Justin Timberlake pleads guilty in a DWI case

Timberlake, 43, appeared in court in Sag Harbor on Friday and consented to plead guilty to driving while ability impaired (DWAI), a lower traffic penalty. The DWI case against him was withdrawn.

The plea settlement includes a $500 fine plus a $260 fee, as well as 25 hours of community service at his preferred organization. Timberlake has one year to accomplish the community service. The agreement also compelled Timberlake to make a public safety announcement, which he did just after his court appearance.

Timberlake talked with reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing, saying he tries to hold himself "to a very high standard."

“This was not that. "I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision," he explained. “Even if you had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car. There’s so many alternatives. Call a friend, take an Uber. ... This was a mistake that I made, but I'm hoping that whoever's watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney applauded Timberlake for accepting responsibility "and for using his platform to increase public awareness about the dangers of drunk driving."

“Drunk and drugged driving is an extremely serious nationwide public safety issue,” he said in a statement. "In 2024, with the prevalence and convenience of public transit and ride-shares, there is no excuse to get behind the wheel when you are impaired in any way."

Timberlake was detained in Sag Harbor in June after police claimed he left The American Hotel's bar just after midnight, drove down Main Street in his 2025 BMW, and failed to stop at a stop sign or stay in his lane. Timberlake also failed a field sobriety test and repeatedly refused a breathalyzer test, stating, "No, I'm not doing a chemical test."

Timberlake's attorney, Ed Burke, claimed outside court on Friday that his client had only one drink in two hours.

“Contrary to what was reported, he wasn’t drinking other people’s drinks or warned in advance not to drive. He wasn’t rude, he wasn’t obnoxious, he wasn’t belligerent,” Burke said before Timberlake issued his PSA. "He was polite, he was cooperative and he was respectful during his entire encounter with law enforcement as they were to him."