Justin Timberlake has had his driving license suspended in the state of New York, as he pleaded not guilty to the revised misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated.
© Kevin MazurThe singer appeared in court virtually from Antwerp, Belgium on August 2, in which he stated his plea, wearing a black collared shirt as he listened to Justice Carl Irace. He kept quiet, only replying "yes" to questions asked of him.
© AnadoluJustice Irace suspended the singer's driving privileges in the state of New York, although it was unclear how long it would be revoked for. Justin's lawyer Edward Burke Jr. told reporters that this suspension was "standard with every DUI," so they were unsurprised by the decision.
© MEGAThe singer missed his first court hearing last week because of his world tour. The court had to hold another hearing in order to formally charge him with the crime because of a paperwork issue.
The lawyer withdrew a motion he put forward last week to dismiss the case during the proceedings, after coming to blows with the judge following a statement on July 26. Justice Irace urged Burke to "be more mindful when giving comments", as his words "come off as an attempt to poison the case before it even begins."
He then threatened to implement a gag order or request Justin to appear in person, which would force him to return from the European leg of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, if the comments continued.
© HandoutThis comes as the lawyer told reporters last week that the police had made "a number of very significant errors," adding: "The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested for DWI."
© Getty ImagesThe popstar is on trial after he was pulled over after midnight in Sag Harbor in the Hamptons. Officers found Justin's eyes were "bloodshot and glassy", and he smelled strongly of "an alcoholic beverage" which "was emanating from his breath," according to the filings.
Police stated that he refused a breathalyser test and performed poorly on sobriety tests, as he told officers: "I had one martini and I followed my friends home."
News of Justin's arrest sparked interest as a source for Page Six claimed that Justin mumbled the arrest was going to "ruin the tour," and when the officer asked what tour he was referring to, the singer replied: "The world tour."
In New York, those found guilty of driving while intoxicated could be penalized with up to a year in jail, or a $1,000 fine and a suspended driver's license for a minimum of six months.
