- author, Ruth Comerford
- role, BBC News
Justin Timberlake’s lawyer says the pop star was “not intoxicated” when police arrested him last month for drunk driving.
The 43-year-old pop star was detained in New York after running a stop sign and failing to drive on the right side of the road.
An initial court hearing took place on Friday, with defence lawyer Edward Burke saying police had made “very serious errors” in the case.
“The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested for DUI,” he added.
Speaking outside Sag Harbor Village Court, Burke said Timberlake “respected law enforcement” and always cooperated with officers.
“But the fact remains: he was not intoxicated and it was a mistake to arrest him for that reason. We are confident the charges will be dismissed.”
Timberlake did not attend the hearing due to a clash with the start of his “Everything I Thought It Was” world tour, which begins at the Tauron Arena in Krakow.
He is due to be effectively arraigned in court next month.
Image source, Sag Harbor Police Department
The arrest took place in Sag Harbor in the Hamptons, a popular summer destination for celebrities on Long Island.
According to the charging document, when officers stopped him, Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and hollow” and he had “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.”
He spoke slowly and performed poorly on officers’ sobriety tests, according to the documents.
He also refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, they added.
“I had a martini and followed my friend home,” Timberlake reportedly told officers who stopped him, according to BBC’s US partner CBS News.
Timberlake has previously spoken publicly about seeking help for excessive drinking.
In New York, penalties for drink-driving offences include up to a year in jail, a $1,000 (£786) fine and a suspension of your driver’s licence for at least six months.
