The Backstreet Boys had succeeded in making a comeback this summer, but youngest member Nick Carter still had one more hurdle to face: a drunken driving charge he obtained four months ago.

Yesterday, Carter was ordered to three years of informal probation, a three-month alcohol-treatment program, and restricted driving privileges for 90 days. He was also fined $1,200.

The deal was agreed upon by prosecutors in Orange County, California, where the singer was pulled over on Mar. 5 for erratic driving in Huntington Beach. He was slapped with two misdemeanour charges after failing a field sobriety test.

The pop star pleaded guilty to one count of driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol count of over 0.08, the legal limit. The second DUI count was dropped in exchange for the guilty plea. Because the charge was a misdemeanour, Carter wasn’t required to be present at the hearing.

The terms were settled last Thursday, avoiding a preliminary hearing in the case set for today. Orange County Deputy District Attorney Tate McCallister told reporters that Carter’s alcohol treatment will be on an outpatient basis.

Initially, the 25-year-old musician pleaded not guilty to the charges in April, with his rep denying he was driving under the influence.

“Nick Carter deeply regrets the current situation. He is on doctor-prescribed medication and was unaware of its interaction possibilities,” his publicist Juliette Harris said.

Two weeks ago, the Backstreet Boys released their fifth studio album, Never Gone, which is on its way to worldwide success. It debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and had top five debuts in countries around the world. In total, the group has sold over 73 million albums worldwide since they first formed in the early ’90s. This summer, the band will be hitting the road for a North American tour, which kicks off July 22 at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla.






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