A jury has found James Kearns guilty of intoxication manslaughter in the 2017 death of Karlton Walker, ending a case that has dragged through the courts for nearly a decade.
The verdict came Thursday. The same jury will decide Kearns’ punishment, with deliberations set for Friday. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
>>READ MORE: Trial begins nearly a decade after San Antonio fatal drunk driving crash
Walker, 50, was killed March 14, 2017, near McCarty Road and San Pedro Avenue. Prosecutors said he was walking when a vehicle struck him. He died at the scene.
During testimony, one of the first officers to respond said he saw Walker lying unconscious on the ground and smelled intoxicants on Kearns’ breath.
This was the second time a jury has heard the case. Kearns was indicted about a year after the crash, and a jury was sworn in November 2021, but that trial ended when a juror contracted COVID-19.
Kearns then argued that a second trial would violate his protection against double jeopardy. The appeal halted proceedings for a time, but the challenge was ultimately denied. The case went through numerous trial settings before a new date was set this year.
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