Highlights
Judge admonishes Timberlake’s attorney for “irresponsible” commentsJustin Timberlake’s recent legal problems went worse during a hearing for the DWI case in Sag Harbor, New York. The pop star who connected from Antwerp, Belgium, saw his driving rights in New York State removed by Justice Carl Irace. This development is as a result of Timberlake’s failure to blow in a breathalyzer when arrested for drunk driving in the Hamptons on June 18. The hearing which was conducted for approximately 30 minutes also involved the judge scolding Timberlake’s attorney for making “irresponsible” statements concerning the case to the media outlets.
Image source:Justin Timberlake
Details of the Hearing
During the Friday hearing at the Sag Harbor Justice Court, the following aspects were established in Timberlake’s DWI case. A judge by the name of Carl Irace had restricted the ability of the NSYNC member to drive in New York State but the period of suspension was not stated. Timberlake, who is on a world tour, was present at the proceedings through a video link from Antwerp in Belgium, dressed in a black collared shirt.
Burke Jr, representing Timberlake, angered the judge in the previous court session where he made some remarks. What Burke had said was that Timberlake was “not intoxicated” when the June 18 incident occurred. Justice Irace reprimanded Burke and said that his comments, which are more of a bid to prejudge the case, are unbecoming of him. The judge even threatened to order that Burke be restricted from speaking if he continues to make such statements.
Background of the Case
The cases against Timberlake were made following an incident that occurred on June 18 in the Hamptons, Long Island. The pop singer was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning after he or she failed the sobriety test. He was arrested on suspicion of DWI, even though he kept on asserting that he only took a “one martini” before driving. Timberlake has denied the charges against him through entering a not guilty plea.
For a first-time offender, Timberlake could be imprisoned for a year and/or be fined up to $2,500 if he is convicted. This is the first tangible sanction in this case that affected him, namely the suspension of his driving privileges in New York.
Legal Approach and Proceeding in the Future
From this case, it can be seen that Timberlake’s legal representatives seem to be considering different angles of defense. TMZ also said that the reason, which may be used by the singer’s attorney, was the officers’ allowing one of Timberlake’s drinking companions to drive his rented BMW after he was arrested. This could be utilized to challenge the decision of the arresting officers in some way.
In his testimony, Burke withdrew the motion to dismiss the case. Justice Irace said that if the attorney proceeded to make “irresponsible” statements to the press, Timberlake would have to attend the subsequent hearings in person.
The next court date is set for Friday, August 9 and is a lawyer conference. All eyes will be on how Timberlake’s legal team is going to handle these challenges in the case and whether the pop star is going to face other repercussions of his alleged DWI in the Hamptons.
