Judge mulls whether to release Justin Bieber jailhouse video

Singer's attorneys want portion of video blocked

MIAMI – A Miami-Dade County judge is deciding whether all or portions of Justin Bieber's jailhouse video should be released to the public.

No decision was made during Thursday's hearing.

The 19-year-old singer's attorneys are asking a judge to seal police surveillance video of the pop star while he was at the Miami Beach police station when he was arrested in January.

"There is no reason why the media should make a spectacle of that event even if it happens to be someone who is high-profile," attorney Howard Srebnick said in court.

Earlier this month, after consulting with prosecutors, Miami Beach police publicly released a portion of that surveillance video that shows Bieber being patted down by officers.

Bieber's lawyers claim the unreleased footage shows Bieber partially undressed at times, including when he urinated for a drug test. They argued it's demeaning and something the public doesn't have a right to see.

"The court, I think is handling this in the proper way," attorney Roy Black told Local 10 News after the hearing.

On Jan. 23, Bieber was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest and driving with an expired license. He has pleaded not guilty.

Police say the singer admitted to smoking marijuana and taking prescription pills when he was arrested. Prosecutors say a urine analysis did show that he tested positive for both marijuana and Xanax.

A continuation on Thursday's motion was scheduled for March 4. The trial, originally set for March 3, was rescheduled for a later date.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.