DALLAS, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The jury in the intoxication manslaughter trial of Josh Brent met Thursday without deciding on a sentence for the former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle.
Brent was convicted Wednesday in the 2012 death of his friend and Cowboys teammate Jerry Brown Jr. and could face as much as 20 years in prison or as little as probation.
The jury will be sequestered Thursday night and resume deliberation Friday.
Attorneys for Brent argued he should receive probation and said the jury can't punish Brent more than he has already punished himself, the Dallas Morning News said.
"He still has to live with that," attorney Kevin Brooks said.
Prosecutors argued against probation, saying there would always be a question whether Brent was "on the road."
Brown's mother, Stacey Jackson, told the jury Thursday she has forgiven Brent.
"He is still responsible but we can't go on in life holding a grudge," she said.
The jury found Brent guilty Wednesday of drunken driving and crashing his car, resulting in the death of his friend and teammate.
Brown -- a linebacker on the Cowboys' practice squad -- was a passenger in Brent's car when it struck a curb at a high rate of speed and flipped over in Irving, Texas, after the two left a Dallas nightclub in December 2012.
Police said Brent's blood alcohol level on the night of the crash was .189, more than double the legal limit.
Brent appeared in 44 games over three seasons with Dallas from 2010-12, and has not played in an NFL game since the crash.
