Justin Timberlake says ‘even if you’ve had one drink, take an Uber’ as he admits to DWI after taking plea deal

JUSTIN Timberlake has urged his fans and the public to always take a cab home “even if you’ve had one drink”.

The singer, 43, pleaded guilty in his DWI case, which has now been diminished to a traffic violation and has taken a plea deal.

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After the sentencing, Justin said: “even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car.

“There are so many alternatives. You can call a friend [or] take an Uber”.

He added: “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 was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, in the early hours of June 18 after he failed to stop at a stop sign and could not stay in his lane.

His original DWI charge has since been officially dropped and lowered to Driving While Ability Impaired, sources told TMZ .

His lawyer, Edward Burke, Jr., and prosecutors got the judge in the DWI case to sign off on the deal.

The boy band singer-turned-solo star and actor appeared in Sag Harbor Village Court on Friday to enter a new plea to the lesser charge.

The judge sentenced Justin to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, and 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing.

During the proceedings the star remained standing throughout and gave a statement in which he expressed remorse for his actions.

He said he grew up in a small town and appreciated the kind of strain his arrest has made on Sag Harbor.

Justin added he has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions, saying: “I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself.”

Timberlake said he is “grateful for the opportunity to move forward” and use his platform to hopefully help others make “better decisions.“

“I should’ve had better judgment,” he said to the judge.

“I understand the seriousness of this.”

The pop star originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and had his driver’s license suspended during a hearing last month.

The former NSYNC frontman will still have his driver’s license suspended due to declining a breathalyzer test when initially pulled over by police.

In New York, refusal to take a breathalyzer equates to an automatic license suspension for a year.

JUSTIN’S ARREST

Shortly after leaving The American Hotel following a night out with friends, the singer was pulled over while traveling southbound on Madison Street, a public highway in the Hamptons village.

Cops, often stationed nearby, noticed Justin swerving on the road and blowing through a stop sign.

Police smelled alcohol on his breath and noted that he was unsteady on his feet and also had slowed speech and glassy eyes.

Justin was quoted telling officers that he had only “one martini” and “followed his friends home.”

However, one witness told The New York Post that Justin was “wasted” when he left the establishment.

Other sources claimed some of Justin’s friends arrived on the scene and tried to convince the cops to let him go.

They were unsuccessful, however, as Justin was handcuffed and arrested.

Timberlake's Criminal Attorney to the Stars

Justin Timberlake hired Sag Harbor legal eagle Ed Burke Jr for his DWI case

Justin’s attorney has represented a gamut of notable names out east.

In 2015, the attorney represented a pre #MeToo era Matt Lauer in his fight with his Water Mill neighbors to plant trees along his property in an effort to combat noise from adjoining properties that were spooking his horses.

In 2017, Ed represented Harvey Weinstein in a fender bender incident in a parking lot in the Hamptons, where the disgraced movie mogul allegedly tried to drive away.

In 2001, he represented Lizzie Grubman, a nightlife publicist whose car careened into a crowd of 16 people in front of a Hamptons club, before fleeing the scene.

He was taken into custody that night and arraigned in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court the following morning.

He was released without bail on his recognizance and was also charged with one count of DWI due to his refusal of the breathalyzer, according to Justin’s lawyer.

Justin was also cited for running a stop sign and failing to keep in his own lane.

ED’S STATEMENT

Justin’s lawyer gave a statement to The U.S. Sun about the case, claiming Justin “was not intoxicated” at the time of his arrest.

“The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested for DWI.

“The police made a number of very significant errors in this case,” Ed claimed.

“In court today, you heard the district attorney try to fix one of those errors.

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“But that’s just one and there are many others. Sometimes the police make mistakes and this is just one of those instances,” he continued.

“But the fact remains, he was not intoxicated and they made an error in arresting him for it. We are confident that his charge will be dismissed.”

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office responded moments after Ed made his statement.

The office said they “located a ministerial error in the original accusatory instrument” and corrected it.

“The facts and circumstance of the case have not been changed or amended,” the statement read.

“Mr. Timberlake is scheduled to be arraigned on the amended accusatory instrument … via a virtual appearance at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court.”

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