On the heels of controversy over a vandalism case, pop star Justin Bieber has been arrested after police say he driving with an expired license and resisting arrest. Police say they stopped the 19-year-old pop star while he was drag-racing down a Miami Beach street before dawn.
Bieber was arrested after police said they saw him heading down a residential street in Miami Beach in a rented yellow Lamborghini at twice the speed limit. Officers say he had an expired license, was initially not cooperative when he was pulled over and smelled of alcohol.
The street where police say Bieber was racing is a palm-tree-lined residential area in mid-Miami Beach. Along one side of the street are small apartment buildings, and on the other side are a high school, a youth center, a golf course and a city firehouse.
Under Florida law, people under the age of 21 are considered driving under the influence if they have a blood-alcohol content of .02 percent or more – a level he could reach with one drink. For 21 and over, it is .08 percent.
For a first DUI offense, there is no minimum sentence and a maximum of six months, a fine of $250 to $500, and 50 hours of community service. For anyone under 21, there is an automatic six-month license suspension.
First offense of a drag-racing offense nets a sentence of up to six months, a fine of $500 to $1,000, and a one-year license suspension.
Justin was released from jail around 11:30 a.m. PST. If Bieber was fazed by the whole ordeal, it didn’t show. The singer climbed up on an awaiting SUV and waved to a crowd of fans gathered outside.
So far, no sign of model Chantel Jeffries, who was believed to be the passenger in Justin’s car when he was arrested.