An attorney for Justin Timberlake asked a judge to dismiss drunk driving charges against the US pop singer Friday, saying his client was "not intoxicated” when he was arrested last month.
On June 18, the 43-year-old entertainer had been pulled over in the town of Sag Harbor, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of New York City, after police observed his BMW drive through a stop sign and struggle to stay within street lanes. Timberlake had been en route to a friend’s house after getting dinner at a local hotel’s restaurant. Officers arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving.
Timberlake, who is currently on tour in Europe, did not attend Friday’s court hearing in New York. He was ordered to attend the next proceedings on August 2, though will be allowed to do so via videoconference. Judge Carl Irace agreed to review a motion filed by Timberlake’s attorney, Edward Burke, which sought to dismiss the case, alleging the complaint filed by the arresting officer was defective.
"The police made a number of very significant errors in this case,” Burke said in a statement after the hearing. "The most important fact to know about this case is that Justin was not intoxicated and should not have been arrested.” —AFP