Image via Reuters/Facebook
Pop superstar Justin Timberlake will have to rely on chauffeurs, friends, or perhaps Uber to get around for a while after a Sag Harbor Village judge suspended his driver’s license. The move comes as a shock to many after the surprise revelation that the singer had been pulled over and arrest for DUI earlier in the summer.
Road raging Power Rangers actor wanted for parking spot fight.
Because Timberlake is on tour in Belgium at the moment, he appeared remotely for the virtual hearing held on August 2. When asked how he pled to a misdemeanor charge of driving drunk, the pop singer responded not guilty.
During his appearance, Timberlake reportedly showed no emotion, reports People. It’s possible his attorney coached him on not being disruptive during the hearing or that his public relations team did as a way to help minimize damage to his reputation.
According to Reuters, the virtual court hearing where Timberlake’s driving privileges were suspended got pretty spicy. The judge scolded Edward Burke, the celebrity’s attorney, for making certain statements to the press after the previous hearing on July 26, saying they amounted to “an attempt to poison the case before it even begins.”
Burke previously told the media he was confident his client would face no consequences because Timberlake wasn’t drunk. The lawyer went on to explain that “the police made a number of very significant errors in this case.” That apparently riled the judge.
As explained by Burke, suspending a defendant’s driver’s license is standard practice in New York State DUI cases.
It’s unclear how long Timberlake will be barred from driving. In the meantime, we’ll have to see how the legal battle turns out. Perhaps his attorney will get the drunk driving charge dismissed considering he believes the woman who was allowed to drive the singer’s rental BMW from the traffic stop to her house was in fact intoxicated. That would call the judgement of the police officers into question.
Image via Reuters/Facebook
