Just after the Super Bowl, people were talking about Bruce Springsteen’s Jeep commercial as one of the best ones of the night. Then New Jersey cops suddenly piped up and said WELL ACTUALLY we arrested Springsteen for a DUI in November. Jeep was embarrassed and they pulled the ad. Springsteen’s people came out and said “not so fast.” They pointed out that yes, Springsteen was arrested, but when he took the Breathalyzer test, his blood-alcohol level was negligible, well below the legal limit. The cops tried to make it sound like the arrest was totally legit because they witnessed the Boss take a shot with some fans in a park, which… okay, that’s a “crime.” But it still didn’t make Springsteen drunk. So, big surprise, after that smear job by what I can only assume are MAGA cops, the DUI charge was dropped.
Bruce Springsteen pleaded guilty Wednesday to drinking with fans at a New Jersey park — but dodged charges of DWI and reckless driving because prosecutors said he wasn’t drunk during the November incident. The disposition in the high-profile case was announced during The Boss’ arraignment on the three misdemeanor charges stemming from his Nov. 14 arrest at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook.
“I had two small shots of tequila,” the “Born in the USA” singer admitted in his signature raspy voice during the virtual hearing, as he copped to a single count of drinking in a closed area. Federal prosecutors, however, dismissed the DWI and reckless driving charges, noting that Springsteen’s blood alcohol content was a measly 0.02 — far below the state’s legal limit while driving of 0.08.
“It’s actually low enough that the defendant would be considered presumptively not impaired under New Jersey law,” said Assistant US Attorney Adam Baker. “We do look to New Jersey law as persuasive guidance.” Baker also noted that while Springsteen, 71, refused to take a preliminary breathalyzer at the park, that test is not actually required by law. “He did submit to the legally required breath test when he was at the ranger station,” Barker told Judge Anthony Mautone.
Springsteen was charged in federal enclave court after a park ranger caught him downing the shots with a group of adoring fans who caught the rocker passing by on his motorcycle. He has no other criminal history, authorities noted.
Mautone said he would impose a $540 fine on the star, calling it an “appropriate” punishment in the case. The judge asked how long it would take for the Grammy winner to cough up the cash — prompting his lawyer, Mitchell Ansell, to smirk.
“I think I can pay that immediately, Your Honor,” Springsteen replied.
This whole incident was so stupid, my God. What a complete waste of time and resources. Judging from the way the federal prosecutor took Springsteen’s side, I can only imagine that the lawyers got together and were like “holy sh-t this was a bad arrest.” The cops totally targeted Springsteen because he’s famous AND because of his liberal politics. They also released the information about his arrest to affect his sponsorship with Jeep and embarrass him personally. At least Jeep has now reinstated the ads. Also: Barack Obama didn’t even wait for the charges to be dropped before he announced that he and Springsteen have a new podcast.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Good.
It was such a BS charge, you can tell from the way the US attorney talked about it. When the prosecutor is like, “well actually, he didnt break the law” then maybe it was a BS arrest! and LOL at the judge asking how long it would take Bruce to come up with 500 dollars.
My husband’s (huge springsteen fan, NJ native) big takeaway was “huh. I didnt realize Sandy Hook was a national park. I thought it was state.”
I love your husband’s response. It’s the only way to look at this situation. Good grief, what a waste of everyone’s time.
It takes a special kind of arrogance with a police department to think they can play this game with Bruce Springsteen and win.
I’m glad the Boss was able to fight back and get these charges dropped, but it also makes me think about the unfairness of those who are intimidated or harassed by law enforcement who don’t have his lawyers/connections/support.
Ironically, if the cops were reacting to Bruce’s songs about police oppression, they may have given him even more material!
I read yesterday that up until three summers ago, it was legal to consume alcohol in that park, so he may have also been unaware of the rule change.
Regardless, while I don’t advocate any form of drinking and driving, it seems pretty clear that these charges were not in good faith.
PSA as someone who is in a legal profession (I’m a paralegal) and married to a criminal defense attorney who primarily handles DWIs. This happens more than you know. Not this specific circumstance, but the burden of proof for arrest in my state (and most) is “reasonable suspicion” which can be literally ANYTHING. An arrest is not necessarily an indication of guilt.
My husband has gotten so many cases dismissed because the stop was bad, or the procedure was wrong, or there was police misconduct, or there was an explanation for behavior that the police “thought” was suspicious, such as someone who is not neurotypical, or was taking prescribed medication, or has a disability that makes them appear unsteady or intoxicated. People who can afford a good attorney are lucky, because there are many who can’t who either plead to something they didn’t do or lose at trial with overworked, underpaid public defenders (god bless the public defenders, it is a true labor of love to do that work and I am absolutely not disparaging them in any way.)
I always think that when someone is excoriated on this site for a DWI arrest. Yes, many times the person is guilty, but there is a high enough incidence of problematic charges that we should reserve judgment for a conviction. “Innocent until proven guilty.”
I’m glad Bruce got this ridiculous case dismissed.
Thank you for this comment. I was stopped after midnight on my way home one night. An unknown car followed me, right on my tail, for about ten miles on a deserted state highway. Finally a police officer pulled me over and told me it was an off duty state patrolman who had called it in for reckless driving (?!). He thought that I had been impaired. Uh, no, I was a single 23 yo driving home after work and some creep was following me. He let me go with a warning, like he was doing me a huge favor, and lectured me about getting enough sleep. Sigh. Had I been a different color/race, who knows what would have happened. Someone was shot recently by state troopers in that same location.
A ticket yes but arrest was really over the top.
I would have watched that commercial and never thought it was Bruce