Texas teen kills four in drunken crash but gets probation after parents’ wealth blamed

[KansDem]

Source: Raw Story

A Texas judge agreed with defense attorneys’ claims that a 16-year-old who killed four people while driving drunk had been given whatever he wanted by his wealthy parents and had never learned to accept responsibility for his actions.

So she sentenced him to 10 years on probation, setting aside prosecutors’ request for a 20-year prison term after the teen pleaded guilty last week to four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault causing serious bodily injury.

Court records show Ethan Couch had a blood-alcohol content of 0.24, more than three times the legal limit for an adult, when he slammed into four people who’d stopped to assist a stranded motorist June 15 alongside a narrow Tarrant County road.

All four pedestrians were killed, including a mother and daughter, and two of Couch’s friends were thrown from his pickup and severely injured.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/11/texas-teen-kills-four-in-drunken-crash-but-gets-probation-after-parents-wealth-blamed/

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Much more in the article, including:

“The teen never learned to say that you’re sorry if you hurt someone,” said psychologist Gary Miller, who began evaluating the teen the day after he was released from the hospital following the crash. “If you hurt someone, you sent him money.”

And...

Boyd ordered the teen to undergo therapy at a long-term, in-patient facility, and his father offered to pay more than $450,000 a year for therapy at a rehabilitation center in southern California.

The two tiers of justice, again, rears its ugly head.

[Historic NY]

1. He should have gotten jail time..........

but since he feels entitled he will become embolden and will be back in the news again.

[yesphan]

2. A bit like the

Walton woman.

[exboyfil]

7. Unfortunately probably with another

grieving family. I would be tempted to extract my own justice in this case (like the guy who punched out the drunk driver who killed his son).

[FrodosPet]

46. The judge owes the families a massive apology and a resignation

And an explanation to everyone in America.

Not that I am recommending anyone call the judge's office and ask why he would hand down such a ridiculously light sentence for such a horrible crime, but if one were so inclined:

http://www.tarrantcounty.com/ed323/site/default.asp

[kristopher]

22. Yes, but the jail time should include the same level of rehabilitation therapy.

Our prison system is a crime itself and it isn't a solution to the problems that put people there.

The real injustice is that the less wealthy don't also receive that same level of commitment to reforming the individual. I understand the bitterness, so this is really a gentle reminder that we have a choice in which direction we push for in rectifying the unfairness.

[yurbud]

36. I don't like what goes on in prison, but it is the way it is because rich people don't want to pay

taxes.

If a couple of their kids ended up in regular ass-rape prison, things might change.

[SharonAnn]

57. So he still didn't learn "responsibility for his actions".

[Dash87]

3. A link between the judge and the rehab center should be looked at.

Just saying

[TBF]

60. Personally I'd check the judge's bank account -

for the wire transfer from the kid's parents.

[newfie11]

63. Agree Nt

[Bennyboy]

4. Who's gonna pay for the medical, burials, etc?

The tow people that are injured will be at least a million each with rehab and all that. Probably more than that. Far beyond any insurance policy.

Anyone wanna bet this kid don't last one year?

[LisaL]

5. Thankfully, as has already been established, his father is rich.

[exboyfil]

8. The kid was driving a truck owned by the corporation

who employed his dad (I assume he also is the majority owner in the corporation). Brings lots of additional questions (personal use of company asset, corporate liability, etc).

[Kingofalldems]

6. Texas, where they worship money and people who have it.

[duffyduff]

9. Look no further than T. Cullen Davis and Robert Durst,

murderers both, and both got away with it in the Texas "justice" system.

[Ezlivin]

15. You don't know the half of it

This is the area where the one percent are moving. Governor Rick "Good Hair" Perry goes to different states to encourage companies to move to the free-wheelin' state of Texas, where the taxes are low and regulations non-existent.

When I read of a company downsizing and offshoring more often than not the management heads down to this area. So much wealth has flooded this area it's amazing. We bought our house 20 years ago and Keller had less than 10,000 people, one high school and one major grocery store. Now we've got five high schools and dozens of very high-end gated communities. All the horse ranches are gone, replaced by McMansions and gated entries that often say "Starting in the low 700s!" There are properties that look like miniature castles, I kid you not. 20,000+ square foot homes with entrances that cost more than my home are all over this area.

Rising property taxes drive less well-off people from the area. Want an apartment? Can't find one. We can't have the lower classes visible. If you don't make enough to live here, you live on the outskirts and drive in (because fuck mass transit).

