The charges of drink driving and reckless driving against Bruce Springsteen have been dropped, as his blood-alcohol level was too low to warrant the charges. The Boss was arrested on November 14th, in Gateway National Recreation Area, and subsequently dropped by Jeep.
However, the Boss was charged for consuming “two small shots of tequila” in a closed area, to which he pleaded guilty. Springsteen faced a judge and more than 100 onlookers in a video conference, and admitted he was aware it was illegal to consume alcohol at the park. In response to questions from an assistant US attorney, Springsteen said “I had two small shots of tequila”.
Springsteen was fined $500 (€411.35) by US Magistrate Anthony Mautone for the offence, plus $40 dollars (€32.91) in court fees. Willingly complying with the court, Bruce said “I think I can pay that immediately, your honour”. According to an emailed statement by his lawyer Mitchell Ansell, Springsteen “is pleased with the outcome” of the court hearing.
A probable cause document written by park police shown Springsteen had informed a park officer that he had two shots over the previous 20 minutes. However, it also stated that the rocker would not take a preliminary breath test before he was arrested. When at the park ranger’s station, Springsteen took a breath test to which his blood-alcohol came back as .02. This is just a quarter of the legal limit in the state of New Jersey.
The officer at Gateway National Recreation Area wrote in the statement of probable cause that he saw Springsteen take a shot of tequila and then get on his motorcycle. He also noted that Springsteen “smelt strongly of alcohol” and “had glassy eyes,” along with finding a “completely empty” bottle of Patron tequila. Springsteen was described in the report as “visibly swaying back and forth” during a field sobriety test, and also said the rocker had declined to provide a sample on the initial breath test.
