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A contrite Justin Timberlake said he hoped others would learn from his “mistake” after he pleaded guilty to one count of driving while impaired as part of a deal with prosecutors in New York, following his arrest in June.
The former NSYNC member addressed the incident on the steps of a New York courthouse after he entered the plea on Friday to avoid a more serious drunken driving charge over the highly-publicized Hamptons incident.
“Many of you have probably been covering me for a lot of my life and as you may know I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself, and this was not that.,” he said outside the court.
“I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I’ve had some time to reflect on that and I also understand by the fact that all of you are here that I have a platform, you have a platform, we share that.
“So what I’d like to say to everyone watching and listening... even if you’ve had one drink – don’t get behind the wheel of a car. There’s so many alternatives, call a friend, get an Uber.”
He added: “This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”
The charge of “driving while ability impaired” is a traffic violation with a $300 to $500 fine and a 90-day license suspension. Timberlake also agreed to make a public safety announcement about the dangers of drinking and driving,
Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace also wants Timberlake to perform community service, between 25 and 40 hours, which he has a year to complete. Timberlake can choose the organization where he performs his community service.
Before the agreement, Timberlake had pleaded not guilty to the DWI charge, a misdemeanor, back in August. Had he been convicted, he could have faced a maximum of one year in prison and a $2500 fine.
The star was arrested in June in Sag Harbor for drunk driving. The arresting officer said he pulled Timberlake over after he didn’t stop at a stop sign and weaved in and out of his lane. Timberlake said he had a single martini that night but refused to take a breathalyzer test.
However, according to court filings, Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and “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 filings, obtained by AP said.
The incident gained further traction on social media after reports that the arresting officer reportedly was too young to recognize the singer, who is 43.
Timberlake also reportedly told him, “This is going to ruin the tour,” prompting the response from the officer “wWat tour?” “The world tour,” the singer replied.
The 10-time Grammy winner hasn’t publicly addressed the arrest but seemed to acknowledge it during a performance in Chicago just days later. “It’s been a tough week,” he told the audience during the June 21 show at the United Center. “But you’re here, and I’m here. Nothing can change this moment right now.”
Timberlake has been on tour for months in support of his latest album. He returns to the New York City area in the coming weeks with concerts in Newark, New Jersey; and Brooklyn.