The only reason we can afford to stay is that we've paid off our house and since I'm a 100% disabled veteran I get a break on property taxes.

[QUALAR]

10. RELATIVE

The judge must be related to Rep Louie Gohmert. Same type of screwed-up reasoning. Seriously, Texans need to stop snorting powered bullshit cause there's too many Texas lawmakers walking around with Mad Coward Disease.

[Judi Lynn]

11. So the rest of the world pays the hard way for his criminality forever. What a shame.

No one but a Republican could think this is right.

Everyone should get out of the road if a wealthy piece of garbage wants to pass.

Maybe the survivors should apologize for the inconvenience.

[Swede Atlanta]

12. I have no doubt this young man will just dust himself off and

pick up where he left off without a thought.

Yes he may go into therapy but I don't believe therapy can teach you basic values and to understand right and wrong.

I hope I am proven wrong but I have no doubt this young man will be in more trouble with the law repeatedly throughout his life.

[AtheistCrusader]

13. WOW, that's surprisingly.... blatant.

[magical thyme]

14. IOW, since his parents didn't teach him to accept responsibility, justice is going to continue their

tradition of not holding him responsible for his actions.

[avebury]

50. This court case will provide the victims' families

ample ground to go after the parents in civil court since the judge's verdict concurs with the concept that it is all the parent's fault. Let us see how the family does once they are reduced to poverty.

I wonder if the Prosecutor can use the court records from this trial to file criminal charges against the parents. Particularly since the boy was caught and fined for drinking earlier this year. People are held legally responsible when their dogs attack and harm people, shouldn't the parents be held liable for the actions of their child (the one who they failed to raise properly. Once they became aware that he was drinking (hard to deny once he recieved the citations) one could raise the point that there was a high likilhood that he would drink again with a high probability of driving while drunk. The parents failed to take the steps necessary to protect the public from their son.

[magical thyme]

51. good thinking...

And the father already offered to pay $450,000/(year?) for his son to go to the cushy rehab in SoCal.

I haven't seen him offering to pay the lifetime medical care and maintenance of the nearly completely paralyzed young man who now is able only to blink.

[Divernan]

16. Yes, Judge Jean Boyd IS a Republican.

http://www.txdirectory.com/online/person/?id=22014

Jean Boyd (R)

State District Judge (Tarrant)

Term Ends: 12-31-2014
District: 323
General Information

Home Town: Fort Worth

[deutsey]

64. I read somewhere that she's a Perry appointee

Not sure if that's true.

[eppur_se_muova]

17. Well, THAT'll teach him ! nt

[dickthegrouch]

18. Let the Judge do his jail time instead

For being an absolutely stupid idiot undeserving of any credentials to do with law or justice.

I hope that judge ends up doing double the maximum sentence for conspiracy to subvert the course of Justice.

[Still Blue in PDX]

19. Well, this certainly is going to teach him to accept responsibility for his actions, isn't it? nt

[erpowers]

20. That Is Just Silly

I heard about this story and I think the defense was silly and the sentence is just as silly. So what if this kid was spoiled. He still should be held accountable for what he did. I think sending him to jail for a period of time would stop him from being spoiled. That would have been a way for him to learn that when someone does something wrong they are punished. It seems that all a ten year probation sentence will show him is that if you are rich and spoiled and do something wrong you mainly go unpunished. Also, do not go broke because if you go broke you then get punished for your crimes and are not allowed to make excuses for your bad behavior.

For me this is another case that makes me think what is going on with these judges. In recent months there seems to have been a number of judges that have handed down stupid sentences for stupid reasons.

[KansDem]

21. "In recent months there seems to have been a number of judges..."

"...that have handed down stupid sentences for stupid reasons."

You mean like a 30-day sentence for raping a 14-year-old?

Montana man serves 30-day sentence for rape of 14-year-old girl

[erpowers]

23. Yes

Yes, that ruling with the explanation that the girl was/seemed older than her age. I cannot really remember some of the other cases, but there were others with similarly foolish ruling based on crazy reasoning.

[yurbud]

38. Jeffrey Dahmer had a rough childhood too. The judge didn't pat him on the head and send him on his

way with a new set of steak knives.

[Ash_F]

24. Republican Judge, of course

http://judgepedia.org/Texas_district_court_judicial_elections,_2010

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

25. Ethan Couch: The next George W Bush

Mark it down.

[blkmusclmachine]

28. Nah, this kid really IS from Texas.

But otherwise, yeah. Big future for him in today's GOP.

