Timberlake given community service in drunk driving case

Published September 14, 2024
SINGER Justin Timberlake addresses the media after his appearance at a court in Sag Harbor, New York, on Friday.—Reuters
SINGER Justin Timberlake addresses the media after his appearance at a court in Sag Harbor, New York, on Friday.—Reuters

NEW YORK: Pop star Justin Timberla­ke was handed a sentence of community service on Friday after he changed his plea to guilty following his arrest for drunk driving, US media reported.

On June 18, the 43-year-old entertainer was pulled over in the town of Sag Harbor, about 160 kilometres east of New York City, after police observed his BMW go through a stop sign and struggle to stay within road lanes.

Justice Carl Irace handed Timberlake a community service sentence and ordered the star to make a public statement after the singer pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while alcohol impaired, broadcaster NBC reported.

The charge is a traffic violation that carries a fine between $300 to $500 and a 90-day license suspension.

Timberlake told Irace that he would be willing to perform between 25 and 40 hours of community service to settle the case, NBC reported.

‘Selfish’ star

“I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. This was not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision,” Timberlake said outside the court.

“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car, there’s so many alternatives,” added Timberlake, who wore a dark cardigan and a pearl necklace.

“I grew up in a small town so I can appreciate and understand the strain, or unique nature, of what this must have been for the people of Sag Harbor... I’m very grateful and I thank them.”

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

At breaking point
Updated 20 Jan, 2025

At breaking point

The country’s jails serve as monuments to bureaucratic paralysis rather than justice.
Lower growth
20 Jan, 2025

Lower growth

THE IMF has slightly marked down its previous growth forecast for Pakistan’s economy from 3.2pc to 3pc for the...
Nutrition challenge
20 Jan, 2025

Nutrition challenge

WHEN a country’s children go hungry, its future withers. In Pakistan, where over 40pc of children under five are...
Kurram conundrum
Updated 19 Jan, 2025

Kurram conundrum

If terrorists and sectarian groups — regardless of their confessional affiliations — had been neutralised earlier, we would not be at this juncture today.
EV policy
19 Jan, 2025

EV policy

IT is pleasantly surprising that the authorities are moving with such purpose to potentially revolutionise...
Varsity woes
19 Jan, 2025

Varsity woes

GIVEN that most bureaucrats in our country are not really known for contributions to pedagogical excellence, it ...