Indictment of Cowboys' Josh Brent Shows Stiff DUI Penalties

The consequences for driving while intoxicated in Texas vary according to the factors of the case, but the penalties can be stiff.

2013-01-29

January 29, 2013 (Press-News.org) Indictment of Cowboys' Josh Brent shows stiff DUI penalties

The Cowboys' season may be over, but the woes continue for Josh Brent, the Cowboys nose tackle who suffered tragedy in December when he overturned the vehicle he and his close friend and teammate Jerry Brown were in. Brown suffered head and neck trauma from the crash and died. Brent has since been indicted on intoxication manslaughter charges.

Toxicology reports revealed that Brent had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16, which is twice the legal limit in Texas. In a sad twist, a recent autopsy report revealed that Brown had a BAC of 0.056 percent, meaning Brown was legally able to drive.

Brent is currently not in jail, having posted a $100,000 bond. However, he is wearing an ankle bracelet that monitors alcohol consumption and may face jail time in the future.

The accident occurred in the early morning hours of Dec. 8, 2012. The car ran over a curb before it overturned, police reported. There was a bottle of cognac in the car at the time of the crash. Neither Brent nor Brown were wearing seatbelts.

DUI penalties in Texas

The penalties for driving while intoxicated vary according to the factors of the case. A driver arrested for a first-time DUI with a BAC between 0.08 and 0.14 faces a $2,000 fine, up to six months in jail and a driver license suspension of up to one year. The license can be reinstated so that the driver can get to work and other essential functions, but the court does not necessarily have to reinstate the license.

If the driver has a high BAC (0.15 or over) then he or she faces a Class A misdemeanor, the same penalties for a repeat DUI offense. This doubles the fine and potential jail time.

When a tragedy occurs, such as what happened to the Cowboys' Brent, a DUI becomes a second degree felony. This is the case even when the driver intended no harm and the death occurred to a passenger. Brent is facing two to 20 years in jail if convicted. Other consequences of an intoxicated manslaughter conviction are:
-The mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device in order to drive again, which requires the driver to blow into a device to measure BAC before driving
-A fine of up to $10,000
-Community service

Probation can be an option for an intoxicated manslaughter charge. However, there are various conditions that come with probation, including the potential for a judge to order the convicted person to consume no alcohol or drugs and random drug testing by the probation officer.

When facing a DUI charge, it is vital to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer. A conviction can bring severe consequences that last for years, as well as the stigma of having a DUI on record. Those facing any type of DUI charge should contact an attorney to defend their rights and potentially minimize penalties.

Article provided by J. Charles Bunk
Visit us at http://www.bunklaw.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

A Few Tips to Help Protect Your Business from a Lawsuit

2013-01-29

A few tips to help protect your business from a lawsuit Business owners want to spend their time building their business, not defending themselves from lawsuits. While a business owner's time is often stretched thin, some legal preparation can go a long way to prevent a business from getting involved in legal quagmires further down the road. Many large businesses conduct annual legal audits to determine unknown legal issues and small businesses should spend some time doing the same. Two of the most common areas of risk for small businesses are employment and intellectual ...

EBI Consultancy Reveals the Three Important Tools in Supply Chain

2013-01-29

EBI Consultancy, a successful provider of high quality commercial, management and supply chain consulting services in Asia, shares their expertise in the use of high-technology supply chain tools and what businesses could do to cope up with these trends, in a blog post released on January 18, 2013. They have listed down three (3) important tools for improving the reliability of the supply chain by increasing the visibility of goods scattered across the network through a better flow of information and using technology to improve the supply chain process. EBI stated ...

Regional Investment and Innovation Leads to Success for R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa in 2012

2013-01-29

Reichle & De-Massari (R&M) Middle East, Turkey and Africa, the Swiss structured cabling specialist, has announced a strong performance during 2012 posting double digit growth in the region during the last 12 months. During this period, the company nearly doubled its staff strength, inaugurated a new regional office in Saudi Arabia and opened the region's first-of-its-kind patch cord assembly facility at its headquarters in Dubai. This continued investment in the region and industry-leading Swiss quality has led to impressive results for the cabling specialist. The ...

