BACKSTREET BOYS - CARTER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DUI

BACKSTREET BOYS heart-throb NICK CARTER pleaded not guilty to two drink driving-related charges Wednesday (13APR05).

Carter's plea was phoned in by his lawyer to Orange County court, California, according to MARK MACAULAY, spokesman for the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The star was not required to attend the arraignment because the charges are misdemeanours.

The EVERYBODY (BACKSTREET'S BACK) singer is charged with driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08, following his 5 March (05) arrest in Huntington Beach.

Carter, 25, was pulled over by police for erratic driving and failed a field sobriety test.

His publicist JULIETTE HARRIS insists, "Nick Carter deeply regrets the current situation. He is on doctor-prescribed medication and was unaware of its interaction possibilities."