea agreement on Friday. AP He encouraged people to think twice about drinking and driving. AP
Earlier Friday, the “Mirrors” crooner formally pleaded guilty to a traffic violation, driving while ability impaired (DWAI), which is not a criminal offense unlike his original driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge.
A judge ordered Timberlake, 43, to pay a $500 fine, perform 25 hours of community service at a nonprofit and appear in a public service announcement on the dangers of drunk driving.
“Even one drink — don’t get behind the wheel of the car,” he said. Matt Agudo/INSTARimages The hitmaker was arrested in June. Sag Harbor PD via MEGA
The pop star arrived at the courthouse early in the morning wearing brown trousers, a black T-shirt and a matching cardigan.
During the hearing, Timberlake said he had a lot of “time to reflect” following his June arrest . He told the judge that he was filled with “disappointment” in himself and knows he “did not live up to the standard” he holds himself to, per People .
“I found myself in a position where I should’ve taken a moment,” he said in the courtroom. “I understand and appreciate the seriousness of this.”
The hitmaker also took “a moment to show gratitude to everybody involved” and apologized for putting a “strain” on the small town in the Hamptons.
Timberlake admitted he made a “mistake” and encouraged others to “learn” from the situation. AP Timberlake pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired on Friday. AP
After news of his plea deal broke earlier this week, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told Page Six exclusively that Timberlake’s case had been handled with the same amount of care as any other offender.
“The one thing that we want to make sure we’re doing is … being consistent, and we don’t want to treat any defendant better than others because of … any perceived notoriety they may have,” Tierney told us.
“But we certainly don’t want to treat people worse for the same reason,” he added. “So we’re taking pains to make sure that we’re treating this case like any other case of its kind.”
Timberlake has to pay a $500 fine and perform 25 hours of community service as the result of his agreement. REUTERS The singer was taken into custody over the summer after allegedly blowing through a stop sign and swerving between lanes during a night out with friends. Hamptons.com
Timberlake was arrested shortly after midnight on June 18 after allegedly running a stop sign and swerving between lanes. He had been drinking with friends at a popular bar earlier in the evening.
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