Justin Timberlake loses driving privileges in New York during DUI hearing
A week later Justin Timberlake‘Defense attorney claims singer was wrongly arrested in Hamptons, judge overseeing case threatens to stifle public conversation about ‘Cry Me A River’ singer drunk driving caseThe judge also suspended the pop star’s driving privileges, a move that only limits Timberlake’s activities in the Empire State.
Timberlake was arrested in June after police said he had been observed ran a stop sign and swerved between lanes while driving a gray 2025 BMW through the streets of Sag Harbor, Long Island. According to Justin Timberlake’s attorney, Ed BurkeThe musician refused police requests to take a breathalyzer test at the scene, reportedly telling police, “I had a martini and followed my friend home.”
According to Sag Harbor police, when stopped by officers, Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy,” and he smelled strongly of alcohol. He “was slurred in speech, had an unsteady gait, and performed poorly on all standardized road sobriety tests,” the report said.
But the problems with that report are one of the reasons the charges against Timberlake should be dismissed, his attorney said after a hearing on July 26. “The police made some very serious mistakes in this case,” Burke said at a press conference. “Sometimes the police, like all of us, make mistakes. And that was the case.”
“He was not drunk. I’ll say it again. Justin Timberlake was not drunk,” Burke said at the time. “And we are very confident that the charge, that criminal charge, will be dismissed.”
One of the errors Burke mentioned was the lack of a required signature on Timberlake’s original indictment papers. That mistake meant the Candy performer had to appear in court a second time on Friday, this time with the papers intact.
Timberlake appeared in court virtually, as he was currently on tour to support his sixth studio albumMarch release Everything I think is so. Like his last arraignment, he entered a plea of not guilty and answered “yes” when asked by Sag Harbor Village Justice. Carl Irace.
Much of the exchange involved Burke and Irace, the latter of whom threatened to issue a speech ban over Burke’s remarks last week.
Irace warned that Burke’s comments to the press “are seen as an attempt to poison the case before it even begins”, describing them as “irresponsible”.
“Think about the law… before you comment,” Irace said.
Irace also announced that Wooden lakeTimberlake’s driver’s license will be suspended for the duration of the case, as he refused to take a field sobriety test when he was arrested. However, since Timberlake’s driver’s license was issued in a state other than New York, the suspension only applies to that state.
The next hearing in the case was set for August 9, but Timberlake was not required to appear. However, Irace set up an in-person hearing for September 13 and asked Burke to ensure Timberlake could appear on that date. If the hearing goes ahead and Timberlake is convicted, he could be fined up to $2,500 and sentenced to up to a year in prison.
