Ethan Couch Sentenced To Probation In Crash That Killed 4 ...

[Floater]

... After Defense Argued He Had 'Affluenza'

A 16-year-old avoided spending time in prison for killing four people in a car accident in June after the judge bought his lawyers' argument that he was the victim of wealth.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...?ir=Weird+News

[GenYus234]

Do we know that the reason he was sentenced to probation was because the judge "bought" that argument? A quick Google search turns up lots of articles about drivers who got probation for vehicular homicide, including several cases involving multiple deaths.

[hoitoider]

I know it varies widely by state. In North Carolina if someone causes a fatal accident while driving drunk and has a prior conviction for drunk driving (not necessarily involving an accident) they usually get charged with second degree murder. If the person has no priors they usually get charged with involuntary manslaughter.

I don't think I've seen anyone charged with murder for a fatal drunk driving accident in Virginia, regardless of priors. But recently someone here was charged with murder for causing a huge pile-up while driving on a suspended license. No alcohol was involved. In both states 'just probation' seems to be given when it's a passenger in the drunk driver's car that is hurt or killed, the reasoning being that when the passenger accepted a ride from a drunk driver the passenger assumed that risk.

In this case I think being a juvenile had something to do with it and plenty of money for attorneys had a lot to do with it.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by hoitoider

I don't think I've seen anyone charged with murder for a fatal drunk driving accident in Virginia, regardless of priors. But recently someone here was charged with murder for causing a huge pile-up while driving on a suspended license.

Something like murder will require proof of an appropriate mental state, which usually will not apply, even when someone is driving really stupidly. Still, there are occasions when various felonies can be appropriate. It can be compared to causing a gun death: you generally won't get a murder charge if you fire a gun into the air and the bullet strikes someone, but if you fire into a crowd, a murder charge is likely. Most often, 'really stupid' will get you probation (unless there are fairly specific state laws, like DUI homicide under certain conditions), except on repeat offense, but truly intentional harm has a good chance of prison time.

[UEL]

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/20...s-missing.html

DALLAS—A warrant has been issued for the teenager whose “affluenza” defense spared him jail time in the deaths of four people he ran over while driving drunk in 2012.

A juvenile probation officer has been unable to reach Ethan Couch and his mother for several days, attorneys Reagan Wynn and Scott Brown said in a written statement about their client.

I also read that just a few weeks ago that he was recorded at a party where peers were playing beer pong.

His affluenza is still affecting him.

[Elkhound]

Originally Posted by UEL

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/20...s-missing.html



I also read that just a few weeks ago that he was recorded at a party where peers were playing beer pong.

His affluenza is still affecting him.

I read that a bench warrant has been issued. He may be getting a reality check soon.

[Psihala]

Yup.


Arrest Warrant Issued for Missing 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch

An arrest warrant has been issued for the Texas teen who avoided jail time in the drunken-driving deaths of four people two years ago because he has failed to check in with his probation officer, according to Tarrant County Juvenile Services and the teenager's lawyers.

~Psihala

[Coughdrops]

And I'm almost certain he'll got off with nothing this time too.

[Psihala]

Assuming they can even find him again.

~Psihala

[UEL]

I don't have a link, but one report I heard online is that the Tarrant County police believe he has skipped the country with his mother.

These are the same parents that raised him without limits so that he could live doing whatever he wanted.

Ugh.

[Lainie]

I've heard similar reports. Apparently the mother is missing. Someone on Facebook suggested Ethan Couch had "done something to her" (killed her, I assume they meant), but that seems far less likely to me.

[crocoduck_hunter]

Yeah, a few news channels were reporting yesterday that police suspect he might have fled. Also, something was mentioned that apparently the family has a history of buying their way out of legal trouble, I think.

[Rebochan]

'Affluenza' teen Ethan Couch detained in Mexico

Mexican authorities have detained so-called "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch and his mother near the popular Mexican Pacific beach resort town of Puerto Vallarta, officials briefed on the matter told CNN.

Couch, 18, went missing earlier this month, two years after he made national news when he was sentenced to probation for a drunken driving crash that killed four people.

Couch is expected to be turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service, who have spent weeks searching for him. A spokesman for the service declined to comment.

He is wanted by authorities in Tarrant County, Texas, for allegedly violating probation. His mother was listed by Texas authorities as a missing person after her son's disappearance, and the authorities said they believed she was assisting her son.

Uh yea, way to go on the lam guys, chilling in a resort town right across the border

I had a hunch they were too stupid to stay gone for long.

[crocoduck_hunter]

I can't wait to hear their explanation.

[Psihala]

Probably something along the lines of, "It's just a misunderstanding of our prearranged plans to visit Mexico for the XMAS holiday. It's not OUR fault the probation officer didn't get the message!"

~Psihala

[Rebochan]

Here he is with a black dye job

The irony is, it would have been hard for the state to prove the drinking video violated his probation if they couldn't prove, say, it was taken during the probation period or that he'd actually imbibed alcohol on his own.

Fleeing the country is far more damaging to his probation.

[Beachlife!]

Originally Posted by Rebochan

...
Uh yea, way to go on the lam guys, chilling in a resort town right across the border ....

Puerto Vallarta is not right across the border.

[Elkhound]

According to an article I saw, he's being held in a Mexican jail pending extradition. The other prisoners are, I'm sure, being very hospitable.

[crocoduck_hunter]

Hey, just because he's an entitled asshole doesn't make joking about being assaulted or raped in prison funny.

[Coughdrops]

Ya know, Trump does need a running mate...