Justin Timberlake has pleaded guilty in court to impaired driving following his arrest earlier this year.
The 43-year-old appeared at Sag Harbor Village Court in New York State on Friday, where the judge sentenced him to a $500 fine with $260 surcharge and 25 hours of community service.
He was originally charged with driving while intoxicated and pleaded guilty to driving while impaired, a less serious offence which is non-criminal.
The Sexy Back singer spoke out after the sentencing, warning others: “Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car.
“There are so many alternatives. You can call a friend [or] take an Uber”.
It comes following his arrest on June 18 after police stated he had failed to stop at a stop sign and couldn’t stay in his lane while driving.
Court documents had described his eyes as “bloodshot and glassy” and detailed how he “performed poorly on all standardised field sobriety tests”.
According to Sky, the singer remained standing throughout his court appearance and gave a statement in which he expressed his remorse.
“I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he said, continuing to state how he is “grateful for the opportunity to move forward”.
“I should’ve had better judgement,” he told the judge, adding: “I understand the seriousness of this.”
Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving on Friday
PA
Timberlake had his licence suspended last month and had previously pleaded not guilty to driving while i ntoxicated.
The penalties for such a crime include jail time and fines of around $2,000 (£1,530) for a first offence.
According to the Daily Mail, a source said following his arrest in the summer: “Justin was out to dinner with friends and there were cop cars stationed outside the restaurant like there are most nights.
“They look for people who are leaving after midnight who might have been drinking.
Timberlake launched his singing career in the 1990s
PA
“Justin left at 12:30AM and was pulled over as soon as he left. Nobody was hurt and there was no drama at the scene.”
Timberlake found fame at a young age and became part of boy band NSYNC in 1995 before going solo with his singing career.
He’s married to actress Jessica Biel, with the couple sharing two songs together.
Source Agencies
