Springsteen To Appear In Federal Court On DWI, Related Charges

COLTS NECK, NJ - New Jersey rock hero and Monmouth County resident Bruce Springsteen is scheduled to appear in federal court next week on DWI and related charges, officials said.

Springsteen, 71, is scheduled to appear via video conference before Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone on Feb.24, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The Freehold native faces charges of drunk driving, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area following a Nov. 14 arrest at Gateway National Recreation Area on Sandy Hook.

According to the Asbury Park Press, the listed charges are all Class B misdemeanors that carry a possible sentence of 30 days to six months in prison and a fine up to $5,000. Sources told the publication earlier this month that Springsteen only had a blood-alcohol content level of .02 – a quarter of the state's legal limit of .08 – at the time of his arrest.

The Boss will specifically appear in enclave court, where individuals go for low-level charges like speeding, possession or driving while intoxicated, when they have been committed in a federal enclave like a federal park, according to NJ.com. One defense attorney told the publication it’s like “municipal court in the federal courthouse.” He'll be represented by high-profile criminal defense attorney Mitchell Ansell of Ansell Grimm & Aaron in Ocean.

Court documents obtained by Patch say that Springsteen was arrested after he drank a shot of tequila, hopped on his motorcycle and started the engine. The bottle of liquor was "completely empty" after it was poured, and he was told by a park ranger that alcohol was prohibited at Sandy Hook, according to a "statement of probable cause."

Springsteen told the park ranger that he consumed two shots of tequila over the previous 20 minutes and that he was planning on driving out of the park, according to a statement from a park ranger. "Springsteen smelt strongly of alcohol coming off his person and had glassy eyes," the statement said.

The ranger said Springsteen ran through field sobriety tests – although he refused a breath test – and he was "visibly swaying back and forth," the statement said. The rocker took a walk-and-turn test and took 45 steps when he was instructed to take 18, according to the statement.

An attorney who has experience representing clients in enclave court told NJ.com that a not-guilty plea, a challenge to any sobriety test can be expected and potential dismissal of the case altogether. The source also noted that field sobriety tests are not reliable for individuals over 70 years old.

The rocker with an otherwise squeaky clean record made headlines earlier this month due to his appearance in a Super Bowl advertisement for Jeep. The two-minute commercial, dubbed “The Middle,” saw Springsteen plead for political unity.

Jeep has since removed the ad from its YouTube channel, citing a need to “pause our Big Game commercial until the actual facts can be established. Its message of community and unity is as relevant as ever. As is the message that drinking and driving can never be condoned."