[ltheghost]

26. Times like this

I really wish Dexter was real....

[blkmusclmachine]

27. It's called the Bush defense.

[Beacool]

29. I saw this on CNN tonight.

Anderson Cooper interviewed a man who lost his wife and daughter thanks to this kid. It was so sad, the man couldn't understand how he would only get probation. Anderson was so angry.

[blackspade]

30. Maybe the father should pay the 450K

to the families of the son's victims.
This kid should do time or at the very least lifetime restitution.
Probation? Bullshit.

Fucking douche bags.

[LisaL]

48. I am pretty sure it will cost a lot more than 450K.

Considering there is a number of dead and injured victims.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

31. I do hope he got an Aston Martin to replace the wrecked Mercedes.

Getting a new Mercedes would in many ways make him re-live the destruction of his beloved car over and over again. Oh, and that thing with those people or whoever. In any case, I think a European sports car would be just the thing to lift his spirits.

[Beacool]

32. The punk had been caught drinking earlier in the year.

In February of this year, in the town Lakeside, northwest of Fort Worth, police found Couch with a 12-ounce can of beer and a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka in the early hours and gave him two citations - one for being a minor in possession of alcohol, the other for consuming alcohol as a minor.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521743/Ethan-Couch-crash-Drink-driving-teen-killed-spared-jail-hes-rich.html

This kid also left two friends severely hurt, one is paralyzed and has brain damage. he also hurt two teens in another car. The judge should be disbarred.

[jsr]

43. She're retiring

with special thanks from the family, I'm sure.

[Beacool]

45. She's not retiring soon enough!!!

This self-entitled kid ruined the lives of several people, aside from what it's doing to those people's families.

[dhill926]

33. fucked up on every level...

my feeble mind can conjure...

[Brigid]

34. Wow.

The rich really are different.

[Kablooie]

35. Texas.

Again.
What a messed up place.
Sorry to say that Texans but your state is becoming a horror.

I sure hope your next governor will be a person to do something about it and Austin becomes the Wendy city.

[Paladin]

44. As if wealthy privilege is confined to Texas. Give it a rest. (nt)

[yurbud]

37. the correct response to that defense is to throw the parents in prison & put the kid in foster care

[Mojo Electro]

39. It's beyond outrageous.

But since the court has determined that money and a sense of entitlement was a huge contributing factor here, the judgement should be for at least 5 times the net worth of the family. All the bank accounts, houses, cars, boats, business, everything should be seized, and future earnings should be garnished at 97% until the balance is paid off. And if that means that dad can't afford the 450,000 treatment center, the kid can go to a state run one, or to jail. And the first time the kid screws up, he should get his 20 years.

[tabasco]

40. Po' folks ain't got that affluenza problem ...

so they can go to JAIL!

[sendero]

41. Thank you judge Boyd.

.... for removing all doubt that our justice system is completely broken.

[jsr]

42. Thus affirming that 'affluenza' is a legit criminal defense for the wealthy.

Visualize a poor black person charged with the same crimes.

[KansDem]

47. :chuckle:

It took me a moment or two but I got the meaning of "affluenza!"

And you're spot on:
Extreme poverty can lead to a crime and the perpetrator is imprisoned
Extreme wealth can lead to a crime and the perpetrator is forgiven

[yellowcanine]

49. I disagree with those who think jail time is a solution here.

But the judge did screw up also. The long probation based on rehab is a start. But restorative justice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice) programs offer a better solution. "Jailing and throwing away the key" is a knee jerk response which has not served society or offenders well. This person committed a terrible crime and he should have to take responsibility for it but throwing him in jail would do nothing except make some people (and not necessarily the victims' families) feel good.

[avebury]

53. Once I heard that the boy received citation for

alcohol earlier this year then I thought that the boy definitely deserve jail time. As far as I am concerned, he received his warning when he received the citation. He chose to continue drinking and became a rick to society. His parents should be held criminally liable as well. There was no evidence that the parents made any effort to control their son after he received the citation. I am sure that the prosecutor could find something to charge the parents with (aiding and abetting, criminal neglience, whatever).

[yellowcanine]

55. Nevertheless he is still not an adult and jail time does not solve anything.

Minors make bad choices - over and over, because they think they are invincible. That is what they do. Throwing them in jail will not change that nor will it keep other minors from making the same bad choices. Yeah the parents have culpability (allowing him to have a car after the alcohol citation comes to mind) and probably should be charged with something but that still does not do anything to make the boy take responsibility for his action and neither does jail time for the boy. As long as society focuses on punishment only we will not make progress in the area of criminal justice.

