Justin Timberlake's Body Cam Footage In DWI Arrest To Remain Sealed From Public View
By Favour Adegoke on September 19, 2024 at 10:15 AM EDT
Updated on September 19, 2024 at 2:24 PM EDT
The body camera footage of Justin Timberlake's arrest in the Hamptons for driving while intoxicated has been permanently sealed from public view after all parties involved came to an agreement.
The famous singer recently agreed to a plea deal that saw him slapped with a reduced charge of driving while ability-impaired (DWAI).
Justin Timberlake is now expected to perform at least 25 hours of community service and pay a fine.
Justin Timberlake's Body Cam Footage Sealed
The body cam footage involving the "SexyBack" singer from his June 18 traffic stop and subsequent arrest would reportedly remain under wraps.
According to TMZ, the Office of the Suffolk County District Attorney denied its public records request to access the footage following a mutual agreement between the parties involved.
The potentially explosive video would have shown the timeline of the events before and during Timberlake's arrest for driving under the influence in the Hamptons at the time.
Due to his celebrity status, such body cam footage may have permanently damaged Timberlake's image.
The Singer Took A Plea Deal
Meanwhile, Timberlake made a remorseful appearance in court about a week ago to plead guilty to the less serious offense of driving while ability-impaired.
According to reports, the "Mirrors" singer agreed to do 25-40 hours of community service and will pay a fine of around $300- $500 for the charge.
During the court session, Timberlake said he'd reflected on his actions and told the judge that he doesn't think he lived up to his own standards.
He said that he was grateful for the "opportunity to learn" and admitted that he "should've made a better decision for himself" as he was raised on a "certain set of values."
The 43-year-old entertainer then guaranteed the court with "the utmost honesty" that he wouldn't "be back here again" before the judge accepted his plea deal and thanked him for all that he said and for speaking from the heart.
Justin Timberlake Officially Apologized For His Actions
Following the finalization of his DWI case, Timberlake gave a court-ordered apology outside the courtroom.
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."
No Preferential Treatment In The Singer's Case
Meanwhile, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has since insisted that his office didn't afford Timberlake any preferential treatment due to his celebrity status.
Tierney made the assertion days before the "Palmer" actor appeared in court to enter his plea deal, where he said 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. 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," Tierney said, as per Page Six.
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," he added.
Justin Timberlake Wants To 'Move On'
A source recently told People Magazine that Timberlake agreed to enter the plea deal and end the whole legal tussle because he wants to 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."
In an August hearing, Judge Carl Irace suspended the "Trolls" actor's driving license for a year in the state of New York.
"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."