Josh Brent, Dallas Cowboy guilty of intoxication Manslaughter
Josh Brent, Dallas Cowboys nose tackle, who was arrested shortly after 2 a.m. in December 2012, has been found guilty of intoxication manslaughter. The verdict was announced in a courtroom in the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas, Texas. Josh Brent, former Dallas Cowboy, was present in the courtroom at the time the verdict was announced. He remains in the custody of the Dallas County sheriffs office.
Josh Brent is now waiting for the punishment phase of his trial which will begin this Thursday. Although Josh Brent is eligible for probation, he could face up to 20 years in prison for the car accident that killed his teammate and friend Jerry Brown. Ten women and two men decided his fate after deliberating for more than seven hours over Tuesday and Wednesday.
When did the Josh Brent accident occur?
The car accident which killed Jerry Brown occurred in Irving, Texas. The accident occurred one day before Dallas was scheduled to play the Cincinnati Bengals after the two men left the Club Privae, where both Brent and Brown had allegedly been drinking. The accident occurred near the 1400 block of John Carpenter Freeway after Josh Brent flipped his Mercedes Benz. According to police reports, the wreck was caused in part due to high speeds and Brents intoxication. Police reported that the wreck occurred when the car hit a curb, travelled approximately 900 feet, flipped and caught fire. Officers at the scene noted that that they suspect that alcohol was a contributing factor in the deadly crash. Jerry Brown, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene. Josh Brent was found at the scene of the accident and reports indicate he pulled Brown from the burning car. He was later found at the scene of the accident by Irving police. Josh Brent submitted to a field sobriety test at the scene and a mandatory blood test at the hospital after it was confirmed that Jerry Brown had died. At the time of the accident the Cowboys issues a statement, The team was deeply saddened by the news of the accident and the passing of Jerry Brown. At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry's family and all of those who knew him and loved him. Josh Brent, 24, had been a Dallas Cowboy for three seasons at the time of the accident, coming to Dallas in 2010. He started his football career at the University of Illinois and was scheduled to start against the Bengals with the Dallas Cowboys for Jay Ratliff, who had been injured. Jerry Brown Jr., at the time of his death, had recently joined the Cowboys practice squad after his stint as a free agent with the Indianapolis Colts. Josh Brent and Jerry Brown Jr. had been friends since they played together at the University of Illinois.