SAG HARBOR, N.Y. — A judge suspended Justin Timberlake’s license Friday, as the singer pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated on Long Island.
Timberlake attended the court hearing virtually from Germany, where he is preparing for his world tour shows in Belgium this weekend.
The 43-year-old pleaded not guilty to one count of DWI from his June arrest in the Hamptons.
The Sag Harbor village justice then automatically suspended his license to drive in New York. The justice also threatened his defense attorney with a gag order because of previous comments about his innocence.
“We’re going to be filing motions and we’re going to let the content of those motions and the arguments contained therein, speak for themselves,” lawyer Edward Burke Jr. told reporters outside court. “We’re waiting for the prosecution to certify discovery, complete their obligations, and then we’ll take it from there.”
Justin Timberlake arrested for DWI
Timberlake was pulled over shortly after 12:30 a.m. on June 18 in Sag Harbor, which is about 100 miles from New York City in the Hamptons.
Police said he failed to stop at a stop sign, then failed to stay on the right side of the road. The arresting officer said his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and his breath smelled of alcohol.
“I had one martini and I followed my friends home,” Timberlake allegedly told the officer.
According to court documents, he refused to take a breath test three times.
He was charged with DWI and released on his own recognizance.
Lawyer says Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated
Timberlake’s lawyer said in a statement last week that his team is “confident that this charge will be dismissed.”
“He was not intoxicated,” Burke said outside court last Friday. “I’ll say it again. Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated.”
In a statement provided to CBS New York, Burke claimed police made “a number of very significant errors in this case.”
“The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested for DWI,” the statement read, adding Timberlake “cooperated with the police officers at all times and treated them with the respect they deserve.”
Justin Timberlake on “Forget Tomorrow World Tour”
Days after his arrest, Timberlake appeared in Chicago for his world tour. He addressed the charges, telling fans, “it’s been a tough week.”
“We’ve been together through ups and downs, lefts and rights. It’s been a tough week, but you’re here, and I’m here,” he said.
He later performed at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan before taking his tour international. It comes to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the Prudential Center in New Jersey in October.
Timberlake is among the best-selling music artists in the world and has 10 Grammys and four Emmys. The former Disney Mouseketeer launched to stardom with NSYNC before starting his solo music and acting career, appearing in films, like “The Social Network” and “Friends with Benefits.”
Source : Cbs News
