Josh Brent's lawyer thinks bond was excessive

After being charged with intoxicated manslaughter relating to the death of Dallas Cowboys practice team linebacker Jerry Brown, Josh Brent's bail was set at $500,000.

George Milner, Brent's attorney, believes that the bail was set excessively high.

"I'd say the bond is 16 times higher than it would have been for anybody that doesn't play for the Dallas Cowboys," Milner said.

Though Milner may have a point, Brent was directly involved in the death of a friend, and if convicted of intoxicated manslaughter, Brent could spend up to 20 years in prison.

The tragic events on Saturday aren't Brent's first run-in with the law either, which likely factored into the decision to set the bail at $500,000. In 2009, Brent pleaded guilty to a DUI charge, and his sentence included probation and 60 days of jail time.

While lawyers and pundits can argue whether the bond was excessive, it's no secret that celebrities, specifically athletes, are held to different standards in the court of law. It seems highly unlikely that a layperson would have spent as much jail time as Plaxico Burress did years ago for shooting himself in the leg, but because of his stature and place in New York sports, he was subject to a harsher penalty.