Britney Spears pleaded guilty to reckless driving on Monday in connection with a DUI case, avoiding jail time. The 44-year-old pop star did not appear in court in Ventura County, California, as her lawyer entered the plea on her behalf.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko confirmed that Spears took responsibility at the “earliest stage” and agreed to continue treatment. She received a sentence of one year of informal probation, must take a DUI class, and pay state-mandated fines.
Spears was arrested on 4 March after California Highway Patrol officers stopped her for driving erratically on US 101. She appeared impaired and failed field sobriety tests. She was released on bail the next day and voluntarily entered a substance abuse treatment programme.
As part of the plea, Spears agreed to a “diminished expectation of privacy in her car” and must submit to searches and sobriety tests if stopped by police. She also agreed to continue mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Her attorney, Michael A Goldstein, said, “I don’t think anybody’s happy about pleading guilty to anything, but under the circumstances, to get this behind her, I think everybody is pleased with the result.”
