It does not surprise me. While Texas juries are tough on intentional crimes, they are not as tough on alcohol-related offenses.
What is the relationship between Christmas, a religious holoiday, and the court picking this particular date? What happened to separation? Looks like an appeal to me.
I'm not sure any jurisdiction is. It's a lower level of malice to accidentally kill someone than to intentionally do so, regardless of the stupidity of the behavior that led to it.