SAG HARBOR, NY — Justin Timberlake is expected to appear in person at his next court date in Sag Harbor following a DWI arrest in June —and it is expected that he will enter a plea, officials said.
“The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office anticipates Mr. Timberlake will enter a plea,” a representative for Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Friday.
According to the Daily Mail, Timberlake is set to plead guilty to driving while ability impaired, rather than the original misdemeanor DWI charge, and pay a fine; that information could not be immediately confirmed, and Timberlake’s attorney Edward Burke Jr. told Patch that he was unable to comment.
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According to a Sag Harbor Village Police representative, Timberlake, 43, was arrested in the “early morning hours” on June 18 on a misdemeanor DWI charge and was arraigned.
Sag Harbor police said that at 12:37 a.m. Timberlake, of Tennessee, was seen driving a 2025 BMW southbound on Madison Street and failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign, as well as failing to maintain his lane of travel.
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A Sag Harbor Village police officer initiated a traffic stop and, upon investigation, determined that Timberlake was driving while intoxicated. He was placed under arrest, processed, and held overnight for morning arraignment, police said, the same protocol as in any other DWI arrest.
Timberlake was arraigned at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court and released on his own recognizance, police said.
Timberlake’s previous court date in August was adjourned; also in August, his license was suspended at a virtual arraignment, according to NBC.
Timberlake’s attorney Burke Jr. had requested a new arraignment date in relation to the pop star’s DWI arrest in Sag Harbor, moving to have the case dismissed on a technicality — and has also said that the performer was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested.
He later dropped that motion to dismiss, according to reports.
Burke Jr. appeared at the first court date in Sag Harbor Justice Court without Timberlake, who was, according to his world tour schedule, slated to perform in Poland on that July date.
Timberlake had a new, virtual arraignment date on Friday, August 2, justice court representatives told Patch. He participated in the court proceedings virtually that day.
Burke had initially filed a motion to have the case dismissed “on an insufficient accusatory instrument” — because the original charging document did not have a sergeant’s signature, he said.
In a statement, the District Attorney’s office said: “Following the arrest of Justin Timberlake, the District Attorney’s Office located a ministerial error in the original accusatory instrument. Thereafter, on July 2, 2024, an amended accusatory instrument was filed correcting that error. The facts and circumstance of the case have not been changed or amended.”
The DA’s office added: “We stand ready to litigate the underlying facts of this case in court, rather than in the press.”
In a statement, Burke said: “The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested for DWI. The police made a number of very significant errors in this case. In court today, you heard the district attorney try to fix one of those errors. But that’s just one, and there are many others. Sometimes the police make mistakes, and this is just one of those instances. Justin respects law enforcement and the very important job that they do. He cooperated with the police officers at all times and treated them with the respect they deserve. He also respects the entire judicial process, including the District Attorney and judge who were in court today.”
Burke issued a statement after he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor.
“I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations,” said Burke. “I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office.”
Police released a mug shot taken of Timberlake after he was arrested on a driving while intoxicated charge in Sag Harbor — and was held in custody overnight.
Burke told Patch that Timberlake was charged with a single count of DWI, a misdemeanor; he refused to take a breathalyzer test, he said. He was also charged with vehicle and traffic violations after failure to stopping at the stop sign and stay in his lane of travel, Burke said.
Timberlake pleaded not guilty, he confirmed. “There was no accident,” Burke said. “No one was hurt.”
Timberlake was released without bail, Burke said.
Court documents revealed Timberlake told police: “I had one martini and I followed my friends home.”
The criminal complaint read, of Timberlake: “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.”
A representative for Timberlake could not immediately be reached.
Meanwhile, fans have shown their love at various tour dates and Timberlake has expressed his gratitude.
A video from a fan’s TikTok account showed pop star Timberlake facing the crowd at a Chicago concert soon after his arrest: “We’ve been together through ups and downs and lefts and rights,” he said. “It’s been a tough week, but you’re here, and I’m here and nothing can change this moment. I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep on loving me and I love you right back.”
He blew a kiss to his fans.
Timberlake is currently in the midst of the Forget Tomorrow World Tour; the 55-plus city tour has sold over one million tickets so far across the more than 85 performances. On Sept. 28, he is scheduled to appear at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
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