Justin Bieber, who has risen to fame as a pop star out of Canada, was pulled over and arrested in Miami Beach earlier this year. Police said that he was driving under the influence, and he is now set to go to trail for those charges. The arrest happened on January 23, and the young singer was just 20 years old at the time.
Bieber was not the only performer who was named by police in the case. Allegedly, there was an R&B singer in another vehicle near him, and the police stated that they thought that the two cars were illegally racing. The other singer was also given DUI charges. Both he and Bieber decided that they would plead that they were not guilty of those accusations.
Police did take a blood alcohol reading for Beiber, and he was not over the legal limit in the state of Florida. This would mean that he could not face more than a misdemeanor charge. However, the authorities also stated that they found evidence that he had taken drugs.
On top of that, Bieber was given charges for resisting arrest, though he was not violent, and he faces charges for driving with a license that had already expired. Some sources have indicated that it is not likely that he will have to face penalties for these charges, though, as they expect him to move forward with a plea deal that would allow the charges outside of the DUI charge to drop.
Bieber’s appearance in court could have come sooner, according to some reports, but a judge for the case was trying to get him to do a public service announcement aimed at telling others, including his fans, not to drive under the influence. His lawyers were against this, and arguing through the details allegedly delayed the case.
Individuals who have been charged with a DUI, whether they are famous or not, should know what rights they have under state laws and what options they have for how they can enter a plea.
Source: Source: WJLA, “Justin Bieber’s DUI trial to start Monday,” No author given, July 7, 2014