Entertainer Justin Timberlake expected to plead guilty in DWI case, sources say
Entertainer Justin Timberlake is expected to plead guilty to a lesser charge Friday in his drunken driving case in Sag Harbor Justice Court, sources familiar with the details of the case said Wednesday.
Timberlake, the actor-singer-songwriter, will enter the plea in person before Village Justice Carl Irace, the sources told Newsday. The sources declined to discuss the specific charge he will admit to.
Timberlake, 43, of Franklin, Tennessee, was driving a gray 2025 BMW with Florida plates south on Madison Street at 12:17 a.m. June 18 when he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection with Jermain Avenue, police and prosecutors said at the time. He also failed to keep right, police said.
His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, exhibited slowed speech and was unsteady on his feet, police said. The report noted Timberlake "performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests."
He told police, "I had one martini and I followed my friends home."
Police said Timberlake had trouble speaking while looking for his vehicle registration. He also struggled to complete a "walk and turn" test, turning the wrong way and missing steps, they said.
Timberlake was arrested at 12:37 a.m. Records also show Timberlake refused a Breathalyzer test at 12:55 a.m. "No, I’m not doing a chemical test," he told police.
There was body camera footage of the arrest, though Irace signed an order barring the footage from being released, a review of the court records show.
Timberlake was charged with DWI and given two tickets for failing to stop and failing to maintain his lane. He was taken to East Hampton Town police headquarters and arraigned later on the morning of his arrest.
His attorney, Edward Burke Jr., of Sag Harbor, did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
Friday will mark the second appearance Timberlake has made in person in connection with the case. He appeared virtually for a follow-up arraignment Aug. 2. He was granted permission from Irace to not attend a subsequent conference the following week.
Irace had said he was reluctant to allow a litigant to appear virtually, but ultimately agreed to the request as Timberlake was on tour in Europe. His Forget Tomorrow World Tour has since returned to the United States, and he is next set to perform in New Jersey on Sept. 28.
The second arraignment was necessary after Burke said the original charging document lacked a sergeant’s signature and should be thrown out.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Cangro had said new charging documents were filed July 2 to address that flaw. The issue, she said at the time, "does not rest on the facts and the circumstances of the case."
Burke had said police made other errors, although he did not elaborate on those alleged missteps.
Timberlake's career was launched at age 11 when he appeared on TV's "Star Search" and as part of "The All New Mickey Mouse Club," where co-stars included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and future bandmate JC Chasez. It was his role in the boy band *NSYNC that launched him to superstardom.
Timberlake's acting career includes roles in "The Social Network," "Friends with Benefits" and "Trouble with the Curve." He has been married to actress Jessica Biel since 2012; they have two children.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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