Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to driving while impaired as he agrees to community service
13 September 2024, 17:29 | Updated: 13 September 2024, 17:52
Justin Timberlake has pleaded guilty to a non-criminal traffic violation of driving while impaired after he was arrested in New York state in June.
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The 43-year-old singer and actor entered Sag Harbor Village Court late Friday morning escorted by police to formally enter a new plea.
He has agreed to make a public safety announcement, pay a minimum fine and do 25 to 40 hours of community service.
The offence of driving while impaired carries a $300 to $500 (£230 - £380) fine and a 90-day licence suspension.
The singer remained standing throughout proceedings and gave a statement in which he expressed remorse for his actions.
He had previously pleaded not guilty to the greater charge of driving while intoxicated, which can incur penalties including jail time and fines up to $2,000 (£1,520) for a first offence.
Timberlake had his license suspended early last month after being arrested on June 18 with "bloodshot and glassy" eyes and a "strong odour of an alcoholic beverage", according to police statements.
The singer-songwriter was understood to have been having dinner with friends at the American Hotel bar in Sag Harbor before leaving and attempting to drive off in a BMW.
Read more: Justin Timberlake 'takes plea deal' with US authorities following drink-driving arrest
Police say he drove through a stop sign at around 12:30, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol.
Timberlake told the officer he had drunk one martini and was following some friends home, according to police. He was arrested and spent the night in custody at a police station.
A 10-time Grammy winner, Timberlake began performing as a young Disney Mouseketeer, rose to fame as part of the boy band NSYNC and embarked on a solo recording career in the early 2000s.
Sag Harbor is a one-time whaling village mentioned in Herman Melville's classic novel Moby-Dick that is nestled amid the Hamptons, around 100 miles east of New York City.
