Britney Spears charged with one misdemeanor in DUI case

LOS ANGELES: Pop singer Britney Spears was charged on Thursday with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of ​alcohol or drugs after she was arrested near her California home ‌in March.

Spears, 44, will be offered the chance to plead guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs at a court hearing on ​Monday, according to a statement from the Ventura County District ​Attorney’s Office. This is a common resolution for someone who ⁠has shown a willingness to undergo treatment, the statement said, and typically ​carries a sentence of 12 months on probation.

A representative for Spears said ​this month that the singer had voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation facility. Spears is not required to attend the hearing on Monday. Her lawyers can appear on her ​behalf.

A spokesperson for the singer did not immediately respond to a request ​for comment.

Spears was arrested in March after authorities received a report of a black ‌BMW ⁠traveling erratically at high speed. Officers located the vehicle and arrested Spears after observing signs of impairment, the California Highway Patrol said at the time.

The “Baby One More Time” singer had been under a conservatorship that controlled many ​of her personal ​and financial decisions ⁠for 13 years until a judge released her from the arrangement in 2021.

Fans had launched a “Free Britney” movement ​and argued that Spears did not need supervision. Her ​family ⁠said Spears suffered from mental illness and the conservatorship was meant to protect her and her $60 million estate.

In 2007, Spears was charged with one count ⁠of ​hit-and-run causing property damage and one count ​of driving without a valid California driver’s license, both misdemeanors. She also was hospitalized for undisclosed ​mental health issues that year.