Today, the Denver Post reported that an arraignment date has been set in teen heartthrob Justin Bieber’s DUI case, and coincidently, it’s Valentine’s Day.
The 19-year-old pop star was charged with drunk driving, resisting arrest and driving with an expired license last week after police allegedly saw Bieber driving a Lamborghini in a street race in a Miami neighborhood.
However, over the past several days, new evidence suggests that Bieber might have a solid defense on his side.
First, it was reported that Bieber’s blood-alcohol content (BAC) in two Breathalyzer tests was .011 and .014, respectively, while the legal limit to drive is .02 for drivers under the age of 21.
A blood sample was also taken, which could give a more accurate BAC reading and also determine if Bieber had marijuana in his system. According to the police report, the pop star told police that he had used alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills on the night of the arrest.
Additionally, the arresting officers said they initially stopped Bieber for speeding; however, no speeding ticket was issued. The owner the car rental company that leased the Lamborghini to Bieber also claims that the car’s GPS device indicates that the car never went above 55 mph in the 15 minutes before Bieber was stopped.
Bieber and the driver of the car he was allegedly racing were also never charged with drag racing. Depending on the speed limit on the street that Bieber was pulled over, Bieber’s lawyer could potentially argue that the stop was unlawful. If the stop was unlawful, then the charges must be dropped.
It is likely that Bieber’s defense lawyer will raise all of these issues at the arraignment on February 14.
Source: Denver Post, “Feb. 14 arraignment date for Bieber DUI arrest,” Jan. 28, 2014