DA Insists Justin Timberlake Didn’t Get Special Treatment With Plea Deal

Suffolk County District Attorney claims that Justin Timberlake‘s plea deal did not involve special treatment, insisting that the county treated the case “like any other.”

The singer appeared in court today to enter a plea deal related to his recent legal troubles, which stemmed from his June arrest in the Hamptons.

Justin Timberlake was arrested for driving while intoxicated but recently agreed to plead guilty to the less serious offense of driving while ability-impaired, seemingly escaping with only a slap to the wrist.

Amid speculation that Timberlake’s celebrity status might have afforded him preferential treatment in his recent legal battle, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney came forward to emphasize that the singer’s case is entirely standard.

Tierney made the assertion before Timberlake appeared in court today, where he emphasized that the DA’s office was “treating this case like any other.”

“He’s charged with driving while intoxicated… [Then] there’s a lesser charge as driving while impaired, which happens in a number of cases,” Tierney told Page Six. “So we’re going to continue to negotiate the case. So we’ll see. We’ll see how it plays out in court, and whether or not we could come to an agreement… We have to see.”

He noted at the time that there were “certain things that the prosecution wants,” as well as the defense wants and the court, so they’d all have to see if they could “work it out.”

Tierney continued, “The one thing that we want to make sure we’re doing is… being consistent, and we don’t want to treat any defendant better than others because of, you know, because of any perceived notoriety they may have.”

“But we certainly don’t want to treat people worse for the same reason. So we’re taking pains to make sure that we’re treating this case like any other case of its kind,” the DA added.

Timberlake appeared in court today to legally enter the plea in his driving while ability-impaired case.

The “Friends With Benefits” actor turned up for the hearing in a navy blue sweater and brown-gray slacks with rose-colored sunglasses covering his eyes.

Timberlake told the judge that he has had time to reflect on his actions and doesn’t think he lived up to his standards. He added that he was grateful for the “opportunity to learn” and admits that he “should’ve made a better decision for himself” as he was raised on a “certain set of values.”

When asked how he could guarantee that the incident wouldn’t happen again, he said that with “the utmost honesty, I won’t be back here again” in court.

The judge then accepted his plea deal and thanked him for all that he said and for speaking from the heart.

Timberlake agreed to do 25 hours of community service and would pay a fine of up to $500, which is an easy amount to part with, considering his super-rich status.

After Timberlake’s court appearance, he gave a short speech, addressing his drunk driving incident for the first time.

The singer told the press that he made a mistake and warned that no matter what, one should never get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol.

“This is a mistake that I made but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake,” Timberlake said, per New York Post. “Even one drink — don’t get behind the wheel of the car.”

Before today, Timberlake hinted at the DWI arrest during his show, telling fans that it had been a hard week for him.

“It’s been a tough week,” Timberlake said, per Page Six. “I know I’m hard to love sometimes, but you keep loving me right back.”

During his DWI arrest, Timberlake was asked by 24-year-old rookie officer Michael Arkinson to perform a walk-and-turn test.

This test requires a person to take nine steps in a straight line, each time placing his heel directly in front of his toe, then turning and repeating the process.

However, Timberlake failed the test. He was also told to take a breathalyzer test but refused.

Upon arriving at the police station, Arkinson took inventory of Timberlake’s possessions, which included a Rolex watch, a black vape pen, a gold ring, and a wallet containing $306 in cash.

Meanwhile, a source recently told People Magazine that Timberlake agreed to plead guilty to driving while ability-impaired because he was ready to put the legal drama behind him and focus on his family and ongoing Forget Tomorrow World Tour.

“He’s a family man, and this is his focus. He accepted a plea deal because he wants to move on,” the source said. “The court case has been a distraction. He doesn’t want his family to be affected by it.”

The singer’s license was already suspended for a year in the state of New York in an August hearing by Judge Carl Irace.

“It’s not like he’s getting off completely — his license is still suspended,” the insider added. “Jess has not been happy about it. She’s encouraged him to accept the plea deal.”

Timberlake is currently on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which the source says is “his priority as well.”