On August 9, 2024, a tense court hearing took place in Sag Harbor, New York, regarding the DWI case involving pop star Justin Timberlake. The session drew attention not only because of Timberlake’s celebrity status but also due to the intense exchanges between the judge and the prosecution.
Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace was notably frustrated with the prosecution’s performance. Irace criticized the legal team for their lack of preparation, expecting them to have thoroughly reviewed and organized their evidence. His frustration added a new layer of complexity to the already high-profile case.
Justin Timberlake himself was absent from the hearing, as he is currently touring Europe with his Forget Tomorrow World Tour. His legal team was led by attorney Edward Burke Jr., who described the day as a procedural session and avoided discussing Timberlake’s absence in detail.
The case began on June 18, 2024, when Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor. According to the police report, he failed to stop at a stop sign while driving his 2025 BMW. Officers noted signs of intoxication, such as bloodshot eyes, a smell of alcohol, and poor performance on field sobriety tests. Timberlake claimed he had only one martini and refused a breathalyzer test.
Despite these allegations, Timberlake’s defense, led by Burke, maintains his innocence. Burke argues that Timberlake was not actually drunk and that there were significant errors in the police’s handling of the arrest. He believes the DWI charge should be dismissed due to these mistakes.
In August, Timberlake appeared in hearings via video from Antwerp, Belgium, where he pleaded guilty to a lesser drinking-while-driving charge. The judge in that case suspended Timberlake’s driving privileges in New York but did not specify the duration of the suspension. Burke described this as standard procedure for DUI cases.
Additionally, Burke withdrew a motion to dismiss the case, which had been filed in July. The judge had expressed dissatisfaction with the motion, and Burke’s public statements about the case led to Irace warning that further public comments could result in a gag order or require Timberlake to return from his tour to attend court.
Irace’s criticism of the prosecution and the defense’s ongoing challenges make this case particularly notable. The next hearing is scheduled for September 13, 2024, continuing the pattern of remote appearances as Timberlake remains busy with his international tour.
According to the arrest report obtained by PEOPLE, Timberlake “performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests.” The report detailed that Timberlake’s “eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his breath smelled strongly of alcohol, he struggled to divide his attention, spoke slowly, and appeared unsteady on his feet.”
