Jury Hits Ex-Cowboys Player, Nightclub with $25M Verdict in DUI Death

A Texas jury has returned a $25 million verdict against former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent and the owner of the now-defunct Beamers nightclub in the death of Brent’s teammate, Jerry Brown Jr.

Brown was killed six years ago when the car Brent was driving at 110 mph (177 kph) in a 45-mph (72-kph) zone overturned in Irving, a Dallas suburb. Brent had a blood-alcohol level of .18 percent, more than twice the legal limit for driving.

Brown’s mother, Stacey Jackson, and his estate sued Brent and Beamers, an Irving nightclub, alleging the nightspot over-served Brent with alcohol. A Dallas County jury found Brent and Beamers each 48 percent liable, with Brown 4 percent liable.

The lawsuit had sought up to $95 million in damages, mostly from the bar.