Justin Timberlake pleads guilty to DWAI, gets community service, PSA

SAG HARBOR, N.Y. — Sag Harbor was packed with media and onlookers Friday as pop star Justin Timberlake made his first appearance at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court, just yards from The American Hotel, where he was last seen with friends before the DWI arrest in June.

Timberlake signed a plea agreement Friday, pleading guilty to driving while impaired, a misdemeanor. prosecutors said the pop star would make a public safety announcement against drunk driving that would have global impact.

Sag Harbor Village Judge Carl Irace, who said he thought the sentence presented by the prosecution was not severe enough, also ordered Timberlake to perform 25 hours of community service at a nonprofit of his choice — he has a year to complete those hours — and pay a $500 fine. He will lose his New York license for 90 days for refusing to take a breathalyzer test, officials said.

Irace had questions about the PSA, asking how it would work. When told it would be taped outside the courthouse, Irace had reservations and said he believed the PSA would be created in the traditional sense, filmed and shared multiple times on various channels.

As suggested, Irace said the PSA was a “sidewalk statement” which he felt was “unsatisfactory”.

The prosecution recalled that every detail of the case had reached an international audience and that any video shared by the media and social media, taped Friday in court, would have the same stratospheric, wide-ranging impact.

“We received more inquiries on this case than the Gilgo serial killings,” said the assistant district attorney.

Irace said he thought raising awareness was “absolutely critical” and praised Timberlake for wanting to do it through his platform.

He added, however, that he felt other components of punishment were missing. he'd like to see some focus on the “rehabilitation” element, and he also said he believes community service ends up being rewarding because a person has time for reflection and reflection, which is important in preventing recidivism, Irace said.

“It might be pleasant,” said Irace. “It's one of those things where you get out of it, what you put into it.”

In determining the number of hours of community service, Irace said his decision would be made after Timberlake's statement.

In the process, Timberlake expressed remorse, saying he made a bad decision that night. “Even if you have a drink, don't get behind the wheel,” he said, suggesting people take a taxi or take a ride or call a friend.

He said he also comes from a small town and understands the pressure the proceedings have taken on the Sag Harbor community.

He said that since he was a boy, he had held himself to “very high standards. This wasn't it. I was put in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I would have had some time to think about it. That was a mistake.” which I did, but hopefully anyone watching or listening can learn from this mistake.

He said he was grateful and understood the seriousness of what might have happened and was looking forward to using his platform internationally to spread the word and raise awareness about not drinking and driving.

Iris said he heard Timberlake's honesty. “I believe you,” he said.

Timberlake, both in court and addressing the media, said he was grateful. “I'll do my part. I hope everyone else does their part.”

Timberlake's attorney, Edward Burke Jr., also spoke. He said in the past he has said, “My client was not driving drunk.”

After much discussion and a thorough examination of the evidence, Burke said: “Today the DA's office correctly agreed not to proceed with this charge. The evidence revealed that my client finished the contents of one drink in two hours at The American Hotel .”

Contrary to what some outlets reported, Burke said, “he didn't drink other people's drinks or give advance warnings not to drive. He wasn't rude. He wasn't obnoxious. He wasn't combative. In fact, he was polite and respected throughout during his encounter with law enforcement, as they do.”

The plea “to a reduced and amended non-criminal charge, traffic violation, is consistent with these facts and a full acceptance of responsibility for them,” Burke said.

Burke said the case unfolded right across the street from his office — the American Hotel and the Sag Harbor Magistrates Court are a short geographical distance away. “But I think we're going to have a message that will travel far and wide. Because it's that message coming from Justin himself, about what's in his head and in his heart.”

Alisa McMorris, who lost her son Andrew, a scout on a hike with his troop, to a drunk driver in 2018, attended with her daughter Arianna — and, representing Mothers Against Drunk Driving, also spoke from the heart.

McMorris said: “This judge made me happy. He understood the gravity of the situation.” Her daughter has to live a life without her brother, she and her husband John have to live a life without their son, she said. “The number of murders we're seeing on these streets today,” he said.

McMorris said she was “guarded” in court, unsure of what Timberlake would say. “But I believed him [Timberlake] in the courtroom. I thought he made an honest effort and I applaud him and I'm really grateful that there is at least 25 hours of community service. And I hope he chooses to do so with drunk driving awareness. We want to see a reduction in recidivism. We want to see people who get into the car understand the seriousness of their situation.”

Her son, she said, loved music and singing. “What I want to say to Justin is, 'Andrew can no longer sing and dance. He played ukelele and guitar and did all these cool things. And I need Justin to sing for him,” she said, her voice breaking. “I need him to speak for him.”

In a nod to a popular Timberlake song, he said “Let's bring sober back.”

“Today, Mr. Timberlake chose to plead guilty and accept responsibility for driving while ability impaired by alcohol,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “We appreciate his willingness to take responsibility for his behavior and for using his platform to raise public awareness about the dangers of drunk driving. As previously reported, Mr. Timberlake received the the same treatment as any other defendant.Justice should be applied equally For all individuals, regardless of their wealth or drug status, drug driving is an extremely serious public safety issue nationwide, with the prevalence of and the convenience of public transportation and rideshares, there's no excuse for getting behind the wheel when you're in any way disabled.”

According to a Sag Harbor Village Police spokesperson, Timberlake, 43, was arrested in the “early morning hours” of June 18 on a misdemeanor DWI charge and taken away.

Sag Harbor police said that at 12:37 a.m. Timberlake, Tennessee, was seen driving a 2025 BMW southbound on Madison Street and failing to stop at a properly posted stop sign and failing to maintain his lane.

A Sag Harbor Village police officer initiated a traffic stop and, upon investigation, determined that Timberlake was driving under the influence. He was arrested, processed and held overnight for morning arraignment, police said, the same protocol as any other DWI arrest.
Timberlake was arraigned in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court and released on his own recognizance, police said.

Timberlake's previous court date in August was postponed. Also in August, his license was suspended in a mock ruling, according to NBC.

Timberlake's attorney, Burke Jr., had requested a new court date in connection with the pop star's DWI arrest in Sag Harbor, asking that the case be dismissed on a technicality — and also said the performer was not drunk and should not have had been arrested.

He later dropped the dismissal motion, according to reports.

Burke Jr. appeared in the first court appearance at Sag Harbor Justice Court without Timberlake, who, according to his world tour schedule, was scheduled to appear in Poland on that July date.

Timberlake was given a new, mock trial date of Friday, August 2, magistrate court representatives told Patch. He participated in the court proceedings effectively that day.

Burke had originally filed a motion to dismiss the case “with an insufficient indictment” — because the original charging document did not have a sergeant's signature, he said.

Burke released a statement after he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor.

Burke told Patch that Timberlake was initially charged with just one count of DWI, a misdemeanor. refused to take a breathalyzer test, he said. He was also cited for vehicle and traffic violations after failing to stop at a stop sign and stay in his lane, Burke said.

Timberlake was released without bond, Burke said.

Court documents revealed that Timberlake told police, “I had a martini and followed my friends home.”

A representative for Timberlake could not immediately be reached.

Timberlake is currently in the middle of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour. the city tour has sold over a million tickets so far for more than 85 shows. On September 28, he is scheduled to appear at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.