Thread: Rich teen escapes jail term for killing four people because he suffers from 'affluenza'

Rich teen escapes jail term for killing four people because he suffers from 'affluenza'

A rich teenager who killed four people and injured nine others drunk driving got off with probation because he suffers from "affluenza."

Ethan Couch enters court to be sentenced for the horror smash which killed four people [WFAA]

Ethan Couch, 16, was three times over the limit when he ploughed his parents' pick-up truck into two parked cars at 70 mph, causing a chain-reaction crash and killing four pedestrians.

Two of the eight teenagers in the back of the truck were thrown out, one of them suffering severe brain injuries and the other broken bones and internal injuries.

The youths had spent a night partying, including stealing booze from a Walmart store, when they went on their wild joyride.
Couch pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two of intoxication assault in relation to the crash on June 15th.
Youth pastor Brian Jennings; mother and daughter Hollie and Shelby Boyles; and 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell all died in the accident.

Couch was three times the drink drive limit when he caused the fatal crash [Youtube]

The prosecution asked for a 20 year prison sentence but Couch was put on probation for 10 years after the court in Burleson, a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas, heard evidence from defence psychologist Dr G Dick Miller.

Miller said Couch was a product of "affluenza" and had been brought up with a huge sense of entitlement because of his famliy's wealth.
Saying the boy had "freedoms no young person should have," he told the court that: "His family felt that wealth brought privilege and there was no rational link between behaviour and consequences."

He said his parents let him drive at 13, drink, and did not punish him when police found him in a pick-up with a naked, passed-out 14-year-old girl when he was 15.

Although Texas law calls for two to 20 years behind bars for intoxication manslaughter and up to 10 years for intoxication assault, State District Judge Jean Boyd opted for probation.

He will also not be allowed contact with his parents and will be placed in an "intensive, long-term treatment facility" in California.
The parents will foot the £275,000 bill for his treatment, and they and the boy are facing five lawsuits, one asking for £12.25 million.

Couch escaped a jail term after his lawyer successfully argued he suffered from 'affluenza' [WFAA]

The decision has been heavily criticised as too lenient and not commensurate with sentences handed down to poorer defendants.

'Money always seems to keep (Couch) out of trouble,' said Eric Boyles, who lost his wife and daughter in the smash. I felt that money did prevail. If (he) had been any other youth, I feel like the circumstances would have been different.'

Florida psychologist Dr Gary Buffone called the sentence a slap on the wrist for "a very serious offense.

"The defence is laughable. Not only haven't the parents set any consequences, but it's being reinforced by the judge's actions."