[avebury]

56. If you don't want to send him to jail,

then how about sentencing him to spend every weekend for, say 20 years, volunteering at a rehab center working with victims of drunk driving accidents (once he finished rehab). How about requiring the kid, once he is 18, to provide financial support for the paralyzed kid? Why not make, as a condition of his probation, a requirement that he remain alcohol and drug free for the duration of his probation with unannounced drug/alcohol tests failure of which would lead to jail time. Just giving the kid probation and rehab really is not teaching him anything, particularly when Dad gets to send him to a country club style rehab facility.

[yellowcanine]

58. As I alluded, "restorative justice" programs can include those kinds of things.

And fwiw, in many cases, probation includes drug/alcohol testing. People may think that probation is a "get out of jail free" card - it really isn't. Violating probation can lead to immediate serving of the sentence behind bars. Unfortunately in man jurisdictions there are not nearly enough probation officers and consequently monitoring the offenders is not as rigorous as it needs to be. Politicians would rather throw people in jail than pay for probation officers, even though jail is way more expensive for society. And someone on probation can work and pay reparations to victims, most people in jail cannot.

[avebury]

59. I think that the judge lost an opportunity to help

this kid learn a lesson by not requiring him to serve community service at a rehab facility plus become financially responsible for the paralyzed victim when the kid turns 18. And I woudl not let Mom and Dad cover the financial obligation. Let the boy provide proof that he has earned the money paid to help cover the victim's expenses.

[HappyMe]

61. Four people are dead.

I don't see what would be wrong with 6 months in the slammer, followed by rehab and probation.

Jail time will let him see exactly what happens when you fuck up so bad that people die.

[davidpdx]

68. I'm not a big fan of the lock'em up and throw away the key plan either

The problem with restorative justice in this case is the defendant has shown no real remorse. When you kill or paralyze someone you take their life away. There is nothing that can be done to restore justice. I agree he should receive psychological counseling and help for drug and alcohol abuse. That could have been done by sentencing him to a juvenile facility until he was 21 (which would be 4 years and change). A little over four years still would have been a considerably light sentence given what he did.

I think he should have been tried as an adult at 16 for murder, but he wasn't. Also I find the argument by his lawyer that his parents should be held responsible lacking. Once you get a driver's license you should accept responsibility for your actions behind the wheel whether you are 16 or 60.

[lonestarnot]

52. When lady justice takes a hike, this is what it looks like.

[Lefty615]

54. The Danger of Wealth

If anyone truly believes that extreme wealth was responsible for the death of four people rather than the kid driving the truck, then the logical next step would seem to be to prevent anyone from getting too wealthy. Just as we ban trans-fats, certain pesticides, etc. because of their harmful effects, this case seems to argue that we have an obligation to protect the American people from being exposed to too much wealth!

[deutsey]

65. Unregulated capitalism that only enriches a small elite is very harmful

And quite deadly.

[muriel_volestrangler]

62. Kick (nt)

[NobodyHere]

66. It's sad when The Onion is prophetic

http://www.theonion.com/articles/wealthy-teen-nearly-experiences-consequence,2551/

[jsr]

67. Fifth lawsuit filed against teenage drunk driver:

http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/local/x439239957/Fifth-lawsuit-filed-against-teenage-drunk-driver

December 3, 2013
Fifth lawsuit filed against teenage drunk driver
By Tammye Nash/[e-mail]

Mitchell had been driving west on Burleson-Retta Road when she had a blow-out, causing her to swerve into the ditch on the north side of the road. Hollie and Shelby Boyles, at their home nearby, heard the blow-out and went out to help Mitchell. Jennings, on his way back from his son’s high school graduation party, also stopped to help.

The four were standing near Mitchell’s SUV when Couch, who Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office investigators estimate was driving his Ford F350 pickup between 65 and 70 mph in a 40 mph speed zone, clipped Mitchell’s vehicle and then hit and killed the four pedestrians.

Couch’s truck then hit Jenning’s pickup truck, in which two young boys were waiting, sending it into the roadway, where it collided with an eastbound Volkswagon carrying two Burleson girls, before going off the south side of the road. Couch’s truck flipped over and landed against a tree on the north side of the road.

Ethan Couch’s father, Fred Couch, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, as is the company he owns Cleburne Metal Works. The trucks is registered to Cleburne Metal Works, and Fred Couch is accused of “gross negligence” for entrusting the pickup to an incompetent or reckless driver.