"Affluenza" Teen Ethan Couch sentenced to nearly two years in adult prison

[prberk]

A judge in Texas today sentenced Ethan Couch to four consecutive 180-day sentences, amounting to almost 2 two years, in adult prison, despite defense arguments that the adult-court judge did not have jurisdiction since the case had begun in juvenile court. Ethan turned 19 recently and was over 18 when he missed a court date for probation review. He had come up for probation review after being videoed playing beer pong and drinking; and then his mother took him to Mexico, which, as it is alleged, was to help him avoid probation.

Ethan, of course, gained fame as the "affluenza" teen, a term used in his initial drunk-driving defense in a case where he had killed four people while driving drunk at 16. The juvenile court judge had accepted the defense -- that in part due to his affluent upbringing he did not really know right from wrong -- and given him ten years probation.

I think it is sad all the way around, but I lay a lot of blame both at him AND his mother, who took him to Mexico, but obviously was "enabling" him way on back. But I also say that the whole "affluenza" defense is irresponsible as a legal defense to begin with.

Sad all the way around.

Here is the ABC News story:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-appears-adult-court-time/story?id=38361345

'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Set to Stay in Jail for Nearly 2 Years

The Texas teenager who was at the center of an international manhunt was ordered to stay in jail for nearly two years after his first appearance in adult court today.

Ethan Couch, who allegedly violated the terms of his probation from a deadly 2013 drunken-driving case by missing a court-mandated check-in, was sentenced to 180 days in jail for each of the four charges he faces.

The jail time is set to be served consecutively, meaning he will be in jail for 720 days, which would be 10 days shy of a full two years. But the judge did note that the time frame could change.

Judge Wayne Salvant determined that Couch, once released, will not be able to consume alcohol, or leave Tarrant County without his permission.

Couch appeared in court in a dark orange and spoke briefly at the beginning of the hearing, answering the Fort Worth judge with, "Yes, sir."

Couch, who turned 19 earlier this week, making him an adult under Texas law, was previously sentenced to 10 years’ probation.

The case caught national attention when he and his mother were apprehended in Mexico in December.

After being held in Mexico, he was transferred to the United States and arrived back in Texas Jan. 28.

Couch was initially put on probation in 2013 after killing four people while driving drunk at the age of 16.

During his original sentencing in the drunken-driving trial, a psychologist hired by the defense testified that the teen was a product of "affluenza," a term he used to describe Ethan's irresponsible lifestyle associated with his affluent upbringing.

 

[UncleMike101]

Let's see......
Two years out of the life of a spoiled rich brat with absolutely no goals in life other than to have a good time, versus the entire lifetimes of four innocent people, gone forever.
Sounds about right in this day and age..........

 

[Goofyernmost]

Let's see......
Two years out of the life of a spoiled rich brat with absolutely no goals in life other than to have a good time, versus the entire lifetimes of four innocent people, gone forever.
Sounds about right in this day and age..........

I avoided all of that by having children and remaining amazingly poor (by many standards). My kids, to this day, still are upset about not having rich parents. Poor babies!

 

[UncleMike101]

I avoided all of that by having children and remaining amazingly poor (by many standards). My kids, to this day, still are upset about not having rich parents. Poor babies!

Yup.......
We lived from pay day, to pay day, to give the kids a good stable upbringing.
We had some hard times but we just kept our faith and went on.
The kids have done well by having to work for what they want in life.
Our Daughter worked her way through IU and is a Chemist.
Our Son is a Mail Carrier and loves it.
And I didn't realize how expensive the little farts were until they got married and moved out.
Now we actually have money to put away each month.
The parents of the kid referred to in this thread have done him no good whatsoever by giving him everything he wants.
All they've done is produce a worthless person who doesn't give a rats patoot for anyone but himself.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yup.......
We lived from pay day, to pay day, to give the kids a good stable upbringing.
We had some hard times but we just kept our faith and went on.
The kids have done well by having to work for what they want in life.
Our Daughter worked her way through IU and is a Chemist.
Our Son is a Mail Carrier and loves it.
And I didn't realize how expensive the little farts were until they got married and moved out.
Now we actually have money to put away each month.
The parents of the kid referred to in this thread have done him no good whatsoever by giving him everything he wants.
All they've done is produce a worthless person who doesn't give a rats patoot for anyone but himself.

Not saying that this is the way to go... but, I found out that having a wife was terribly expensive as well. In the short 10 years after our divorce I was able to put enough money away to retire, which I did. When she left we had a total of $2000.00 in the bank... $1000.00 of which she withdrew on her way out of town. Fortunately, that was after both of my Daughters were finished college and my wife had gotten her (2nd) Masters Degree. (which explains my abstract poverty)

 

[UncleMike101]

Not saying that this is the way to go... but, I found out that having a wife was terribly expensive as well. In the short 10 years after our divorce I was able to put enough money away to retire, which I did. When she left we had a total of $2000.00 in the bank... $1000.00 of which she withdrew on her way out of town. Fortunately, that was after both of my Daughters were finished college and my wife had gotten her (2nd) Masters Degree. (which explains my abstract poverty)

We're lifers......
Besides, no one else would have put up with me for forty six years.

 

[Goofyernmost]

We're lifers......
Besides, no one else would have put up with me for forty six years.

Glad to hear it... I sometimes really wish that had worked that way for me. It's scary to grow old alone! Treasure it, it's a beautiful thing. Had we been able to stay together it would have been 44 years last January. As it was, we made it 29 years.

 

[UncleMike101]

Glad to hear it... I sometimes really wish that had worked that way for me. It's scary to grow old alone! Treasure it, it's a beautiful thing. Had we been able to stay together it would have been 44 years last January. As it was, we made it 29 years.

Well, you tried.....
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

 

[prberk]

I think the mother should go to jail for "harboring a fugitive" and taking him to Mexico.

 

[MinnieM123]

Well, you tried.....
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

Here is my favorite (full version) quote from Theodore Roosevelt. (I'm not sure it applies to the subject of prberk's thread, but I've always liked this one regardless, so here goes! )

"It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs and comes short again and again;
who knows great enthusiasms,
the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly
so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."