Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to lesser charge of drunk driving

Pop star Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty today in New York state court to a less serious traffic charge of drunk driving. He was arrested this summer when police caught him ignoring a stop sign and drifting out of his lane.

Timberlake, 43, agreed to plead guilty to driving under the influence, which, according to several media reports, is a lesser traffic offense than driving under the influence.

He was sentenced to a $500 fine and community service, Variety reported. Timberlake’s attorney Edward Burke said he was pleased with the lesser sentence and denied all reports that Timberlake was drunk when he was arrested, CBS News reported.

Timberlake’s driver’s license had already been revoked. The judge also sentenced Timberlake to 25 to 40 hours of community service at a nonprofit organization and ordered him to make a “public safety announcement.”

Timberlake pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol on August 2. He was arrested on June 18 in the town of Sag Harbor, Long Island, where he was driving a gray 2025 BMW shortly after midnight.

When he was stopped by police, Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy, ​​his breath had the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, he was unable to divide his attention, was unsteady on his feet, and performed poorly on all standardized sobriety tests,” court documents say.

Timberlake told the officer that he had drunk a martini before driving and refused to take a breathalyzer test.

After the hearing, Timberlake told reporters: “I try to hold myself to very high standards, and that was not the case here.”

He also said, “That’s a mistake I made, but I hope that everyone watching and listening right now can learn from that mistake. I know I certainly did. And like I said – not even one drink. Don’t get behind the wheel of a car.”