Judge Involved in Justin Timberlake's DWI Case Scolds Prosecutor For Being Unprepared For the Hearing; Deets
Justin Timberlake stated he had just one martini, but refused to take a breathalyzer test.
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In the Hamptons, on August 9, 2024, a tense court hearing in the DWI case involving pop star Justin Timberlake took place. The session was notable not only for Timberlake’s stardom but also for the heated exchanges between the judge and the prosecution.
Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace was particularly angry about how badly the prosecutor performed in the case. During his trial, Irace harshly accused those involved of being unprepared. He had expected their legal team to be ahead with reviewing and preparing evidence that they would present, but it was apparent from what transpired that they were not ready at all. Hence, this additional criticism by Irace has added further complexity to an already interesting case.
The hearing held on August 9 did not include Timberlake himself, who is currently touring Europe with his Forget Tomorrow World Tour. In court, he sent his lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., who headed up his legal team. Although there were comments made because of Timberlake's absence, they avoided making extensive remarks about that issue. This day was described by Burke as strictly a procedural day without giving any more information to the media.
It all started with Timberlake’s alleged criminal history on June 18, 2024, when he was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York. Timberlake drove a 2025 BMW and failed to stop at a stop sign. The police report from the incident noted that Timberlake was under the influence of alcohol. He had bloodshot eyes; his breath smelled of liquor; and he flunked several field sobriety tests, according to the report. Timberlake stated that he had just one martini but refused to take a breathalyser test.
In spite of these accusations, however, the defence has stuck by its position that Timberlake is innocent. Burke contends that at the time of his arrest for DWI, Timberlake was not drunk and that there were gross errors made by the police during this time. His statements contain claims that Timberlake was wrongfully held and, therefore, the DWI charge should be dropped.
The legal process has seen other developments already. In August, hearings took place in Antwerp, Belgium, via a video feed, where Timberlake pleaded guilty to a modified drinking-while-driving misdemeanour charge.The judge suspended Justin’s driving privileges in New York at his hearing without specifying how long it would last. Burke referred to this as standard with every DUI.
Moreover, during the hearing, Burke withdrew a motion to have the case dismissed. In July, this motion was filed, but it was later retracted after the judge expressed his dissatisfaction with it. Irace lamented Burke’s public statements concerning the case. He cautioned that utterances in public may lead to a gag order or even necessitate Timberlake’s return from his European tour to attend court.
On August 9th, Irace criticised the prosecution, and Timberlake’s defence faced challenges that made this case stand out among many others. The next hearing is slated for September 13th, 2024. This continues the pattern of remote appearances as Timberlake has been busy with an international concert tour.
According to the arrest report obtained by PEOPLE, Timberlake "performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests" during his arrest. In the report, the arresting officer claimed that Timberlake's "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."
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