Bruce Springsteen has pleaded guilty to drinking illegally in a federal park—but charges of DWI and reckless driving have been dismissed. At a virtual hearing Wednesday, prosecutors said they couldn't meet the burden of proof for drunk driving over the November incident at Sandy Hook federal park in New Jersey and asked the judge to dismiss the charges. "The blood alcohol reading was .02, which as the court is aware, is well under the state limit of .08," Assistant US Attorney Adam Baker said, per Rolling Stone. According to court papers, Springsteen was arrested after an officer saw him take a shot of tequila and get on his motorcycle. The rock legend admitted having "two small shots of tequila" in the park, where drinking was banned in 2019.
Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone, who noted that the 71-year-old has a clean driving record going back to 1973, sentenced Springsteen to a fine of $540, including $40 in court costs, NJ.com reports. "Rarely would you see a driver’s abstract so devoid of any entries," the judge said. "I’m convinced a fine is the appropriate sentence in this case." He asked: "Mr. Springsteen, I need to ask you how long you need to pay that fine?" The singer smiled and said, "I think I can pay that immediately." Springsteen attorney Mitchell Ansell said the singer, "who has no previous criminal record of any kind," is "pleased with the outcome of today’s court appearance." (More Bruce Springsteen stories.)
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