Justin Timberlake’s license suspended after DWI arrest on Long Island, as judge threatens gag order
SAG HARBOR, N.Y. — A judge suspended Justin Timberlake’s license Friday, as the singer pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated on Long Island.
Timberlake attended the court hearing virtually from Germany, before his world tour heads to Belgium this weekend.
The 43-year-old pleaded not guilty to one count of DWI stemming from his June arrest in the Hamptons.
The Sag Harbor village justice then automatically suspended Timberlake’s license to drive in New York.
Judge threatens attorney with gag order
The justice also threatened his defense attorney with a gag order due to previous comments about his innocence.
“We’re going to be filing motions and we’re going to let the content of those motions and the arguments contained therein, speak for themselves,” lawyer Edward Burke Jr. told reporters outside court. “We’re waiting for the prosecution to certify discovery, complete their obligations, and then we’ll take it from there.”
The case returns to court on August 9, and the justice said Timberlake may be required to attend in person in September.
Justin Timberlake arrested for DWI in Hamptons
Timberlake was pulled over shortly after 12:30 a.m. on June 18 in Sag Harbor, which is about 100 miles from New York City in the Hamptons.
Police said his BMW failed to stop at a stop sign, then didn’t stay on the right side of the road. The arresting officer said his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and his breath smelled of alcohol.
“I had one martini and I followed my friends home,” Timberlake allegedly told the officer.
According to court documents, he refused to take a breath test three times.
He was charged with DWI and released on his own recognizance.
Lawyer says Timberlake was not intoxicated
Timberlake’s lawyer said in a statement last week that his team is “confident that this charge will be dismissed.”
“He was not intoxicated,” Burke said outside court last Friday. “I’ll say it again. Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated.”
In a statement provided to CBS New York, Burke claimed police made “a number of very significant errors in this case.”
“The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested for DWI,” the statement read, adding Timberlake “cooperated with the police officers at all times and treated them with the respect they deserve.”
JT on “Forget Tomorrow World Tour”
Days after his arrest, Timberlake appeared in Chicago for his world tour. He addressed the charges, telling fans, “it’s been a tough week.”
“We’ve been together through ups and downs, lefts and rights. It’s been a tough week, but you’re here, and I’m here,” he said.
He later performed at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan before taking the tour international. He comes to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the Prudential Center in New Jersey in October.
Timberlake is among the best-selling music artists in the world and has 10 Grammys and four Emmys. The former Disney Mouseketeer launched to stardom with NSYNC before starting his solo music and acting career, appearing in films, like “The Social Network” and “Friends with Benefits.”
