Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving

Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving on Friday, resolving the criminal case stemming from his June arrest in New York’s Hamptons on a drunken driving charge.

The NYNCS singer-turned-solo star and actor appeared in Sag Harbor Village Court to enter a new plea to the lesser charge.

The judge sentenced Timberlake to a fine of 500 dollars (£380) with a 260-dollar surcharge (£198), 25 hours of community service at a non-profit of his choosing and required him to make a public safety announcement.

“I try to hold myself to a very high standard, for myself, and this was not that,” Timberlake told media and other onlookers gathered outside the courthouse after the hearing.

During the proceedings, Timberlake remained standing throughout and gave a statement in which he expressed remorse for his actions.

He said he grew up in a small town and appreciated the kind of strain his arrest has made on Sag Harbor. He said he has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions.

“I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he said.

“I should’ve had better judgment,” he said to the judge. “I understand the seriousness of this.”

Judge Carl Irace expressed disappointment with the proposed plea deal put forward by prosecutors. He questioned the appropriateness of the public announcement Timberlake intended to make shortly after the court proceedings. He was concerned it did not give proper time for him to reflect on his actions for that reason, he said he was adding on community service requirements to the sentence.

“My experience is that these conditions can prove helpful and even gratifying for the accused,” the judge said.

The pop star originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanour charge of driving while intoxicated and had his driver’s licence suspended during a hearing last month.

“Contrary to what was reported, he wasn’t drinking other peoples’ drinks, or warned in advance not to drive,” said Mr Burke, adding that Timberlake was also polite and co-operative during his arrest.

Burke said the lesser charge Timberlake pleaded to is “consistent with these facts”.

Prosecutor Patrick O’Connell told the judge that Timberlake’s public service announcement would hopefully show that no-one is above the law and that celebrities can be treated like everyone else.

Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York, a little after midnight on June 18 after police said he ran a stop sign in the village centre, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol.

Police in court filings also said the 43-year-old Tennessee native’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and that he had “slowed speech,” was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on all sobriety tests.

Timberlake told the officer he had had one martini and was following some friends home, police said.