Justin Timberlake was charged for the second time in his driving while intoxicated (DWI) case on August 2.
The singer, who is on a world tour, attended the hearing virtually in Sag Harbor, New York, where he was stopped in June. During the hearing, the judge informed Timberlake that his driver’s license would be suspended and accused his lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., of “irresponsible” comments.
What happened at the hearing?
Timberlake appeared via video conference from Antwerp, Belgium, wearing a black collared shirt, according to NBC News. He pleaded not guilty to a revised misdemeanor charge of drunken driving in Hamptons Village.
Burke withdrew an earlier motion to close the case. Sag Harbor Judge Carl Irace officially suspended Timberlake’s New York license. (The suspension could be transferred to other states through the Interstate Driver’s License Compact.) The license will be suspended pending the outcome of the process.
Irace admonished Burke for making “irresponsible” comments to the media in what the judge called an “attempt to poison the case before it even began.” The judge threatened – but has not yet imposed – a gag order. (Burke told the press outside court last week that Timberlake was “not intoxicated.”)
The next hearing is scheduled for August 9, but Timberlake is also not required to appear in person. This will be followed by a hearing scheduled for September 13, which he may be required to attend.
After Friday’s hearing, Burke spoke briefly to the press. Asked if his client claims he was not intoxicated at the time of his arrest, Burke said they do indeed say so. He also said he doesn’t think the judge will impose a gag order against him: “Hey, we all have jobs to do and we’re obligated to zealously defend our clients, and that’s what I intend to do.”
Justin Timberlake’s lawyer Edward D. Burke Jr. on Timberlake’s DWI case and a judge’s threat to impose a gag order.
Timberlake pleaded not guilty to a revised DWI charge at a virtual court hearing in New York today
For more information about the case: pic.twitter.com/eXPWeR10PL
– Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 2, 2024
In New York, a misdemeanor DWI conviction can result in up to a year in prison and $500 to $1,000 in fines. However, “it would be rare for anyone, even with a [chemical test] refusal, would serve prison time as a first-time offender without accident or egregious circumstances,” attorney Peter T. Goodrich of Goodrich & Bendish in New York previously told Yahoo.
Goodrich also explained that in addition to Timberlake’s criminal case, he will have a hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles regarding the breathalyzer refusal. Under New York law, any person operating a motor vehicle in the state is considered to have given their consent to chemical testing to determine the alcohol or drug content of their blood. Refusing to do so during a DWI arrest results in the person’s license being revoked for at least one year, regardless of a criminal conviction.
Burke has not yet responded to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment on the Aug. 2 hearing.
How did we get here?
Just after midnight on June 18, a Sag Harbor police officer stopped Timberlake in his BMW after the officer said he saw him leave a lane and run a stop sign, according to the arrest report. The officer said that Timberlake, who was at the American Hotel restaurant and bar, had “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, unsteady feet and that there was an odor of alcohol on his breath. Timberlake told the officer he had “a martini,” according to the report. He performed poorly on the field sobriety test, the officer said, and refused a breathalyzer test. Timberlake was held in police custody until his arraignment, at which he pleaded not guilty and was released without bail.
At a hearing on July 26, which Timberlake also attended virtually, his lawyer attacked the case on procedural grounds, saying the supervisor of the arresting officer did not sign the criminal complaint. The Suffolk County district attorney’s office said there was a “ministerial error” in the arrest documentation that was corrected and that Timberlake would be prosecuted again under the revised complaint.
It was after this hearing that Burke told the press that his client “was not intoxicated. I’ll say it again: Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated and we are confident that the charge – the criminal charge – will be dismissed.” A spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney said in a statement, “We stand ready to litigate the underlying facts of this case in court, not in the press.”
Why wasn’t Timberlake in court?
The singer — whose only comment on the DWI charge was when he was on stage in Chicago immediately after his arrest and referred to having had a “rough week” — did not attend the last two hearings because he was in Europe on his “Forget Tomorrow World” show. ”. Browse.” He will play shows in Belgium on August 3 and 4, and then head to the UK for several shows.
If he is required to appear in person at his next hearing on September 13, it will be during a break from his shows. According to his tour schedule, Timberlake will be in France for a tour on September 7th, but has nothing until a September 28th show in Newark, NJ.
