Justin Bieber’s lawyers Battle Media To Stop Release Of More Miami Jail Videos

Justin Bieber’s lawyers have a fight on their hands in their court bid to prevent Miami police releasing more CCTV footage of the star’s lockdown at Miami Beach police station after his DUI arrest last month, which reportedly includes video of him urinating into a urinal in his holding cell.

A collective of news media outlets are fighting the singer’s lawyers’ citing transparency in public records law as the basis.

Bieber’s Miami legal team filed the motion to seal further leaking of video footage of the pop star at the police station the day after last Thursday’s release of CCTV surveillance, showing the 19-year-old’s pat down and frisking by an officer at the South Florida jail he was taken to immediately after his arrest.

Most outlets describe it as embarrassing footage. But, in fact, it was a typical pat down and the Canadian appeared to be cooperating with the searching officer’s instructions, although it’s not known what he said as the video audio was off.

The singer can be seen removing outer clothing, bright orange High-Tops, socks and jewelry before an officer frisks him.

In their Friday motion, Bieber’s lawyers Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, wrote:

“While in custody at the Miami Beach police station the defendant was captured on videotape in various states of undress which show intimate personal parts of the defendant’s body,” the motion states, also noting the Florida constitution and state law prevent such images from being made public.

Yesterday TMZ reported law enforcement sources told them much more compromising jail footage of Bieber exists.The celebrity gossip site quoted a source who has apparently seen the video.

“Justin is seen several times stumbling around while he was taking his tests. As if he had a problem with his balance…[it] also shows Justin taking his various tests and eventually taking a p**s,” the source told the site.

The insider continued: “The stumbling and going to the bathroom is obviously reason enough for his attorneys to request it be sealed… If I was trying to paint a picture that my client was innocent… I wouldn’t want a video of him stumbling around and looking out of it to go public either.”

So now, the fight is on.

A Miami-Dade judge will decide if further footage of Bieber’s will be disclosed after weighing the competing motions from the teen star’s legal team and news media’s. As yet, no hearing date has been set for the public-records issues, Miami Herald notes.

Scott Ponce, a Miami Herald attorney, contests the claim that the Florida constitution and state law allows for exemptions to disclosure of public records, saying: “There is no basis in the public-records law for this video tape to be withheld from the public, and it will be Mr. Bieber’s burden to somehow establish that this otherwise public record should be withheld.”

But what exactly is the public interest in seeing Bieber’s penis tittered over on news reports and blogs around the world, which is what will happen if the footage of him in various states of undress is released?

Does it further the DUI case to know that he can pee or looks like semi-naked?

Or is it merely a voyeuristic attempt to pile more humiliation on an embattled teen who is fighting a serious case that could at worst see him jailed, or facing probation at best?

That said, there is an argument for media to see Bieber “stumbling” through police tests as it directly addresses his DUI charge. The singer is also charged with resisting arrest without violence and driving without a valid license.

But none of these charges necessitates the media – and the public – seeing him semi-clad or urinating.

(Photo: via Mail Online, This is as far as the Biebs disrobes in public.)

A recently released toxicology report revealed marijuana and the anxiety-drug Xanax were present in Bieber’s system at the time of his arrest, which corroborates a statement in the arresting officers’ report that he admitted taking prescription medication, smoking pot and consuming beer prior to being stopped.

On January 23, Bieber was stopped and arrested on Pine Tree Drive in Miami Beach while driving a yellow Lamborghini along with R&B singer, Khalil Amir Sharieff, who drove a red Ferrari. Police described both as engaged in an illegal street drag race. The arrests took place just after 4 am.

The pop prince was released on $2,500 bond hours after his arrest, emerging to a media scrum and fans.

As mentioned above, Justin has entered a not guilty plea to all three charges ahead of an arraignment on February 14 which he is not expected to attend.

A trial date of March 3 has been set.

As for the battle royale over CCTV footage of Bieber and his reported jail cell urination, that decision rests with a judge.

Either way, one thing is clear: Justin Bieber isn’t being treated like your average Joe under the law.