Ethan Couch, 'Affluenza' Teen Who Killed 4 In Crash, Given No Jail Time

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A judge has ordered no jail time for a Texas teenager in a drunken-driving crash that killed four people.

Ethan Couch was given probation last year for the wreck. He was back in court Wednesday after prosecutors requested 20 years in jail on charges related to two injured people.

The hearing was closed to the public. Defense attorney Reagan Wynn told reporters afterward that Judge Jean Boyd ordered the teen to be sent to a rehabilitation facility paid for by his parents.

The judge didn't identify the facility. However, the family previously offered to pay for a $450,000-a-year center in California.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/05/ethan-couch-affluenza-teen_n_4729821.html

[FiveGoodMen]

1. With liberty and justice for ... ?

[LVdem]

3. ... for those with really deep pockets. nt

[JBoy]

2. A $450,000/yr rehab facility? For treating "affluenza"?

Wouldn't an expensive luxury facility really defeat the whole purpose?

I suggest a "free" treatment centre. Barrack-style accommodation, where you work cleaning up trash from the highway, or cleaning toilets in schools, for no pay, just food. That you have to cook yourself.

[roguevalley]

13. he looks like an ingrown. there are a lot of kids with poor parenting on death row

[jsr]

24. Well, it's by the ocean and there is horse riding.

Highly recommended for everyone.

[another_liberal]

4. Wonder who the rich little creep will kill next?

He's bound to get a weekend leave, right?

[Mr.Bill]

5. Have some sympathy for the kid.

In a facility like that he may wind up with Justin Bieber as a bunkmate.

[George II]

8. And conjugal visits from Lindsay Lohan

[Ken Burch]

17. Ewwwwww!!!!! Even after killing four people, the kid doesn't deserve THAT!

Nobody knows where she's been, for God's sakes.

[Cha]

6. That will teach him. :(

[dhill926]

7. fuck this….

can there be a civil suit?

[George II]

9. Most likely there will be.

[Ken Burch]

16. ...but his family can afford to pay lawyers to drag it out 'til the victims' families give up.

[Kelvin Mace]

29. Sure,

but they can afford it, so it has no real punitive value unless the family is reduced to penury.

Which isn't going to happen.

[indepat]

10. Not just making a mockery of the equal justice under the law doctrine, but

flaunting pissing on it for good measure.

[Kingofalldems]

11. Vote republican Texas, yeah that's the ticket.

[heaven05]

12. no accountability needed.

his family is rich in amerika. hey, like I expected anything different.

[DRoseDARs]

14. I wonder how much the judge made on the side for this ruling. nt

[Ken Burch]

15. Anyone know if "Richie Rich' has even said he's sorry?

Or is he mainly pissed off because his victims' blood messed up the bumper on his bitchin' ride?

[gLibDem]

18. Until the judges are held to account, these sentences will continue.

[busterbrown]

19. Beside his immediate family,

Republicans in the area will be very quite... As long as their family wasn’t injured everything is good to go... Can’t give liberal’s a leg up on this affair...going after the job creators...

If this was my home city, and a member of our community had to go through this.. there would be streets filled with some angry Mutha fu.ers!!

[The Wizard]

20. Just wondering if the Judge

has a Cayman Islands account.

[TNNurse]

21. money can get you a really good deal in a Texas court

Too bad that is against the law. Bet they get away with it, too.

[blkmusclmachine]

22. $$$ talks.

[fujiyama]

23. This is the kind of ruling

that breeds and encourages vigilante justice. The more I hear from from a friend of mine that's a clerk for a judge, I get the impression many judges do very little work and make a lot of money. And in some cases like this, I'm guessing there's a lot of extra money coming in through back channels.

I see the wealthy have the courts on their side, but what happens when that falls apart?

[Purveyor]

28. I'm not confident as to where we as a country are heading here... eom

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. they should add rich white teen. there is no way this defense would have flied

for rich black teen or rich hispanic teen.

[blackspade]

26. Are you kidding me?

I have no words to express my disgust.

The rehab place is probably owned by the same company that owns the Texas prison where he would be sent.
They looked at the short term gain and took the money. $450k is better than $50k.
I bet the judge gets a nice campaign contribution.

Yikes! I think my cynic-meter just pegged.

[Ash_F]

27. On the bright side,

there is no way he is getting through 10 years of probation without breaking it.

We'll see if he goes to jail then.