Justin Timberlake is expected to accept a plea deal on Friday for his June DWI arrest, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.
Though the pop singer initially pled not guilty, he will submit a guilty plea for a lesser charge this week, per The Associated Press. The original Driving While Intoxicated misdemeanor carried a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Timberlake will only have to pay a fine between $300 and $500, depending on a judge’s decision come Sept. 13, TMZ reports.
The “Can’t Stop the Feeling” singer was arrested shortly after midnight on June 18 in Sag Harbor, New York, and arraigned later that day on one count of DWI. He was released without bail. At an August hearing, his license was suspended by a New York judge.
Per a police statement at the time, Timberlake was “observed operating a 2025 BMW southbound on Madison Street, failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign and failing to maintain his lane of travel.” An officer who pulled the entertainer over “determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition.”
At a virtual court appearance in July, Timberlake pleaded not guilty. His lawyer argued that he was not intoxicated and said at the time that “we are very confident that charge, that criminal charge, will be dismissed.”
The plea deal on Wednesday still leaves Timberlake barred from driving in New York state for nearly another year. His license suspension was automatic as a result of the arrest because Timberlake refused a breathalyzer test when initially stopped by police.
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to a rep for Timberlake for further comment.
Source: Hollywoodreporter
