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Justin Timberlake’s lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., has issued a statement following the pop star’s recent arrest on Long Island for alleged drunken driving. Timberlake was taken into custody after he reportedly refused to take a chemical test during a police traffic stop.
Burke Jr. expressed his commitment to defending Timberlake, stating, “I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations.”
According to the criminal complaint, an officer observed Timberlake’s grey BMW with Florida license plates swerving on the road shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday in Sag Harbor. The vehicle allegedly failed to stay on the right side of the road and did not stop at a stop sign on Madison Street at Jermain Avenue.
After witnessing the erratic driving, police pulled Timberlake over. The officer noted that Timberlake appeared intoxicated, with bloodshot, glassy eyes and a strong smell of alcohol on his breath. The complaint also mentioned that Timberlake was unsteady, had slowed speech, and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. He reportedly struggled to focus while searching for his registration.
Timberlake allegedly told officers, “I had one martini and I followed my friends home.”
Officers took Timberlake to the Sag Village Police Department for processing, where he refused three times over the course of about 40 minutes to take a chemical test of his blood alcohol content. According to the complaint, Timberlake stated, “No, I’m not doing a chemical test,” and reiterated twice, “I refuse.”
He was then taken to East Hampton Town police headquarters and held overnight ahead of his Tuesday morning arraignment. Timberlake pleaded not guilty in court and was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to return to court on July 26.
On Wednesday, Timberlake’s attorney released a statement regarding the arrest, saying, “I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office.”
The singer has not released any comment on the incident himself, and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office had no further comment.
Timberlake’s wife, Jessica Biel, was seen back on set filming “The Better Sister” in Manhattan hours after his arrest. Biel was all smiles while filming her upcoming Prime video series in New York City.
Police have body and dash camera footage of the encounter, but the footage has not been released.
Before his arrest, Timberlake had been leaving The American Hotel on Main Street, a popular spot in Sag Harbor. Famed singer Billy Joel, who lives in the town, was spotted at the hotel and restaurant by an NBC News crew.
When asked about Timberlake’s encounter with police, Joel said, “I don’t really know him that much, so I have no comment,” adding, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”
The arrest comes amid Timberlake’s first world tour in nearly six years. The pop icon is scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City next week on June 25 and 26. Madison Square Garden Entertainment representatives deferred questions to Timberlake’s representatives.
Sag Harbor is a coastal village in the Hamptons, around 100 miles from New York City. In the summer, it is a hot spot for wealthy visitors.
Timberlake’s lawyer, Edward Burke Jr., reiterated his commitment to defending the singer, stating, “I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office.”
Burke Jr. is a prominent attorney in Sag Harbor, specializing in criminal, negligence, and real estate law. Before entering private practice, he was a prosecutor with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
The next court date for the case is set for July 26. Timberlake is currently on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour and is scheduled to perform in Krakow, Poland, on that date. He is also expected to perform in Chicago on Friday and return to New York to perform at Madison Square Garden on June 25 and 26.
Newsweek reached out to Burke, the Sag Harbor Police, and the Suffolk District Attorney’s office for comment.
Timberlake’s lawyer has shared a statement following the pop star’s arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated. On Wednesday, the office of attorney Edward Burke Jr. spoke out about the incident, saying that he will “vigorously” defend the 43-year-old singer and actor.
“[We] look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations. He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time. He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office,” Burke said in the statement.
Timberlake was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor, N.Y. on Monday night. He was arraigned on one count of “driving while intoxicated” the following day.
According to a statement released by the Sag Harbor Police Department, a traffic stop was initiated after Timberlake was observed operating a BMW southbound on Madison Street, failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign and failing to maintain his lane of travel.
“It was ascertained that the defendant was operating said vehicle in an intoxicated condition in that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests,” according to the police report.
Timberlake’s next court hearing is scheduled for July 26, the same day he is scheduled to perform at Tauron Arena Krakow in Poland. He is currently on his Forget Tomorrow world tour.
