‘American Idol’: Update on Caleb Kennedy’s DUI Case After Fatal Crash

Former American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy has been denied bond amid his DUI arrest. Nearly two weeks after Kennedy was charged with a felony DUI following a crash in Spartanburg, South Carolina that left one person dead, the 17-year-old singer appeared in court for a bond hearing on Thursday, Feb. 24.

Local outlet The State reported that the South Carolina teen’s lawyer Ryan Beasley asked for a $20,000 bond, home detention, and GPS monitoring. However, Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette declined to set Kennedy’s bond until results of blood tests are completed by the State Law Enforcement Division. Following the decision, Beasley protested, stating, “This is ridiculous, just because they don’t have their act together.” Barnette, however, interjected, stating, “I’ve made my ruling,” before he ended the hearing and recessed the court.

The bond hearing followed Kennedy’s Feb. 8 arrest. The teen was taken into police custody and charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in death after he crashed his 2011 Ford pick-up truck into a garage outside a home in Pacolet, South Carolina. The crash left 54-year-old Larry Duane Paris dead. Kennedy was arrested later that evening after being treated at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

During the bond hearing, Barnette told the court that Kennedy “drove 175 yards down a driveway, ran over Paris and was stopped by a large machine in Paris’ garage.” Photos from the crash site were also shown. Barnette also said the 17-year-old, who was allegedly under the influence of marijuana, had been to Walmart and “got a hit from a vape.” Kennedy’s lawyer, meanwhile, said Kennedy’s prescription for Prozac had just been doubled and “he had a bad reaction. This is a very, very sad situation and accident… He didn’t know what he was doing.”

Also during the hearing, Kennedy faced Paris’ family. Addressing the court, Paris’ daughter, Kelsi, emotionally shared, “I see my daddy laying in his own shop, moaning and groaning, with a stranger not even calling 911. He killed my dad, point-blank. I wish I could pay a little bit of money or a lot of money to have my daddy back.”

Kennedy has been held in the Spartanburg County Detention Center since his arrest. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. Local outlet WYFF reported that the teen’s appearance for General Sessions Court is scheduled for April 14. A date for his next bond hearing has not been set.