Britney Spears Pleads Guilty to DUI, Will Avoid Jail Time

Britney Spears has pleaded guilty in her DUI case at an arraignment that took place on Monday morning.

The pop singer entered her plea to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, meaning she will avoid jail time, reports the New York Times. Prosecutors charged Spears last week but did not indicate which drug she had taken.

Spears will avoid jail time as she pleaded guilty to a lower charge known as a “wet reckless,” reports People. That allows the defendant to be put on probation for 12 months and complete a DUI class. She was eligible for the deal because she did not have any prior DUI history, there was no crash or injury and her blood alcohol level was low.

Spears was initially arrested on March 4 in Ventura County, California. The California Highway Patrol made the arrest around 9:30 p.m. and she was booked early the next morning around 3 a.m.

“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable. Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” a representative for Spears said in a statement at the time. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”

Five weeks after her arrest, Spears voluntarily checked into a treatment center but checked out of the facility last week, just days before her arraignment.