# Probable punishment for Mr. Bieber? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581 "2014-01-24T02:25:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/1 "2014-01-24T02:25:04Z")
Apparently, Justin Bieber decided that, after partaking of a few drugs, that it was a good idea to race his Lamborghini in a residential area. Somehow, amazingly, he only managed to hit 60 mph before getting busted? After failing the field sobriety test, he made sure to let the cops know that he wasn’t just drinking, but also had illegally taken some prescription medication and a few tokes of the reefer. You know, just to be certain they’d charge him with the related crimes if they wanted to. Maybe the authorities would have found out anyways? If you fail a breathalyzer test, does this mean the authorities will take a blood sample and check it for other substances? Or will they just assume you were “just” drunk on legal ethanol and leave it at that. Anyways, what is likely to happen to him? It’s in Miami. How does Florida typically treat first time DUI offenders who have top tier attorneys? Will the fact that he was illegally drag racing, or that he also took some illegal drugs affect the sentencing significantly? > **[Justin Bieber arrested on drunken driving, resisting arrest charges | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/showbiz/justin-bieber-arrest/)** > > Justin Bieber was charged with drunken driving and resisting arrest after police saw the pop star street racing Thursday, Miami Beach police said. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/2 "2014-01-24T02:48:53Z")
In California, by driving, you’ve been deemed to have given “implied consent” to take a chemical test post-arrest for DUI. Whether you want to take a breath or blood test is up to you, however. Don’t know what the Florida law is. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/3 "2014-01-24T03:31:23Z")
[Florida Implied Consent](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.1932.html). [ul] [li]Best case scenario for Bieber: Cop to reduced charges and fine and/or probation.[/li][li]Worst case scenario for Bieber: Conviction on all charges. Hard time followed by deportation back to Canada, “never” to return to the USA. Career over.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/4 "2014-01-24T04:09:09Z")
Oh please please please! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/5 "2014-01-24T04:09:17Z")
Help fight this old fogey’s iggorance here. All’s I know about J. B. is all the scandal and theatrics and hype I read about him, that being what sells headlines and all. But quite aside from all that shit, is he also a good singer? That’s what I knew (or at least thought I knew) about Michael Jackson, for example. From what I could glean, apart from all his weirdness, was that he could sing. Well. What about J. B.? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/6 "2014-01-24T04:20:28Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Help fight this old fogey’s iggorance here. > > All’s I know about J. B. is all the scandal and theatrics and hype I read about him, that being what sells headlines and all. But quite aside from all that shit, is he also a good singer? > > That’s what I knew (or at least thought I knew) about Michael Jackson, for example. From what I could glean, apart from all his weirdness, was that he could sing. Well. What about J. B.? Well, yeah. It’s not my style, and neither was MJ, but the kid’s got talent. He can play guitar and drums reasonably well and does have a teen-appeasing singing voice. He wouldn’t be as damned popular if he had no talent. You can look on Youtube for yourself, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/7 "2014-01-24T04:24:05Z")
As a bit of symmetry, when Keith Richards was busted in 1977 for heroin possession in Canada, the final outcome was a suspended sentence and that the Stones play two free concerts. The politics of this little bit of fun will be amusing to watch. It isn’t exactly the first time such silliness has played out on the world stage. (I will admit to close to zero interest apart from watching the evolving attitudes to “celebrity” stupidity. I have never knowingly heard a JB song, and would have no clue about his talent.) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/8 "2014-01-24T04:37:12Z")
Can I hope for the death penalty? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/9 "2014-01-24T05:02:05Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Can I hope for the death penalty? Well, that would put _you_ out of _your_ misery but what about the rest of us? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/10 "2014-01-24T06:15:29Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > If you fail a breathalyzer test, does this mean the authorities will take a blood sample and check it for other substances? Or will they just assume you were “just” drunk on legal ethanol and leave it at that. > > Anyways, what is likely to happen to him? It’s in Miami. How does Florida typically treat first time DUI offenders who have top tier attorneys? Will the fact that he was illegally drag racing, or that he also took some illegal drugs affect the sentencing significantly? > > [http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/showbiz/justin-bieber-arrest/](http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/showbiz/justin-bieber-arrest/) I was arrested on a DUI-drugs charge, and even though I admitted to drinking part of a beer much earlier in the day, they weren’t interested in administering a breathalyser test. Although there was no physical evidence, they made it a drugs charge basically because I had long hair, and they took a blood draw at the jail. Then I spent 48 hours in jail since I didn’t know anything about bail bondsman at the time (although I was never brought before a judge and the case never went to trial due to lack of any evidence). If Bieber was admitting to weed, then