Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to impaired driving in New York

SAG HARBOR, N.Y. -

Justin Timberlake urged drivers not to get behind the wheel of a car after even a single alcoholic drink on Friday, shortly after pleading guilty to driving while impaired in New York's Hamptons earlier this year.

The public safety announcement in front of the Sag Harbor police department was part of the plea deal that knocked down the misdemeanour charge he'd faced to a non-criminal traffic violation. The boy band singer-turned-solo star and actor was also sentenced to a US$500 fine with a $260 surcharge, 25 hours of community service at the non-profit of his choosing and a 90-day suspension of his licence.

"I try to hold myself to a very high standard, for myself, and this was not that," Timberlake told the news media and other onlookers after the hearing in the adjacent Sag Harbor Village Court.

"Even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car," he said. "There's so many alternatives. Call a friend. Take an Uber. There's many travel apps. Still, take a taxi. This is a mistake that I made, but I'm hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have."

The NSYNC star made similar comments during the court hearing and said he grew up in a small town and appreciated the kind of strain his arrest has made on a community like Sag Harbor.

The one-time whaling village, which is mentioned in Herman Melville's classic novel "Moby-Dick," is nestled amid the Hamptons, an area of seaside communities around 100 miles (160 kilometres) east of New York City.

Timberlake was arrested there a little after midnight on June 18 after police said he ran a stop sign in the village centre, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol.

Police said the 43-year-old Tennessee native told the officer he had had one martini and was following some friends home. He originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanour charge of driving while intoxicated.

Timberlake told the court he's had a lot of time to reflect on his actions and was "grateful for the opportunity to move forward" and use his platform to hopefully help others make "better decisions."

"I should have had better judgment," he said to the judge. "I understand the seriousness of this."

Judge Carl Irace said he did not oppose reducing the charge Timberlake faced since he was a first time offender and thanked him for speaking sincerely and "from the heart." But he questioned the appropriateness of the proposed sentence, dismissing the public announcement Timberlake intended to make shortly after the court proceedings as "unsatisfactory."

Irace said imposing an additional requirement of community service would give the singer more time to reflect on his actions.

"My experience is that these conditions can prove helpful and even gratifying for the accused," he said.

Prosecutor Patrick O'Connell told the judge they had weighed recommending community service, but thought a statement from Timberlake would be a more valuable public service because of its potential to influence a younger generation worldwide.

He also said Timberlake's remarks would hopefully show that "no one is above the law," not even the wealthy and famous.

"Mr. Timberlake received the same treatment as any other defendant," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney added in a statement after the hearing. "Justice should be applied equally to all individuals, regardless of their wealth or celebrity status."

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Among those in the courtroom Friday was a local mother whose 12-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver in 2018.

Alisa McMorris, who now runs a foundation in her son Andrew's memory, said she hoped Timberlake's remarks would help bring more awareness to the dangers of driving under the influence.

"Justin has such a huge platform to the next generation. People listen to him," she said alongside her daughter after the singer had departed. "Five words I tell the kids when I go to the high schools is 'How are we getting home?' and he spoke about that. Make a plan. I don't want another sister or a family to have to go through what we did."

Edward Burke Jr., Timberlake's attorney, maintained outside the court after Friday's hearing that his client only had one drink in two hours at the American Hotel before his arrest.

"Contrary to what was reported, he wasn't drinking other peoples' drinks, or warned in advance not to drive," said Burke, adding that the lesser charge Timberlake pleaded to is "consistent with these facts."

At one point in the hearing, Timberlake promised Judge Irace he wouldn't "go back" to driving after having a drink again. The judge, who had otherwise been serious in tone, playfully interjected: "But come back to Sag Harbor! It's a great place."

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Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.