LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge of reckless driving following her arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, sparing her from any jail time.
The pop star, who was initially charged with driving while under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, did not appear in court in California’s Ventura county.
Erik Nasarenko, the Ventura county district attorney, confirmed she made the plea through her lawyer, taking responsibility at the “earliest stage”, and had agreed to continue to undergo treatment. She will be sentenced to a year of informal probation, is required to take a DUI class and must pay state-mandated fines.
This is standard protocol for defendants with no DUI history, no crash or injury and a low blood-alcohol level, according to the district attorney’s office.
Because she faced a misdemeanor, she was not required to attend proceedings.
Spears was arrested on 4 March on a southern California highway after driving her BMW “erratically at a high rate of speed”, authorities said.
She reportedly checked herself into a rehabilitation treatment facility afterwards. Her representatives have called the incident “completely inexcusable”.
“Through her plea today, Britney has accepted responsibility for her conduct,” a statement from her lawyer Michael Goldstein said.
“She has taken significant steps to implement positive change which is clearly reflected in the Ventura County District Attorney’s decision to reduce the charge in this case and dismiss the DUI,” he added.
Spears, one of the most successful pop stars in the world, rose to fame as a young child. Her hits such as Baby One More Time, Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer, and Stronger topped charts.
For 13 years until 2021, Spears was in a conservatorship – a legal guardianship under which her finances and personal life were controlled by her father.
Source: Saudi Gazette