Britney Spears avoided jail time in her DUI case after pleading guilty Monday, through her attorney, to a reduced misdemeanor charge of wet reckless.
The pop star, who did not appear in court for the plea in Ventura County, California, was charged last week with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. The deal with prosecutors came two months after Spears was arrested on suspicion of DUI and voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility.
“She’s doing well,” her lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, told Rolling Stone outside the courthouse after the hearing. “It was reduced. The DUI was dismissed. She entered a plea to reckless driving.”
Asked if his client was pleased with the outcome, he said, “I don’t think anybody is happy about pleading guilty,” but under the circumstances, it was a good outcome. “We appreciate the district attorney recognizing the positive steps Britney has taken to help herself, and we expect that she’ll continue to do so,” Goldstein told reporters.
Spears was sentenced Monday to 12 months of summary probation. The judge ordered her to submit to searches requested by law enforcement when she is behind the wheel. Prosecutors had sought a broader condition requiring submission to any requested searches for drugs or alcohol, but Goldstein objected. The judge limited the requirement to searches requested when Spears is in her vehicle only.
The judge also barred Spears from using or possessing any controlled substances without a valid prescription. He ordered her to continue her “mental health and substance treatment,” requiring weekly meetings with her psychologist and twice-monthly visits with her psychiatrist. She must also complete a three-month DUI class.
“One of the key components of the disposition this morning was to make sure Ms. Spears continues to undergo her mental health and substance abuse treatment regimen. We are wholly in support of her doing so,” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said after the hearing.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Nasarenko emphasized the search condition as a central part of the agreement. “Ms. Spears will have a diminished expectation of privacy in her car,” he said. “If she is stopped by a peace officer, she will have to submit to a test for the presence of alcohol or drugs. [And] her vehicle can be searched for the presence of alcohol and drugs. And she cannot drive with any intoxicant in her body.”
He further pointed out that Spears’ wet reckless is “priorable,” meaning that if she’s convicted of a subsequent DUI in the next 10 years, it will count as a second DUI. For now, Spears has demonstrated she’s taking responsibility, he said, so his office decided to give her a second chance.
“When somebody, ahead of their plea, voluntarily decides to admit themselves into a rehabilitation facility, that demonstrates to us that they have a sincere interest in getting better,” he said. “If they are better, our roadways are safer, our freeways are not burdened with individuals who have alcohol and drugs in their system.”
Spears was pulled over and arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in March. Ventura County DA Erik Nasarenko previously announced she was eligible for her plea deal, which is typically offered to people with low blood levels of intoxicants where there was no crash or injury.
Police detained Spears after receiving reports of a BMW “driving erratically at a high rate of speed,” a California Highway Patrol spokesperson previously told Rolling Stone. Officers said Spears “showed signs of impairment and submitted to a series of field sobriety tests,” after which she was arrested, booked, and released a few hours later.
“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” her manager said in a statement at the time. “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in long-overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
From Rolling Stone US
