Britney Spears has resolved her driving under the influence case with a guilty plea to a lesser charge, receiving 12 months of probation after her lawyer appeared on her behalf at Ventura County Superior Court in California on Monday.
The 44-year-old singer did not appear in court. Her lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, entered the plea on her behalf to what is known as a “wet reckless,” a reduced charge of reckless driving involving alcohol or drugs that carries lighter consequences than a full DUI conviction.
Spears was sentenced to 12 months of probation and one day in jail, credited as time served, by Ventura County Court Commissioner Matthew Nemerson. She was also fined $721, ordered to complete a three-month alcohol and drug education programme, and required to attend weekly sessions with a psychologist and twice-monthly visits with a psychiatrist.
The plea offer was described by the district attorney’s office as standard for defendants with no prior DUI history, no crash or injury, and a low blood-alcohol level, particularly those who have shown motivation to address underlying issues through rehabilitation.
Spears voluntarily checked into a substance abuse treatment centre in April, a factor that weighed in favour of the reduced charge. Under the terms of the plea, she must submit to chemical testing if pulled over and temporarily yielded her Fourth Amendment search and seizure rights, meaning she must automatically yield to vehicle searches and sobriety testing.
Spears was pulled over on March 4 in Westlake Village, a community on the border of Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Goldstein said in a statement that his client had taken significant steps toward change, adding that Spears was grateful for the district attorney’s decision to reduce the charge and dismiss the original DUI count.
