Timberlake pleads guilty to ability impaired driving, urges caution

Pop star Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty in a New York state court on Friday (September 13) to a charge of driving while ability impaired after he was arrested over the summer when police spotted him failing to obey a stop sign and veering off lane. Timberlake entered the plea in an agreement with prosecutors to avoid a harsher drunken driving charge. Judge Carl Irace ordered Timberlake to conduct a public service announcement and complete 25 hours of community service as part of his sentence. Additionally, the singer was fined $500 with a $260 surcharge and will face a 90-day suspension of his license. At a press conference after the hearing, Timberlake said, "I try to hold myself to a very high standard and this was not that. Even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car." Timberlake pleaded not guilty on Aug. 2 to a charge of driving while intoxicated. Timberlake, 43, was arrested on June 18 in the town of Sag Harbor on Long Island, where he was driving a 2025 gray BMW shortly after midnight. When stopped by police, Timberlake's eyes "were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he was unsteady afoot and performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests," court documents said. Timberlake told the officer he had one martini before driving and refused to take a breathalyzer test. (Production: Aleksandra Michalska, Roselle Chen)