Justin Timberlake, center, appears by video during his arraignment in Sag Harbor Justice Carl Irace's courtroom on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 in Sag Harbor, N.Y. (John Roca/Newsday via AP)
SAG HARBOR, N.Y. (AP) – A New York judge suspended Justin Timberlake’s driver’s license Friday at a virtual court appearance on Long Island.
Timberlake pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated. Police arrested Timberlake June 18 after they say he ran a stop sign and veered out of his lane.
The former NSYNC singer, who is on tour in Europe, said little during the remote arraignment.
His attorney, Edward Burke Jr., has maintained that Timberlake was not drunk and that the case should be dropped.
“The facts remain he was not intoxicated,” Burke said Friday, according to Newsday. “I’ll say it again: Justin Timberlake was not intoxicated and we’re very confident that charge, that criminal charge, will be dismissed.”
Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace suspended Timberlake’s license and threatened to impose a gag order on Burke, saying the attorney’s comments to the media have been inappropriate.
Irace set a next court date for Aug. 9.
The case was delayed after Burke said the original charging document lacked a sergeant’s signature and should be thrown out.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Cangro said new documents were filed July 2 that should address that flaw.
Timberlake was driving a BMW in the posh beach town of Sag Harbor around 12:30 a.m. when an officer stopped him and determined he was intoxicated, according to court documents.
“His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” the court papers said.
The 43-year-old Timberlake told the officer he had had one martini and was following some friends home, according to the documents. He was arrested and spent the night in custody at a police station.
