Justin Timberlake’s drunken driving trial continues with a hearing on Friday.
The singer was arrested in Sag Harbor, N.Y., a section of the Hamptons on Long Island, in the early morning hours of June 18 and charged with a single misdemeanor count of driving under the influence (DWI) after refusing a breathalyzer test. Timberlake, who was driving a 2025 BMW after being at the American Hotel restaurant and bar, was also cited for running a stop sign and failing to stay in his lane. He was held for a morning arraignment, pleaded not guilty and was released without bail.
⚖️ What is expected during the hearing?
The hearing is scheduled for July 26 at 9:30 a.m. ET in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court. The proceedings will not be livestreamed, a court spokesperson told Yahoo Entertainment.
Timberlake’s criminal defense attorney, Edward Burke Jr., has already said the star will not attend the hearing in person, according to the Southampton Patch. The singer is in Europe for his “Forget Tomorrow World Tour,” with dates in Krakow, Poland, on Friday and Saturday. Burke will appear on his behalf and told the outlet that he “looks forward to vigorously defending” his client.
The hearing is a “procedural conference with the judge and prosecutor,” Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Yahoo Entertainment. “The hearing may be held in person or virtually, and the parties will discuss matters such as discovery, pretrial motions and the possibility of a plea.”
➡️ Is Timberlake Going to Jail?
In New York, a conviction for a misdemeanor DWI can result in up to a year in jail and $500 to $1,000 in fines. However, “it would be a rarity that someone, even with a [chemical test] refusal, would serve a prison sentence like a first offender without an accident or extreme circumstances,” said Peter T. Goodrich, of Goodrich & Bendish in New York. “If you’ve had an accident, that’s a very different story.”
While there are many different factors that play a role in an individual’s case, there is a chance of a plea deal. If one is reached, there is one “big thing you would be looking for [is] “They should not be put on probation,” said Goodrich, a former assistant district attorney in Westchester County in New York.
The probation could last several years, with Timberlake’s pop star lifestyle closely monitored by the parole board. He would be allowed to travel, subject to random drug and alcohol tests, searches of his home, and would be prohibited from serving alcohol.
“It would hinder his ability to do what he does,” Goodrich says of the globetrotting singer.
A better scenario would be if the Suffolk County district attorney, who is prosecuting the case, agreed to reduce the DWI to DWAI (driving while ability impaired) — a traffic violation, not a misdemeanor. During six months of probation, Timberlake would be able to take a DUI course, perform community service, and the DWI arrest would be wiped from his record. Timberlake’s refusal to submit to a chemical test (urine, saliva, blood or breath test) could play a role in that, though, as prosecutors are less likely to make such a deal.
Once Timberlake’s attorney receives the information — including information about the arresting officers and any complaints about them, witness statements, scientific evidence, and video footage captured by police during the arrest and the reading of his DWI rights — he can choose to go to court instead.
“You really have to study the evidence in detail before you make a decision about whether or not to go to trial,” Goodrich said. “The witnesses” — including those who saw him earlier that night in the restaurant bar — “are very important.”
If a driver is found guilty, in addition to possible jail time and fines, he or she may also be required to install an alcohol interlock device in every vehicle he or she owns/drives.
🪪 Will Timberlake’s driver’s license be revoked?
A separate issue is Timberlake’s refusal to take the breath test. Under New York law, anyone operating a motor vehicle in the state is required to have consented to chemical testing to determine the alcohol or drug content of their blood. If someone refuses to do so during a DWI arrest, the person’s driver’s license is revoked for at least a year, regardless of the criminal case.
Typically, the summons will explain to the defendant that his or her driving privileges have been temporarily suspended pending a hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles. If the DMV hearing determines that there is evidence that Timberlake refused the breath test after being adequately advised of his DWI rights, his license will likely be revoked for a period of one year. (His attorney would likely argue that Timberlake was not adequately advised of his DWI rights.)
The DMV also typically requires DUI offenders to undergo a screening with a physician to identify risk factors and evaluate whether they have a drug or alcohol problem. So there are additional steps there as well.
🗓 How did we get here?
Shortly after midnight on June 18, a Sag Harbor police officer pulled over Timberlake after he said he saw him swerving out of lane and ignoring a stop sign, the arrest report said.
The officer said Timberlake had “bloodshot and glassy” eyes, was unsteady on his feet and had a “strong odor of alcohol” on his breath. Timberlake told the officer he had “one martini,” the report said. The officer said the singer “performed poorly” on field sobriety tests. He refused to submit to a chemical test or sign his initials next to a statement saying his refusal to submit to the test could be used against him at trial.
Timberlake was arrested and held until his arraignment at 9:30 a.m. ET. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released without bail. Timberlake’s arrest photo was released shortly thereafter.
During his first concert since his arrest, Timberlake, who has two sons with Jessica Biel, told the crowd in Chicago that he had had a “rough week.”
Despite the criminal case, Timberlake’s tour schedule is jam-packed. After his shows in Poland, he will be in Germany, Belgium, England, the Netherlands and Denmark through August.
