Justin Timberlake's Hamptons DWI Case Reportedly Reaches Resolution
It sounds like Justin Timberlake is getting off easy following his June arrest in Sag Harbor, NY. The 43-year-old has reportedly agreed to a plea deal in the case for a lesser charge, with the judge agreeing to drop the DWI charge.
According to TMZ, Timberlake's lawyer, along with prosecutors on the case, have persuaded the judge to sign off on the deal. Instead, sources with direct knowledge of the situation say that the "Cry Me a River" singer will agree to a Driving While Ability Impaired charge, which is different from a drunk driving offense and involves a fine of just $300–500.
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The judge will set the exact amount of the fine during the plea deal hearing on Friday, which NBC News confirmed that Timberlake will be attending in person, per a spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. In addition to the fine, the Grammy-winning artist will also have his driver's license suspended for a year in New York, which is standard operating procedure when someone refuses to submit to a breathalyzer test.
Timberlake was pulled over on June 18 when he blew through a stop sign after meeting up with friends for dinner at a hotel in the affluent Hamptons town, and was allegedly observed swerving all over the road. He was arrested on DWI charges after failing a field sobriety test, although he pled not guilty and was released hours after his arraignment.
Sag Harbor Village arresting police officer Michael Arkinson, who apparently did not recognize Timberlake, described the singer as having glassy, bloodshot eyes and had "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath." The complaint also stated that he was "unable to divide attention ... had slowed speech... [and] was unsteady afoot" despite claiming to have only had one martini.
"The cop didn’t know who he was at first,” a source told Page Six at the time. "Justin said under his breath, 'This is going to ruin the tour.' The cop replied, 'What tour?' Justin said, 'The world tour.'"
Yet, despite the controversy, Timberlake has soldiered on with the tour, which has upcoming stops in Newark, NJ; Brooklyn, NY; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, D.C. in the coming weeks.