Jurors find former Dallas Cowboy Josh Brent guilty of intoxication manslaughter

[TexasTowelie]

Jurors found Josh Brent guilty of intoxication manslaughter this afternoon.

After the verdict was read, the former Dallas Cowboy was handcuffed and led from the courtroom in the custody of the Dallas County sheriff’s office.

The trial’s punishment phase will begin Thursday. Brent faces up to 20 years in prison for the December 2012 crash that killed teammate and best friend Jerry Brown Jr.

The jury of 10 women and two men deliberated for about nine hours Tuesday and Wednesday.

More at http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/jury-breaks-for-lunch-as-deliberations-continue-in-case-against-former-dallas-cowboy-josh-brent.html/ .

[joeybee12]

1. Although I wasn't on that jury...seemed like a slam-dunk decision to me...

What a sad story.

[El Supremo]

2. 10 years’ probation, 180 days in jail and $10,000 fine

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/jury-resumes-deliberating-sentence-for-former-dallas-cowboy-josh-brent.html/

Would you want him back with the Cowboys? >
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20140124-tell-us-would-you-want-josh-brent-back-with-the-cowboys.ece

[TexasTowelie]

3. The editorial in the DMN was pretty damning about the leniency of the sentence.

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140124-editorial-jury-inexplicably-lets-josh-brent-off-with-probation.ece

So how can a reasonable person explain Brent’s sentence from that same jury, revealed Friday: 180 days in jail and 10 years’ probation? Brent could have faced 20 years in prison, which didn’t seem out of the question, given his history.

This drunken incident wasn’t his first. Four years ago, he lost his Illinois driver’s license after a drunken driving arrest. While awaiting trial for his fatal wreck in Irving, he violated terms of his release up to four times and failed two drug tests for marijuana. His Illinois case required him to have an ignition interlock device on his vehicle, which he avoided by not carrying a valid Texas license or insurance.

It would be mere speculation to guess at the number of other times Brent shoved the gas pedal to the floor while drunk or high — or will in the future. At least his fatal crash didn’t involve any other vehicles, which you may attribute to dumb luck.

Is this really the guy you want closing fast in your rear-view mirror?

Josh Brent has made it clear that he will drink as much as he can afford, smoke as much as he can inhale and break as many laws as he’d like to drive perilously fast through the night.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. The victim's family supported the lighter sentence...

which I am sure factored into the decision.