BEAUMONT — Kendrick McCloney is charged with Intoxication Manslaughter in the Jan 24, 2016 death of Clinton Meadows.
Meadows was changing a tire on his wife's car near the Laurel Street exit on IH-10 in Beaumont when he was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by McCloney.
In the drug impact court Monday, McCloney pleaded guilty to 2nd degree intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in the 3rd degree. According to McCloney's attorney, Ryan Gertz, McCloney will seek 10 years probation.
"The question is going to be whether the person intended in the manner and use, in this case a vehicle, whether he intended to use his vehicle as a deadly weapon," said Gertz. "That will be something the jury has to decide."
Because of the deadly weapon application to this case, the only possible way that McCloney could get probation is by letting a jury decide his fate. The maximum sentence McCloney could serve is 30 years in prison. Kathy Bell-Schexnaider with Mothers Against Drunk Driving says prison is the only solution for these cases.
"It’s not a life sentence, they do get their life back," said Bell-Schexnaider. "So they will be back out on the roads. But for a short period of time the citizens will be protected from this one person."
The jury will start the punishment phase of the trial at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
Earlier this month a Jefferson County jury awarded $2,000,000 to the victim's family in a civil suit
McCloney is currently free on bond.