Justin Timberlake pleaded not guilty plea to a revised misdemeanor charge in connection to his arrest for driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor, New York this past June. Timberlake’s drivers license was also suspended in the state of New York.
Timberlake, 43, was performing in Antwerp, Belgium over the weekend and appeared virtually on Friday in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court in New York before Justice Carl Irace. During the hearing, Irace urged caution and threatened Timberlake’s counsel with a gag order, referring to comments made outside of court to the media by the singer’s lawyer, Edward Burke. Burke previously disagreed with the claim that Timberlake was intoxicated, disputing to reporters that the police made “very significant errors” and asserting that “he was not intoxicated.”
Burke told reporters after court regarding the suspended license: “This is standard procedure with every DWI case. In New York, the suspension stays during the pendency of the case and is resolved at the end. Other states have similar regulations. .. We are very confident that charge, that criminal charge, will be dismissed.”
Timberlake was pulled over and arrested in June in Sag Harbor, with police stating that he drove through a stop sign and swerved into another lane. Authorities determined the pop star was driving drunk, had bloodshot, glassy eyes and “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” emanating from his breath, according to the criminal complaint. He also had slowed speech, was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on a field sobriety test, the complaint said. Timberlake told the arresting officer he had only one drink, according to the complaint.
A further conference hearing in the case is scheduled for August 9, which Timberlake is not required to attend. The judge asked the singer’s attorney to find a date when Timberlake can appear in person, perhaps as soon as Sept. 13.
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