Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of "driving while ability impaired" in the drunk driving case when he appeared in the Sag Harbor Court, New York on September 13. The singer-actor has been ordered to pay a fine of $500 and perform 25-40 hours of community service. The pop star had originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and had his driver’s license suspended during a hearing last month on August 2.
On Friday, Timberlake told the judge, "I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself. I should’ve had better judgment. I understand the seriousness of this", as per Associated Press. Along with his fine and community service, Justin was also asked to make a "public safety announcement", which he fulfilled as he spoke to the press outside the court after the hearing. "Even if you 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. This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever’s watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have", he said.
Timberlake was arrested on June 18 in the town of Sag Harbor on Long Island, where he was driving a 2025 gray BMW shortly after midnight. When stopped by police, Timberlake's eyes "were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he was unsteady afoot and performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests," court documents said. The singer-actor told the officer he had one martini before driving and refused to take a breathalyzer test.
A young Timberlake was a Disney Mouseketeer, where his castmates included future girlfriend Britney Spears. He rose to fame in the popular boy band NSYNC and embarked on a solo recording career in 2002. As an actor, Timberlake has won acclaim in movies including The Social Network and Friends With Benefits. He has won ten Grammy awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards. (With inputs from agencies)
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