Josh Klinghoffer is best known for his time as the guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but what a number of folks don’t know is that he’s been dealing with a major lawsuit since 2024.
The 45-year-old musician took a no-jail plea deal for a vehicular manslaughter charge on Wednesday, May 28, according to a Thursday, May 29 report by People. The outlet noted that Klinghoffer was present in an Alhambra courthouse on Wednesday, where he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence charges.
Los Angeles County Judge Rosa Fregoso sentenced the guitarist to one year of informal probation and 60 days of community labor, according to Rolling Stone. The outlet also reported that Klinghoffer must pay restitution – which is set to be decided at a later date – and complete a driver safety class as well.
The sentencing comes just over a year after Klinghoffer allegedly failed to yield at a crosswalk and accidentally struck and killed 47-year-old Israel Sanchez on March 18, 2022. Officials revealed that the guitarist was driving a black 2022 GMC Yukon and confirmed that Sanchez’s death was caused by blunt force trauma.
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Sanchez’s daughter was also in attendance at the Alhambra courthouse, where she wept as she read her victim impact statement aloud.
“My father was an extraordinary grandfather to my [children],” she said to the courtroom, before she added, “His absence has left an irreversible void in our lives.” She went on to note that her father’s death was an “avoidable loss that has shaken [her] family.”
The date for the civil case hearing was set for July 1.
Klinghoffer was a part of the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, when John Frusciante – who joined the Peppers in 1988 after the death of their original guitarist Hillel Slovak – returned to the band. The rocker has since joined Pearl Jam as a touring guitarist for the band.