I’d think they would take a blood sample. Celebrities usually just go to rehab with no jail time anyway unless they’re chronic like Lohan. There’s too many celebrities who have done drugs to mention, Elton John, Eric Clapton, etc., but they don’t often find themselves in prison because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/11 "2014-01-24T06:20:56Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Help fight this old fogey’s iggorance here. > > All’s I know about J. B. is all the scandal and theatrics and hype I read about him, that being what sells headlines and all. But quite aside from all that shit, is he also a good singer? > > That’s what I knew (or at least thought I knew) about Michael Jackson, for example. From what I could glean, apart from all his weirdness, was that he could sing. Well. What about J. B.? As an “Old Fogey” even if you were to listen to his music or see him perform, you still might not appreciate his talent. But he is talented enough to have a huge following and he made a huge amount of money from his music. I am an old fogey too and I once saw him perform on SNL and I thought he was enormously talented. Of course, the important question is not whether your or I think he is talented. But what does the money-spending public think. And they love him. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/12 "2014-01-24T06:21:52Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Can I hope for the death penalty? He’s not on my Death Pool list ---- damn! ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/13 "2014-01-24T06:23:43Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > \*Worst case scenario for Bieber: Conviction on all charges. Hard time followed by deportation back to Canada, “never” to return to the USA. Can he take f@#king [Caillou](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=693909) back with him? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/14 "2014-01-24T06:52:50Z")
It’s Florida, so \*anything \*could happen. My guess: a slap on the wrist and asset forfeiture of the Lamborghini to the Governor. For, you know, uh, official government business. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/15 "2014-01-24T07:15:20Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > It’s Florida, so \*anything \*could happen. True. Maybe George Zimmerman will shoot him. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/16 "2014-01-24T08:12:22Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > True. > > Maybe George Zimmerman will shoot him. I didn’t know JB was black. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/17 "2014-01-24T08:42:51Z")
> [@Lazlo Hapsburg](#): > > As an “Old Fogey” even if you were to listen to his music or see him perform, you still might not appreciate his talent. But he is talented enough to have a huge following and he made a huge amount of money from his music. > > I am an old fogey too and I once saw him perform on SNL and I thought he was enormously talented. > > Of course, the important question is not whether your or I think he is talented. But what does the money-spending public think. And they love him. His voice strikes me as auto-tune good, not actually good. But then, I find many current artists to be lacking in actual vocal talent. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/18 "2014-01-24T12:42:36Z")
_My object all sublime I shall achieve in time To let the punishment fit the crime The punishment fit the crime._ Mr Bieber’s driving license should be revoked for the period of one year. During that period he is to be driven for one hour each day at high speeds around the roads of his estate by chauffeurs who are to have precisely the levels of drink and drugs in their systems that he had when he was arrested. The drivers would be richly rewarded for the high risk they run (from Bieber’s pocket, of course) and I’m sure there would be no problem finding candidates as there’s never a shortage of idiots who imagine they can drive just fine whilst high. Robot cars would play the part of traffic. Accidents involving mortalities or severe injuries would result in cancellation of the remainder of the sentence. Other accidents would not. Should Justin survive he may think twice before getting behind a wheel drunk again. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/19 "2014-01-24T13:37:59Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > It’s Florida, so \*anything \*could happen. > > My guess: a slap on the wrist and asset forfeiture of the Lamborghini to the Governor. For, you know, uh, official government business. Bieber doesn’t own the car. > **[Justin Bieber: Lamborghini Was "on Loan" From Car Rental Company, Was...](https://www.eonline.com/news/502763/justin-bieber-lamborghini-was-on-loan-from-car-rental-company-was-returned-after-dui-arrest)** > > Singer was pulled over by police in Miami Beach for drag racing ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581/20 "2014-01-24T14:10:32Z")
According to [criminaldefenselawyer.com](http://criminaldefenselawyer.com) the penalty for driving under the influence of drugs is the same as the penalties for DUI. Those are > [@](#): > > Jail – 6 Months Maximum (BAL from .08 to less than .15) > Jail - 9 Months Maximum (BAL above .15) > Fine – From $500 to $1,000 (BAL from .08 to less than .15) > Fine – From $1,000 to $2,000 (BAL above .15) or Minor in Vehicle > License – Suspended from 180 Days to 1 Year > Hardship Reinstatement – Complete DUI School Prior to Hardship Application > Ignition Interlock Device – Up to 6 Months (Hardship Reinstatement BAL above.15) > Community Service Fine - $10 for Each Hour of Community Service Required > Community Service – 50 Hours > Treatment Program May Be Allowed in Lieu of Imprisonment > Vehicle Impound – 10 Days No idea what is likely but those are what is possible. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probable-punishment-for-mr-bieber/679581.md?page=2)