DALLAS (AP) -- A judge ordered Dallas
Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent to wear an electronic monitor pending his
trial on an intoxication manslaughter charge in the one-car crash that
killed a teammate.
State District Judge Fred Tinsley also
lowered Brent's bond from $500,000 to $100,000 on Tuesday. He ordered
Brent not to drink alcohol or drive without a valid driver's license.
Prosecutors say Brent was driving with a suspended license on the night
of the Dec. 8 crash that killed friend and Cowboys practice squad member
Jerry Brown.
Brent will be required to wear a monitor to detect if he has had anything to drink.
Dallas County District Attorney Craig
Watkins said he agreed with Brent's attorney, George Milner, that the
initial bond was set too high.
"We want to treat everyone the same," Watkins said. "Just because he's a Cowboy doesn't mean his bond should be $500,000."
Milner has protested about Brent's bond amount, which he said was higher because Brent "wears a star on his helmet."
"It was off the charts, it was
inappropriate," Milner said Tuesday. "And Mr. Brent should be treated
like any other citizen of Dallas County."
Brent appeared in court in a white
dress shirt and jeans, with bandages covering his right hand. He did not
answer questions from reporters after the hearing.
Police say Brent was speeding when his
vehicle struck a curb and flipped in the Dallas suburb of Irving. Brown
was taken to a Dallas hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Brent was
arrested and charged with intoxicated manslaughter, which carries a
maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
A defendant with no prior felony
convictions could be eligible for probation. Brent pleaded guilty three
years ago to driving under the influence -- a misdemeanor -- while he
was playing at Illinois. In the Illinois case, Brent was sentenced to 60
days in jail and two years of probation, according to court records.
Brent has been placed on the NFL
reserve/non-football illness list and won't play again this season. He
was on the sideline Sunday at Cowboys Stadium as Dallas beat Pittsburgh
27-24 in overtime.
Heath Harris, the first assistant
district attorney, said he expected Irving police to file a case against
Brent with prosecutors this week. Prosecutors hope to present their
case to a grand jury before the end of this year, Harris said.
