NEW YORK: Pop star Justin Timberlake was handed a sentence of community service yesterday after he changed his plea to guilty following his arrest for drunk driving, US media reported.
On June 18, the 43-year-old entertainer was pulled over in the town of Sag Harbor, about 160 kilometers east of New York City, after police observed his BMW go through a stop sign and struggle to stay within road lanes.
Sag Harbor Village Justice Court justice Carl Irace handed Timberlake a community service sentence and ordered the star to make a public statement after the singer pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while alcohol impaired, broadcaster NBC reported.
The charge is a traffic violation that carries a fine between US$300 to US$500 and a 90-day license suspension.
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‘Selfish’ star
“I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. This was not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision,” Timberlake said outside the court.
“Even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car, there's so many alternatives,” added Timberlake, who wore a dark cardigan and a pearl necklace.
“I grew up in a small town so I can appreciate and understand the strain, or unique nature, of what this must have been for the people of Sag Harbor... I'm very grateful and I thank them.”
Sag Harbor is an upmarket community in the exclusive Hamptons, notorious for its decadent parties and a favorite destination for the rich and famous, many of whom have summer houses on Long Island.
The officer who pulled over the Selfish singer said he was in no fit state to drive, although Timberlake has always insisted he had only one martini at the American Hotel during an evening with friends.
“His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” the police report said.
Timberlake's lawyer, Edward Burke Jr, said that the star was respectful during his encounter with police.
“Contrary to what was reported, (Timberlake) wasn't drinking other people's drinks, or warned in advance not to drive, he wasn't rude, he wasn't obnoxious, he wasn't belligerent. In fact he was polite and he was cooperative,” he said outside court.
“His plea today to a reduced and amended non-criminal charge, which is a traffic violation, is consistent with these facts.”
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