Britney Spears charged with DUI after Ventura County traffic stop, rehab stay

Britney Spears was stopped in Ventura County after California Highway Patrol officers said they saw a black BMW 430i driving fast and erratically on the southbound 101 Freeway near Westlake Village and Newbury Park. Spears was the only person in the car, officers said, and she appeared impaired before being taken into custody on March 4.

Officers conducted field sobriety tests during the stop, and chemical test results were still pending in the early reporting on the case. Spears was released the next morning, on March 5, after the arrest that drew national attention because of her long public profile and the location of the stop on a major commuter corridor northwest of Los Angeles.

Ventura County prosecutors filed one misdemeanor count of DUI on April 30, charging Spears with driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug. They scheduled her arraignment for May 4 in Ventura County Superior Court and said she was not required to appear because the case was filed at misdemeanor level.

After the arrest, Spears’ representative called the incident “unfortunate” and “completely inexcusable,” and said she would comply with the law and seek help and support. On April 12, a representative confirmed that Spears had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility.

Prosecutors also said that misdemeanor DUI cases in similar circumstances may be resolved through a standard “wet reckless” offer, which can include 12 months of probation, DUI school, and fines and fees. They said such resolutions are common when a defendant shows self-motivation to address underlying issues through rehabilitation or treatment.

The case also arrives against the backdrop of Spears’ earlier public struggles. In 2007, she checked into Promises Malibu Treatment Center on February 21 after a period of increasingly erratic behavior amid a divorce battle and stalled career pressures. She left after completing the program by March 21. Spears’ sons, Sean Preston Federline and Jayden James Federline, were described as spending time with her, while loved ones were said to be planning support for her well-being as the case moved toward court.