Britney Spears officially charged with DUI but will be offered ‘wet reckless’ deal
Britney Spears (Image: Getty Images)
Britney Spears has been charged in Ventura County, California, with one misdemeanour count of driving under the influence of alcohol and at least one drug.
According to reports, prosecutors may offer her a “wet reckless” resolution at her arraignment on Monday.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said the 44-year-old is not required to appear in court because it is a misdemeanour charge, and her attorney can appear for her. In a statement, the district attorney’s office said: “Whether or not Ms. Spears will appear at the hearing will be a decision made between her and her attorney,” adding that she is not required to attend, as per NBC News.
Spears voluntarily checked into a substance abuse treatment facility weeks after the arrest.
After the arrest, a representative for Spears said (via Sky News): “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable.”
What a ‘wet reckless’ deal could mean
Prosecutors said Spears will be offered what is commonly known as a “wet reckless” deal, which can involve a guilty plea to reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs.
The district attorney’s office said: “This law allows a defendant to plead guilty to reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs,” and outlined that it can include 12 months’ probation, a required DUI class, and state-mandated fines and fees.
What led to the charge
The California Highway Patrol said Spears was arrested on 4 March after being stopped while driving her black BMW erratically on US 101 near her home.
Authorities alleged she looked to be impaired, undertook a number of field sobriety tests, and was then taken to a Ventura County jail after her arrest. She was released on bail the following day, and police ended their investigation and presented it to prosecutors on 23 March.
The criminal complaint does not specify the kind of drugs, or what amount, Spears is accused of having used.
Spears’ 2008 to 2021 conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement became a global flashpoint about autonomy and celebrity control. She released the memoir The Woman in Me in 2023, made headlines recently after she sold her entire music catalogue, which some fans celebrated after she lived a number of years without control of her own life.
