Josh Klinghoffer avoids jail in vehicular manslaughter case

Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and current touring member of Pearl Jam Josh Klinghoffer has avoided a possible jail sentence after entering a plea deal in the vehicular manslaughter case that was brought against him last year.

Klinghoffer attended court in Alhambra, California, yesterday, and entered a no-contest plea in the case, which was brought after a vehicle Klinghoffer was driving struck a 47-year-old pedestrian, Israel Sanchez, in March 2024. Sanchez subsequently died from his injuries.

The no-contest plea means that Klinghoffer accepts conviction but does not plead or admit guilt. He'll serve 60 hours of community service and a year of probation, and will also undertake a driver safety class.

At the time of Kilnghoffer's arraignment, Sanchez's family lawyer, Nick Rowley, claimed to be in possession of "a video of him on his cell phone at the time he hit and killed Israel Sanchez."

During court proceedings, the prosecutor warned Klinghoffer about his future conduct, saying, "If you continue to drive while distracted, and as a result of your driving someone is killed, you can be charged with murder."

Klinghoffer played guitar for the Red Hot Chili Peppers for 12 years, appearing on 2011's I'm With You and 2016's The Getaway. Since John Frusciante's return to the RHCP, Klinghoffer has played with Iggy Pop and Redd Kross in addition to Pearl Jam, and on Elton John and Brandi Carlile's collaborative album Who Believes in Angels?

Artists

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.