Bruce Springsteen pleaded guilty Wednesday to drinking shots of tequila at Sandy Hook federal park last year, but had two other charges of drunken and reckless driving charges dropped because his blood alcohol content was found to be well below the legal limit.
Prosecutors said they could not meet the legal burden for drunken driving, revealing the 71-year-old’s blood alcohol content was .02, well below the .08 threshold.
Wearing a dark blazer with button-down dress shirt under a crew neck sweater, Springsteen sat next to his lawyer, Mitchell Ansell, during the virtual appearance before Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone.
He answered a few brief questions from his lawyer and admitted he drank alcohol on Nov. 14, 2020 within a “closed area” of Sandy Hook park where drinking was recently prohibited.
“I had two small shots of tequila,” Springsteen said.
During the plea, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Baker said Springsteen did not take the preliminary breath test during field sobriety tests, but did give a sample at the park ranger station. The initial test is not required by law, Baker said, and Mautone added it is not admissible in court either.
“The government does not believe it can sustain its burden of proof. We respectfully move the court to dismiss the two (remaining) charges.”
After the guilty plea, Mautone sentenced Springsteen to pay a fine of $540.
“I am going to impose nothing but a fine,” Mautone said, noting Springsteen’s clean driving history dating back to 1973. “Rarely would you see a driver’s abstract so devoid of any entries. I’m convinced a fine is the appropriate sentence in this case.”
Mautone said Springsteen’s driving history showed three violations including using a handheld mobile phone.
“Mr. Springsteen I need to ask you how long you need to pay that fine?” Mautone asked.
Springsteen replied “I think I can pay that immediately,” while allowing a smile.
The judge set Wednesday as the deadline for paying the $540, which includes $40 in court fees.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was born and raised in Freehold and now lives in Colts Neck.
“Mr. Springsteen is pleased with the outcome of today’s court appearance,” Ansell said in a statement issued after the brief hearing. “The prosecutor was unable to provide the necessary evidence and facts as it related to the charge of driving under the influence (DUI) and reckless driving and therefore, dismissed both of those charges. Mr Springsteen, who has no previous criminal record of any kind, voluntarily plead guilty to a violation of consuming an alcoholic beverage in a closed area, agreeing to a fine of $500. We want to thank the court and will have no further comment at this time.”
The musician known around the world as The Boss was arrested after a park ranger spotted him take one of the shots of tequila and start the engine on his Triumph motorcycle, according to court records.
The park ranger who arrested Springsteen said the singer smelled strongly of alcohol, had glassy eyes and was swaying back and forth during field sobriety tests.
Sandy Hook is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, and run by the National Park Service. In 2019, the park banned alcohol after hundreds of booze-fueled incidents in prior years.
Springsteen made headlines earlier this month when he appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Jeep, a first for the musician. Called “The Middle,” the two-minute piece featured the singer driving a Jeep around a Kansas church as he narrated a call for political unity.
After news of the DWI arrest surfaced, Jeep said they were suspending airings of the ad.
And earlier this week, Springsteen and former President Barack Obama released two episodes of the podcast they created, called “Renegades: Born In The U.S.A.” The two discuss a variety of topics; the two became friends during Obama’s presidency and Springsteen played a private concert at the White House in January 2017.
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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com
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