Hamptons DA Assures Justin Timberlake Is Not Receiving Special Treatment Amid Plea Deal Reports

Despite reports of a plea deal that could reduce charges, Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney confirms that Justin Timberlake's DWI case is being handled similarly to others.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Sep 13, 2024 | 03:10 PM IST | 21.4K

Justin Timberlake (via Getty Images)

Justin Timberlake's case in the Hamptons has received a lot of media attention, but Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney insists that the pop star is not getting any special treatment.

Timberlake was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in June and is reportedly negotiating a plea deal that could reduce the charge to a traffic violation. Despite the high profile of the case, DA Tierney has assured the public that Timberlake's case will be handled in the same manner as all others.

While DA Tierney did not confirm the details of the plea agreement, which TMZ reported could reduce Timberlake's charge to a traffic violation, he did provide an update on the case's status.

Tierney stated to Page Six, “He’s charged with driving while intoxicated... [Then] there’s a lesser charge as driving while impaired, which happens in a number of cases. So we’re going to continue to negotiate the case. So we’ll see.” He stated that the negotiation process entails discussions between the prosecution, defense, and court to reach a fair conclusion.

Tierney made it clear that his office is committed to treating all cases fairly. “The one thing that we want to make sure we’re doing is... being consistent, and we don’t want to treat any defendant better than others because, you know, because of any perceived notoriety they may have,” he said.

He went on to say that they certainly do not want to treat people worse for the same reason. So they are taking care to treat this case like any other of its kind.

Tierney's office is handling several cases, including Timberlake's. Tierney is also involved in the high-profile trial of Rex Heuermann, the Gilgo Beach serial killer.

He stated the scope of the office's workload, mentioning that they handle approximately 54,000 cases per year. He said that they are dealing with a tremendous amount of cases, adding that the Timberlake case, as a misdemeanor, is on a different scale than more serious crimes such as murder or felony.

Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor for allegedly running a stop sign near the American Hotel. He refused a breathalyzer test but failed several field sobriety tests, with officers noticing signs of intoxication.

Timberlake, who previously claimed he only had one martini with friends, has denied being intoxicated. His lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., has not commented on the plea agreement. Following his arrest, Justice Carl Irace suspended Timberlake's driver's license.

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