Sam Hunt pleaded guilty to 2 counts of driving under the influence on Wednesday during a virtual court appearance in Nashville, Tennessee. Hunt called into the courtroom via Zoom according to a report by WKRN, where he was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail. However, the country music star reportedly struck a plea deal that will get the majority of that sentence suspended.
Hunt was arrested in November of 2019 after witnesses called 9-1-1 to report a man driving in the wrong direction down a divided highway in Nashville. Nearly two years later, Hunt admitted to the crime, which could have put him in jail for nearly a year. Instead, the District Attorney’s Office agreed to a plea deal that will only require Hunt to spend 48 hours in jail, and according to a report by TMZ he will not even serve that time. Instead, he will complete a DUI education course.
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Hunt is also required to pay a $350 fine, plus court costs, and spend some time on supervised probation. It is not clear how long that probation will last, but his driver’s license will be suspended for 1 year. The singer has made much of his reputation with drinking anthems, including “Drinkin’ Too Much” and “House Party.”
The officers who arrested Hunt in the early hours of the morning on Nov. 21, 2019, said that he was swerving in and out of his lane as he tried to pull over. The singer reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol “recently,” struggled to hand them his driver’s license even though it was already out and in his lap. He first tried to hand them his credit card, then his passport.
Hunt was the only person in his vehicle at the time of his arrest. His blood-alcohol content was more than double the legal limit at 0.173. Police also said that he smelled like alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot and that he had two empty beer containers next to him. He was originally charged with an open container violation which was dropped as part of his plea deal.
Hunt made a public apology for his actions shortly after his arrest. At the time, he tweeted: “Thursday night I decided to drive myself home after drinking at a friend’s show in downtown Nashville. It was a poor and selfish decision and I apologize to everyone who was unknowingly put at risk and let down by it. It won’t happen again.”
