Too bad for "American Idol" runner-up Justin Guarini: That $1 million recording contract could've helped him pay for his traffic ticket.
The second-place finisher in Fox's pop-star competition will fork over a $100 fine rather than fight a ticket he received in March while driving in his native Pennsylvania, the Associated Press reports.
Police cited Guarini, 23, for following too closely in a March 12 traffic accident in Bethlehem. The offense carries a $25 fine and $75 in court costs.
The eternally grinning moptop, who's now busy recording music in Los Angeles, had been scheduled to appear this Wednesday in Northampton County Court -- but decided it wasn't worth the trip, his lawyer, Douglas C. Roger Jr. (who is also his uncle), tells the news service.
"Flying across the country is a little extreme for a traffic ticket," Roger said. "He is extremely tied up."
Despite losing out to Kelly Clarkson, 20, on the Fox series finale Sept. 4, Guarini does have a busy schedule ahead of him. Aside from recording, the pop wannabe is reuniting with his fellow "Idol" finalists for a whirlwind concert tour.
And no, Justin probably won't be driving.
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