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Driver involved in church bus crash pleads not guilty

Penalties for all charges are 2 to 20 years with the exception of the intoxication assault which is 2 to 10 years. 

UVALDE COUNTY – The driver involved in the March New Braunfels church bus crash plead not guilty Thursday morning.

The arraignment for 20-year-old Jack Dillon Young was held Thursday morning at the Uvalde County Justice Center.

Young was arraigned on 13 counts of intoxication manslaughter, two-count indictments alleging intoxication manslaughter and manslaughter and one indictment alleging two counts. One for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury and for intoxication assault. He pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Penalties for all charges are 2 to 20 years with the exception of the intoxication assault which is 2 to 10 years.

RELATED | 20-year-old driver indicted in deadly New Braunfels bus crash that killed 13

According to documents, one indictment alleges intoxication assault and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury, third and second-degree felonies. The indictments further allege that the one-ton Dodge pickup was used as a deadly weapon.

The bus crash on March 29 left 13 people dead and two injured, including Young who was driving the white Dodge Ram pickup truck that caused the crash.

RELATED | Report: Truck swerves more than 50 times before deadly church bus crash

"We're seeing justice for the victims," said Danny Kindred, District Attorney for the 38th Judicial District.

Kindred said he will sit down with defense attorney Rogelio Munoz in the near future to talk about the case. If this goes to trial, the trial date will be set by the court.

The defense filed to reduce the bond ($300K) but it has not been heard yet in court.

"We feel that the bonds are adequate and proper for the offense and they should remain as they are," Kindred said. "Any case like this is devastating. Our community, even though these folks aren't from here, they're very compassionate and concerned about the well-being of the families, they're concerned about their grief and they want to see that justice is done."

A venue change is the decision of a defense council.

"Only way plea deal will occur is if it is an arrangement of the punishment that's acceptable to the defense and the state. If we come to that, we'll do it. If we don't, there will be a trial," Kindred said.

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