Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to an amended charge of driving with an impaired ability, a violation, in an appearance Friday morning in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court stemming from his June 18 drunken-driving charge.
At the plea hearing, Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace broke from the prior agreement between the prosecution and defense — which imposed a “public safety announcement,” license suspension, and a fine — by additionally ordering 25 hours of community service, which Mr. Timberlake can complete with a nonprofit organization of his choice.
“Does everybody else charged with D.W.I. get this disposition?” the judge asked as Mr. Timberlake, who was on a break before his next concert tour date in Newark on Sept. 28, stood in the courtroom with his attorney, Ed Burke Jr. “I have seen other celebrities charged with this,” but they typically do not receive such a favorable deal, he added, referring to the original agreement that did not include community service.
“I find the proposed disposition lacking,” Justice Irace said in explaining his decision to impose the community service hours. The plea agreement, he said, was “considerably less” than what “I’d expect from the prosecution.”
The proposed sentence, in his view, did not adequately address the issue of deterrence, adding that the public safety announcement required only a “fleeting” commitment of time. The attorneys, he said, “spent more time on this case than Mr. Timberlake has.”
The judge asked the pop star if he had anything to say. “I grew up in a small town,” Mr. Timberlake said. “So, I appreciate the strain something like this could place on a small town.”
“I understand the unique quality of this,” he also said, adding later, “I understand that I can be a very positive influence.”
Originally, Justice Irace was going to mandate that Mr. Timberlake complete between 25 and 40 hours of community service. Upon reflection, however, the judge decided to mandate only the lower end of 25 hours.
“I appreciate that,” the judge said. “I do appreciate the sincerity.” Nonetheless, he discussed the numerous alternative transportation options available, such as using an app or calling a friend. “How did this happen?” he asked eventually.
“I understand and appreciate the seriousness of this,” Mr. Timberlake said during that line of questioning. On the risks of impaired driving, he added, “I think it’s a great opportunity for me to spread that message.”
Justice Irace put Mr. Timberlake “on the spot” with the questioning, he acknowledged, before joking that it’s “not exactly Southern hospitality,” seemingly referring to Mr. Timberlake’s home state of Tennessee.
As per the agreement, Mr. Timberlake will need to pay a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge. His license will be suspended in New York State for 90 days, and he will have one year to complete the community service mandate.
“The evidence revealed that my client finished the contents of one drink in two hours at the American Hotel,” Mr. Burke said in the parking lot of the police station after the plea hearing. “He wasn’t rude, he wasn’t obnoxious, he wasn’t belligerent. In fact, he was polite, he was cooperative, and he was respectful during his entire encounter with law enforcement.”
“I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision,” Mr. Timberlake said outside, “but I’ve had some time to reflect on that, and I also understand that — by the fact that all of you are here — that I have a platform,” before telling the crowd to avoid driving even after only “one drink.”
“This was a mistake that I made,” he added, “but I’m hoping that whoever’s watching can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have, and like I said, even one drink — don’t get behind the wheel of a car.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement later in the day that Mr. Timberlake “received the same treatment as any other defendant,” also stating that “there is no excuse to get behind the wheel when you are impaired in any way” because of the available alternatives.
Dozens of reporters from a range of news outlets — “Entertainment Tonight,” The Associated Press, CNN, and People magazine — gathered outside the municipal building early in the morning to start planning for the pop singer’s arrival.
Justice Irace allowed one pool photographer to enter the courtroom to take still pictures, choosing T.E. McMorrow, a veteran journalist and former East Hampton Star reporter, as the representative.
To ensure fairness, the earliest reporters created a list to establish an agreed-upon order for entering the courtroom, based on arrival time. Eventually, court officers confirmed that only 20 reporters could enter the courtroom, per Justice Irace’s order.
Reporters gathered outside attempted to guess where Mr. Timberlake would enter the municipal building. Some staked out in the back, near the police station, while others waited at the main entrance, and still others watched the door of Mr. Burke’s office across the street.
Five Sag Harbor police officers monitored the sidewalks to ensure safety for the group of reporters, who occasionally ran across the road through oncoming traffic.
Before the hearing began, Sag Harbor Police Chief Robert Drake told reporters that the public address would be given in the police station parking lot, but did not otherwise know where Mr. Timberlake would enter.
