KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas – An hour and a half was all it took for a jury to return a not guilty verdict for a Kaufman County man facing two to 20 years in prison for intoxication manslaughter.
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The jury did however find 34-year-old Warren Ray Patton Jr. guilty on one count of manslaughter while using a vehicle as a deadly weapon in the June 9, 2012, head-on accident on Farm-to-Market (FM) 741 which resulted in the death of off-duty Dallas County Constable Guy Farley.
Sentencing for Patton will be determined tomorrow morning, August 8, 2014. According to 422 District Court Judge B. Michael Chitty, Patton is eligible for probation but could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
After the conviction, Kaufman County District Attorney's Office Chief Prosecutor Marc Moffitt requested Patton be remanded into the custody of the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office. Due to his parole eligibility, Moffitt's request was denied.
RELATED: Day 1: Intoxication manslaughter trial underway
In closing, the state argued a case was made which provided sufficient evidence of Patton's intoxication based on testimony provided by a witness to the accident who testified Patton was driving recklessly, a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper who smelled alcohol on Patton's person and in his vehicle, testimony from a surgeon and nurse at Parkland Hospital, and a blood draw done at Parkland Hospital which indicated a .086 serum blood alcohol content level.
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The defense argued the hospital blood draw could not be considered in a legal setting because of the potential for tampering and misinterpretation of the results compared to a legal setting which follows a chain of custody. The defense stated a case for intoxication wasn't presented that could find Patton guilty of intoxication manslaughter beyond a responsible doubt due to the lack of a complete and impartial investigation on behalf of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Because the trial remains in recess until after the sentencing, the state and defense were unable to provide comment.
Sentencing for Patton will be determined tomorrow morning, August 8, 2014. According to 422 District Court Judge B. Michael Chitty, Patton is eligible for probation but could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
After the conviction, Kaufman County District Attorney's Office Chief Prosecutor Marc Moffitt requested Patton be remanded into the custody of the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office. Due to his parole eligibility, Moffitt's request was denied.
RELATED: Day 1: Intoxication manslaughter trial underway
In closing, the state argued a case was made which provided sufficient evidence of Patton's intoxication based on testimony provided by a witness to the accident who testified Patton was driving recklessly, a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper who smelled alcohol on Patton's person and in his vehicle, testimony from a surgeon and nurse at Parkland Hospital, and a blood draw done at Parkland Hospital which indicated a .086 serum blood alcohol content level.
RELATED: Day 2: Testimony continues in intoxication manslaughter trial, Facebook comments scrutinized
The defense argued the hospital blood draw could not be considered in a legal setting because of the potential for tampering and misinterpretation of the results compared to a legal setting which follows a chain of custody. The defense stated a case for intoxication wasn't presented that could find Patton guilty of intoxication manslaughter beyond a responsible doubt due to the lack of a complete and impartial investigation on behalf of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Because the trial remains in recess until after the sentencing, the state and defense were unable to provide comment.