Former Dallas Cowboys Defensive Lineman Josh Brent faces up to 20 years in prison after his conviction Wednesday of intoxication manslaughter, for driving drunk and getting into a fiery wreck that killed his best friend and teammate Jerry Brown.
The deadly crash happened in December of 2012, following a night of partying. Police say Brent’s blood alcohol level was 0.18 a short time after he wrecked his Mercedes on a Dallas highway, which is more than twice the legal limit.
ESPN reported prosecutors said the 320-pound tackle had up to 17 drinks that night.
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According to court testimony, Brent was driving at least 110 mph on a stretch of road where the speed limit was 45 mph, and neither he nor Brown were wearing seatbelts. One of Brent’s attorneys, George Miller, said his client was “guilty of being stupid behind the wheel of a car,” not being drunk beforehand, according to the ESPN report.
Prosecutors showed police dash cam footage of the former Cowboy losing his balance during a sobriety test and stumbling over his words while talking to officers.
But the Dallas Morning News reported that employees at V’s, a Dallas restaurant where Brent and some teammates had been drinking and dining earlier that evening, testified they didn’t think the defendant was intoxicated. Surveillance videos, though, showed Brent drinking at Club Privae the same night.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released a brief statement after the jury returned its verdict, saying the team understands “the very serious nature of this situation and express our concerns for all of the families and individuals that have been affected by the tragedy of Jerry Brown’s death.”
The Dallas Morning News reported that Brown’s mother has defended Brent and didn’t want prosecutors to charge him.
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