Britney Spears charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears He was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in California on Thursday, authorities said.
The 44-year-old pop star was charged with a single misdemeanor count of driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said.
A Spears representative had no immediate comment.
The criminal complaint does not specify what type of alcohol or drugs Spears used or how much.
Spears, who has since started substance abuse treatment, He was arrested on March 4 after he was pulled over for driving his black BMW too fast and erratically on U.S. 101 near his home, the California Highway Patrol said. The CHP said he appeared to be impaired, was subjected to a series of sobriety tests, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs, and taken to the Ventura County jail.
He was released on bail the next day. The police completed their investigation and submitted it to the prosecutor’s office on March 23.
A representative at the time called Spears’ actions “completely inexcusable” and said it would ideally be “the first step in the long-overdue change that needs to happen in Britney’s life.”
Spears voluntarily diagnosed with substance abuse He arrived at the treatment facility just a month after the arrest, his representative said.
Spears’ hearing will be held on Monday. Prosecutors said he would not need to go to trial because it was a misdemeanor charge.
Prosecutors said the case will be handled according to their standard protocols for defendants who have no history of drunk driving, no road accidents or injuries and a low blood alcohol level.
Prosecutors said in court Monday that Spears will be presented with an offer known as “wet recklessness,” which allows the defendant to plead guilty and receive one year of probation, receive credit for time spent in jail, the required DUI class and state-mandated fines and fees.
The district attorney’s office said the offer is especially common for defendants who demonstrate independent motivation to resolve their problems and seek treatment.
The singer has a home in Ventura County, just outside the Los Angeles County border. His trial will be held in the city of Ventura, a coastal community of about 110,000 people about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of downtown L.A.
The one-time teen pop sensation and “Mickey Mouse Club” alum became a defining superstar of the 1990s and 2000s with hits like “Toxic,” “Gimme More” and “I’m a Slave 4 U.” Most of Spears’ albums have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, with two diamond titles: 1999’s “… Baby One More Time” and 2000’s “Oops!… I Did It Again.”
Spears became the focus of tabloid news in the early 2000s and a source of public scrutiny as she struggled with mental illness and paparazzi documented her condition. details of his private life.
In 2008, Spears was placed in a court-ordered conservatorship, managed primarily by her father and his lawyers, that would control her personal and financial decisions for more than a decade. Terminated in 2021.
She has since married and divorced and published a best-selling, tell-all memoir. “The Woman Within Me.”
He has actually retired as an artist in recent years, releasing only a handful of collaborative singles since his last full-length album in 2016.
