Josh Brent testifies in civil trial about drunk driving death of Dallas Cowboys player
Former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent talked publicly for the first time on Monday about the DWI crash that killed his best friend and teammate.
Brent is serving 10 years’ probation for the crash that killed Jerry Brown. Brown's parents are suing the nightclub where the two were drinking on the night of the crash, claiming Brent was overserved.
Brent took the stand nearly six years to the day of the fatal crash as a witness and a defendant in the civil trial. He appeared without a lawyer and most of the questioning revolved around about how much he had to drink before and while at club Beamers.
Attorneys for the Brown family are trying to demonstrate that the nightclub employees knew Brent was intoxicated that fateful night, but served him anyway.
Brent testified he was not intoxicated when he arrived at the club shortly before 1 a.m. with Brown. He said he ordered three bottles of champagne and one bottle of Hennessy, but only remembers drinking about one and half glasses of champagne and two glasses of Hennessy and coke. He said he doesn’t remember much after that.
Attorneys for the family say no one at the club stopped him from drinking excessively.
“You just flat don’t remember a lot of the events at Privae, do you?” said family attorney Charla Aldous, to which Brent said he did not.
Nightclub attorneys pushed back, with a line of questioning involving Brent’s responsibility.
“You knew not to drink and drive?” asked attorney Spencer Markle. Brent admitted he knew that was wrong.
The nightclub attorneys have argued throughout the trial that Brent alone is responsible for Brown’s death. The owner of the nightclub, as well as the two waitresses who served Brent, testified they did not believe he was intoxicated.
A forensic toxicologist testified last week that Brent had consumed the equivalent of 14 drinks at the time of the fatal crash.
After seeing video of himself leaving the nightclub, Brent testified it did not appear to him that he was intoxicated. But again, he also testified that he didn’t remember some of the events of that night.
Testimony in the case will continues on Tuesday.