"Affluenza": Judge Lets Teen Who Killed Four People Get Off On Probation Because He's Rich

[kpete]

Teen Who Killed Four People Got Off On Probation Because He's Rich

A 16-year-old boy who drunkenly killed four people got probation this week because the judge — with no apparent irony — agreed with the boy's defense that he was a victim of "affluenza," whose parents taught him wealth and privilege shield consequences. The teen had faced up to twenty years in prison.

Sixteen-year-old Ethan Couch admitted to four counts of manslaughter after he and seven other boys stole alcohol from Walmart, piled into his car and struck and killed four pedestrians while going 70 miles per hour in a 40 zone. One of his passengers remains in the hospital with severe brain damage, and nine other bystanders were also injured.

Couch's BAC was a .24 and he also had Valium in his system. According to reports, he was belligerent at the scene, at one point saying, "I'm outta here." Prosecutors were hoping to get up to 20 years.

Couch's defense was that he was a victim of his parents' wealth and privilege; in that he never had to face consequences, which an expert summarized prior to sentencing.

He said Couch got whatever he wanted. As an example, Miller said Couch's parents gave no punishment after police ticketed the then-15-year-old when he was found in a parked pickup with a passed out, undressed 14-year-old girl.

Miller also pointed out that Couch was allowed to drive at 13. He said the teen was emotionally flat and needed years of therapy. At the time of the fatal wreck, Couch had a blood alcohol content of .24, said Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson. It is illegal for a minor to drive with any amount of alcohol in his or her system.

http://gawker.com/teen-who-killed-four-people-got-off-on-probation-becaus-1480835092

[Warpy]

1. From close observation over a great number of years

it would seem that affluent parents have to work hard to avoid producing sociopathic kids.

I know too many who were bought out of every scrape when they were young and who are utterly uncaring about other people or the consequences of bad behavior now.

I was a country club kid. Poverty came later when my health took a dive.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. shouldn't victims of poverty get light sentences for crimes also?

[underpants]

3. Wow

W could have used that excuse several times ..... What am I saying he never had to face the consequences of anything he did

[truedelphi]

4. His wife Laura Bush had basically done a very similar thing - she

Was a teen aged DUI who killed while driving.

From Wikipedia: On the night of November 6, 1963, Laura Welch ran a stop sign and struck another car, resulting in the death of its driver.

If memory serves, Barb only did probation. Of course, back in 1963, many DUI's who killed only got a small slap on the wrist if even that.

I lost my best friend in June 1975 to a DUI adult, who hit her as she was out on her bicycle, and she became was his FIFTH DUI accident with injuries. Only, her injuries killed her instantly.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Laura Bush. nt

[truedelphi]

8. Edit made for correction. Thank You!

[dickthegrouch]

6. How about some mandatory minimum sentences for injuries or death?

If caused by anything other than a pure accident, I think there should be some mandatory minimums, since Judges seem to be incapable of determining appropriate sentences. If the person is rich and is still found guilty, I think they should automatically serve double the time for whatever anyone else would have served. If they pleaded not guilty in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt and were found guilty, double the sentence again.

Rich, by my definition, is having a per-person household income of greater than $100,000 anytime within the last 5 years.

[Rex]

7. So the moral of the story is 'ignorance of the law' is okay, if you have rich parents?

Pathetic.

[Scootaloo]

9. So a thief, a killer, and possibly a rapist. Probation!

THis country is done, stick a fork in it.

[dsc]

10. this is all the more gauling given the story I listened to this morning

A vet who suffered from PTSD and got arrested for drunk driving, no injuries no property damage, 4 times got 4 and a half years.

[Liberal In Texas]

11. State District Judge Jean Boyd

is a Republican.

Why am I not surprised.