NEW YORK.- He Justin Timberlake’s lawyer said today – July 26 – that the singer was not intoxicated when he was stopped for a traffic violation last month, while seeking to have his drunk driving charge dismissed in the Hamptons of New York, citing errors in documents submitted by the police.
But Judge Carl Irace ordered Timberlake to be arraigned again on Aug. 2 with corrected paperwork.
The court also agreed that the former NSYNC member, who is currently on tour in Europe, could appear virtually for the proceedings. Timberlake did not attend Friday’s hearing, as his appearance was canceled in advance.
“Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated
Timberlake’s attorney, Edward Burke, said after the hearing that police made significant errors and he hopes the charge will be dismissed. He also maintained that Timberlake was not driving under the influence.
He was not intoxicated, Burke told reporters outside court. I’ll say it again. Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, described the paperwork problem as a ministerial error and that an amended charging document was filed on July 2.
The facts and circumstances of the case have not been changed or amended, spokeswoman Emily O’Neil said in an email.
Burke, in a later statement, suggested there were other problems with the arrest documents, but did not elaborate.
Police made a number of very significant mistakes in this case, he said. In court today, they heard the district attorney try to correct one of those mistakes. But that’s just one and there are many others. Sometimes police make mistakes and this is just one of those cases.
Cooperation with police during arrest
Timberlake respects law enforcement and the judicial process and cooperated with officers and treated them with respect during his arrest last month, Burke added.
Tierney’s office declined to respond to Burke’s comments.
We are ready to litigate the facts of this case in court, rather than in the press, O’Neil said.
Timberlake was charged with the misdemeanor on June 18 after police said he ran a stop sign and veered out of his lane in Sag Harbor, a former whaling town mentioned in Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby-Dick, which is located in the middle of the Hamptons, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of New York City.
The boy band singer-turned-solo star and actor was driving a 2025 BMW around 12:30 a.m. when an officer pulled him over and determined he was intoxicated, according to a court document.
His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of alcohol emanated from his breath, he could not focus his attention, his speech was slowed, he was unsteady on his feet and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests, court documents state.
Timberlake, 43, told the officer at the time that he had had a martini and was following some friends home, according to the documents. After being arrested and taken to a police station in nearby East Hampton, he refused a breathalyzer test.
The 10-time Grammy winner began his career as a young Disney actor and rose to fame as part of the boy band NSYNC before embarking on a successful solo career in the early 2000s.
FUENTE: AP
