Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to drunken driving in Hamptons, New York

SAG HARBOR, New York — Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty Friday to a traffic violation – driving while impaired – to resolve his drunken driving case in the Hamptons.

Timberlake apologized for his conduct in comments to reporters after the trial, saying, “A lot of you have probably covered for me for a lot of my life… I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself – and that wasn’t the case.”

“I found myself in a situation where I could have made a different decision. But I had time to think about it,” he said.

“What I would say to everyone watching and listening to us is: Even if you’ve had a drink, don’t drive. There are so many alternatives. Call a friend, take an Uber,” Timberlake said.

Timberlake appeared in person in Sag Harbor Village Court on Friday, where the judge ordered him to pay a fine and perform community service.

Timberlake also agreed to appear in a public service announcement about the dangers of drunk driving.

“The evidence revealed that my client finished a drink in two hours at the American Hotel,” Timberlake’s attorney Edward Blake told reporters after the trial, as the pop star watched. “And contrary to what has been reported, he was not drinking other people’s drinks, nor was he warned in advance not to drive. He was not rude, he was not obnoxious, he was not aggressive. In fact, he was polite, cooperative and respectful throughout his encounter with law enforcement.”

“His request today for a reduced and amended non-criminal charge… is consistent with those facts,” he said.

Timberlake said: “It’s a mistake that I made, but I hope that those who are watching and listening right now can learn from it. I know they certainly have.”

“We can all be safer there. And I’m going to do my part, and I hope everybody else does theirs,” he said.

Timberlake was leaving a hotel in June when he was pulled over for running a stop sign and swerving into oncoming traffic.

The officer smelled alcohol on the pop star’s breath and police noted that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, ​​according to a police report. Timberlake also had slow speech, was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on a field sobriety test, according to the criminal complaint.

Timberlake told the arresting officer that he had only had one drink, according to the complaint.

The singer is currently on his “The Forget Tomorrow” world tour. His next concert will be on September 28 in Newark, New Jersey.