Sompo Japan Participates in Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot

2013-01-29

Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. (President and CEO: Kengo Sakurada; hereinafter, gSompo Japanh) announces that the company has joined the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot established by the World Bank (President: Jim Yong Kim). The program aims to reduce the natural disaster risks of Pacific Island countries, which are vulnerable to catastrophic damages caused by major cyclones and tsunamis whose frequency is increasing in recent years. 1. Background of Sompo Japanfs Participation in Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot Major natural disasters, including ...

University Researchers Confirm Link Between Insomnia and Hot Flashes

2013-01-29

A team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California recently embarked upon a study to help determine the causes of insomnia among premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The team conducted phone interviews with 982 women and gathered information about their sleep history, frequency of hot flashes, and overall health. They found that 51% of postmenopausal women suffer with hot flashes and that 79% of premenopausal women have them. Among the women with the most intense hot flashes (based on their severity and frequency), 81% of them experienced ...

Russian Interest in Marbella Property Gathers Momentum

2013-01-29

News this month from the Malaga Developer's Association reveals that the Russians have overtaken the Germans to become the second largest international home buying audience on the Costa del Sol. Marbella agent Spanish Hot Properties believes this is a trend to continue. Nick Stuart, Director of Spanish Hot Properties, says, "Russians now make up 9% of foreign property purchases leaving the Germans trailing with 7%. This is still minimal in comparison to the Brits who lead the way with 35% but, in my opinion, the start of a greater wave of Russian clients on the ...

Local Photographer Gains High Respect

2013-01-29

"We have recognized a need for aerial photography services throughout Georgia and have responded to fulfill this need by expanding our service area", explains Michael. Aerial photography has many uses in today's world whether the user needs creative marketing strategies, thorough and accurate documentation such as in land disputes or traffic accidents, project analysis, environmental impacts, or advertising campaigns. These aerial photos provide a very impressive and detailed view of the entire project from a bird's eye perspective. "We are extremely excited ...

February Trust & Asset Protection National Webinar Hosted by Gregory Herman-Giddens

2013-01-29

The hour-long webinar is designed for financial advisors and attorneys who are interested in learning how trusts can be used to protect inherited IRAs from creditors and beneficiary mismanagement while maximizing tax deferral. A board-certified attorney, Herman-Giddens will review how to structure asset protection for IRA beneficiaries. Trillions of dollars in IRAs and qualified plans to be passed down to beneficiaries in the near future could be jeopardized by mismanagement and creditor claims. There are ways to leverage specially designed trusts to protect IRAs and ensure ...

Book Marketing Announcements: The Authors Show Lineup for the Week of January 28, 2013

2013-01-29

Don McCauley of the Free Publicity Focus Group and Danielle Hampson of eBroadcastMedia.com, founders of Book Marketing, announced today The Authors Show radio and TV weekly broadcast schedule. Book Marketing, branded as 'The Authors Marketing Powerhouse', allows authors and publishers the opportunity to upload photos, bios, book covers, video and book videos. The site also offers discussion forums, segmented special interest groups and allows for event listings. Each author can develop a personalized page. In addition the site allows for integration with Facebook and ...

American Ingenuity Media & Prudencetheriault.com Launch "THE TV TAROT"

2013-01-29

Want to know how Super Bowl XLVII will do in the TV ratings, before kickoff? Have a burning desire to know if Kim Kardashian and Kanye West will make it as a couple? Would you like to know how the new "Star Trek: Into Darkness" movie will do well before the premiere? Now you will know as a brand new Internet TV series, "THE TV TAROT" has launched on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Goggle+. Featuring the nearly never miss talents of Master Tarot Reader & Instructor, Prudence Theriault and hosted by TV news and marketing veteran, Jeff Grimshaw, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Crowded conditions muddle frogs’ mating choices

A new way to guide light, undeterred

Researchers uncover how COVID-19 may linger in cancer patients and affect treatment outcomes

Tiny metal figurines from Sardinia's Nuragic civilization in around 1,000 BC reveal extensive ancient Mediterranean metal trading networks

Natural microfibers may degrade differently to synthetic materials under simulated sunlight exposure in freshwater and seawater conditions, with implications for how such pollutants affect aquatic lif

Indian new mums report better postpartum wellbeing when their own mum acts as their primary support - while women whose mother-in-law is the primary caregiver instead report significantly lower overal