Justin Timberlake entered a guilty plea on Friday in connection with his drunk driving case.
Timberlake arrived this morning at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Courthouse in Long Island, New York, along with his attorney Edward Burke Jr.
As part of a plea agreement with the court, Timberlake pleaded guilty to a non-criminal traffic violation: driving under the influence of alcohol.
Judge Carl Irace, who suspended Timberlake’s license at a hearing last month, found the agreement inadequate and asked Timberlake if he would be willing to volunteer at a nonprofit of his choosing.
“I’m willing to do that,” Timberlake replied, and agreed to perform 25 to 40 hours of community service. He also agreed to pay a fine.
Following the hearing, Timberlake spoke outside the courthouse and told reporters that he tries to hold himself to “very high standards.”
“It wasn’t. I was in a situation where I could have made a different decision,” he said, calling it “a mistake I made.”
His lawyer said the singer had one drink at the American Hotel within two hours.
“Contrary to what has been reported, he was not drinking other people’s drinks, nor was he warned in advance not to drive,” he said. “He was not rude, he was not obnoxious, he was not belligerent. In fact, he was polite, he was cooperative, he was as respectful to the police officers throughout the entire encounter as they were to him.”
The lawyer said the request for a reduced charge was consistent with the facts of the case.
Timberlake’s trial stems from the Grammy winner’s arrest on June 18. He is accused of drunk driving in the affluent Hamptons district of Long Island.
The night of Timberlake’s arrest, he spent a fun evening with friends at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor before getting behind the wheel of a gray BMW with Florida registration. Timberlake was stopped after disregarding a stop sign and arrested for failing his breathalyzer test, according to a Sag Harbor Village police report.
Timberlake claimed he had “a martini” before getting behind the wheel and following his friends home. However, the officer who arrested Timberlake that night stated in his report that Timberlake’s “eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his breath emitted the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, he was unable to divide his attention, his speech was slow, and he was unsteady on his feet.”
NBC News has contacted Timberlake and his attorney for comment.
When Timberlake initially pleaded not guilty, his attorney issued a statement saying, “I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these charges. I will have much to say in due course, but am currently awaiting the full findings from the prosecution.”
