Almost two months after his arrest, Justin Timberlake was re-arrested on DUI charges and has since been suspended from driving
Almost two months after being detained on suspicion of DUI, Justin Timberlake was prohibited from operating a vehicle in New York.
The pop sensation, who is presently on a European tour, virtually appeared in a Sag Harbor courthouse on Friday to be re-arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated related to the June 18 incident.
He made his video connection appearance from Antwerp, Belgium, where he will perform on Saturday. He entered a not guilty plea to one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The 43-year-old musician, who was wearing a black collared shirt, appeared stony-faced on screen and barely spoke twice in response to Judge Carl Irace.
Timberlake’s refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test at police headquarters following his detention led the court to inform him that he was suspending his driving privileges in the state of New York; however, the duration of the suspension was not specified.
This hearing follows last week’s attempt by attorney Edward Burke Jr. to have the case dismissed due to inaccuracies in the initial charging paperwork related to Timberlake’s apprehension.
However, the singer-actor was instead ordered by the judge to appear in court again today using the updated documents that the prosecution had submitted.
During Friday’s hearing, Burke dropped his initial move to dismiss the case.
Judge Carl Irace of Sag Harbor also chastised the lawyer for remarks he made during the prior court appearance, labeling them as «irresponsible.»
Following the July 26 hearing, the attorney addressed the reporters outside the courthouse, adamant that Timberlake hadn’t been drinking the night before his arrest.
Burke’s remarks, according to Judge Irace, «come off as an attempt to poison the case before it even begins.»
The judge also threatened to issue a gag order against the lawyer if Burke persisted in making similar remarks.
He also cautioned Timberlake that he might be required to physically attend court proceedings going forward.
The singer is not required to appear at the next hearing, which is set for this Friday, August 9.
As the 43-year-old’s Forget Tomorrow World Tour begins in Europe, he was given permission to participate virtually.
He gave a sold-out performance in Berlin on Wednesday, and he has another sold-out show in Antwerp on Saturday.
On September 13, Timberlake is expected to return to the United States for a performance in Newark, New Jersey.
After being pulled over in Sag Harbor for allegedly disobeying a stop sign and straying out of the lane while operating his 2025 BMW X7, the former member of NSYNC was arrested for driving under the influence in the early hours of June 18.
Burke had submitted a move last week to drop the charges, arguing that Timberlake wasn’t drunk at the time and pointing out mistakes on the police-signed accusation sheet.
The attorney contended that the Sag Harbor Police sergeant, who had been present at the time, was a part-time officer and not the supervising officer who had approved the papers filled out by the arresting officer.
Under the direction of Assistant District Attorney Ashley Cangro, the prosecution refuted that claim, stating that on July 2, prosecutors had in fact filed a superseding, duly signed accusatory document.
She said that the mistake made the morning of the arrest was fixed in that paper.
Judge Irace agreed to Cangro’s request that Timberlake be re-arrested as soon as feasible using the updated paperwork, and the hearing was scheduled for August 2.
If the case goes that far, Timberlake is unlikely to attend in person until a final resolution has been negotiated between his lawyer and the prosecutor.
Burke told the media following last week’s hearing that his client wasn’t drunk the night he was arrested and that the police had behaved improperly both during and after the arrest.
He stated, «The police made a number of serious mistakes.» «Just like everyone else, the police make mistakes sometimes.»
According to the documents, on the night of his arrest, the self-proclaimed ‘Prince of Pop’ informed the arresting officer that he had had one martini at The American Hotel and was accompanying several pals home.
The ten-time Grammy winner was arraigned in Sag Harbor and later that morning was freed without bond. A misdemeanor allegation of driving while intoxicated was brought against him.
Timberlake’s decision to hire Burke to represent him in the litigation is neither surprising nor coincidental.
When celebrities and the wealthy and powerful get busted in the Hamptons, he is referred to be the «go-to» lawyer.
Burke’s greatest asset is his aptitude for legal negotiating and his ability to manipulate the system to his clients’ advantage.
Burke was there to support Jason Kidd, an NBA All-Star at the time who is currently the league’s head coach, when he was arrested for misdemeanor drunk driving in 2012 after he crashed into a phone pole in Southampton.
In the end, Kidd’s charges were lowered to a straightforward infraction.
Burke also supported high-ranking Goldman Sachs executive Jason Lee during his 2013 arrest on charges of rape brought by the East Hampton Town Police.
Lee’s 2015 trial resulted in a not guilty verdict.
Burke was called to police headquarters in 2021 when Dan Gatsby, the husband and caretaker of restaurateur B Smith, who had passed away the previous year, crashed the Mercedes-Benz he was driving into another car in Sag Harbor, severely damaging both.
After being charged with driving under the influence, Gatsby refused to take a breathalyzer test at police headquarters.
In the end, Gatsby was permitted to enter a plea of simple violation, just as Jason Kidd, which cleared his record. This was an uncommon step in a case involving both a collision and a refusal.
