# Judge Lets Killer Drunk Driver Off Because He's Spoiled **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 12, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119 "2013-12-12T00:00:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/1 "2013-12-12T00:00:02Z")
The facts of the case are straightforward enough: > [@](#): > > [Teen Sentenced To Probation For Deadly DWI Crash](http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/12/10/teen-sentenced-to-probation-for-deadly-dwi-crash/) > > A teenager who killed four people while driving drunk has been sentenced to probation. > > Prosecutors were pushing for 16-year-old Ethan Couch to spend 20 years in prison. However, State District Judge Jean Boyd sentenced Couch to a decade of probation. > > There was no debate about who was behind the wheel last June, when Couch plowed into and killed four people. Couch has admitted to being the driver, and court records show his blood alcohol level was .24 at the time of the crash, three times the legal limit for an adult. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Couch and some friends stole beer from a Burleson Walmart on June 15, the night of the crash. After consuming the alcohol, Couch and seven others got back into his pickup to go to another store. During the trip, he hit four pedestrians, killing them. Two teens riding in Couch’s pickup were thrown from the truck and severely injured… How could this be, you may ask? What ingenious legal gambit led to this amazing result? Well, it’s simple. The defense lawyers convinced the judge that the poor boy was simply too spoiled to be expected to take any responsibility for his actions: > [@](#): > > Couch’s attorneys argued his parents were responsible for the teen’s actions that night because of the way he had been raised. Defense attorneys put a psychologist on the stand who testified Couch was a product of wealth and got whatever he wanted. Because, obviously, it’s just too late for him to learn about alien concepts like unwanted consequences for one’s actions… :mad: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/2 "2013-12-12T00:25:38Z")
Odd, the article doesn’t mention how long the parents’ prison sentence was. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/3 "2013-12-12T00:29:43Z")
Damn. I bet even the defense lawyers were surprised that worked. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/4 "2013-12-12T00:30:02Z")
Well, it looks like he got what he wanted. That’s gotta suck on a resume, though. Might make college admission a bit tricky, too. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/5 "2013-12-12T00:53:37Z")
I’m sure he will never need to work, so I suspect those points are moot. On the other hand, we can hope that his treatment will have enough effect that he will be tortured by guilt for the rest of his life. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/6 "2013-12-12T00:55:49Z")
Actually, the defense’s case is that he _won’t_ feel guilt for what he’s done. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/7 "2013-12-12T01:27:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Couch has admitted to being the driver, and court records show his blood alcohol level was .24 at the time of the crash, three times the legal limit for an adult. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Couch and some friends stole beer from a Burleson Walmart on June 15, the night of the crash. As an aside, one wonders how much beer these kids were able to steal that one of them was able to get that drunk off his share. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/8 "2013-12-12T01:54:17Z")
You’re assuming he shared… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/9 "2013-12-12T02:14:04Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > On the other hand, we can hope that his treatment will have enough effect that he will be tortured by guilt for the rest of his life. Bah. Every time I hear that one of the last lines from the movie ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors’ comes to mind. > [@](#): > > And after the awful deed is done, he finds that he’s plagued by deep-rooted guilt. Little sparks of his religious background which he’d rejected are suddenly stirred up. He hears his father’s voice. He imagines that God is watching his every move. Suddenly, it’s not an empty universe at all, but a just and moral one, and he’s violated it. Now, he’s panic-stricken. He’s on the verge of a mental collapse-an inch away from confessing the whole thing to the police. And then one morning, he awakens. The sun is shining, his family is around him and mysteriously, the crisis has lifted. He takes his family on a vacation to Europe and as the months pass, he finds he’s not punished. In fact, he prospers. The killing gets attributed to another person-a drifter who has a number of other murders to his credit, so I mean, what the hell? One more doesn’t even matter. Now he’s scott-free. His life is completely back to normal. Back to his protected world of wealth and privilege. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/10 "2013-12-12T02:20:09Z")
My personal opinion is that if you’re found mentally incompetent to be held responsible for a crime, the next step should be an automatic commitment to a mental institution. It may be morally wrong to punish people who aren’t mentally capable of understanding right from wrong but society doesn’t have to let them run around loose either. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/11 "2013-12-12T02:20:33Z")
Money buys you smooth tongued lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/12 "2013-12-12T02:45:02Z")
Does this open his parents up to a civil suit, for raising their son to be a sociopathic, thieving, drunken killer? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/13 "2013-12-12T03:22:11Z")
I will note that the article mentions that the lawyers brought up his privilege, but never mentions whether that was the argument that swayed the judge’s (jury’s?) opinion. This misconception is the reason why everyone thinks that Dan White’s lawyers actually said that Twinkies made him do it. I think the punishment is too light but on the other hand I am not convinced that jail will reform a 16 year old. And if he’s a dipshit, he’ll violate it within the period. Beer: no kidding. Walmart sells a max of what, 30 beers in a pack? Usually 4.2%? All 8 couldn’t have partook, or else they took several somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/14 "2013-12-12T13:01:44Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > . > I think the punishment is too light but on the other hand I am not convinced that jail will reform a 16 year old. I don’t think this is about reform. Its about keeping a proven threat to society away from law-abiding citizens. > [@](#): > > And if he’s a dipshit, he’ll violate it within the period. And get a few dozen people killed this time? Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/15 "2013-12-12T13:16:19Z")
The article states that Couch was sentenced to ten years of probation. It also states that the defense presented the “affluenza” defense. \*\* It does not clearly state, however, if the two were connected.\*\* The fact that the “affluenze” defense was presented does not actually mean the judge reduced the sentence due to that. It is entirely possible a ten-year suspended sentence was consistent with precedent in this case. It’s also worth noting the teen was to be “sent to a treatment facility” so apparently he didn’t just go home. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/16 "2013-12-12T13:21:10Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Does this open his parents up to a civil suit, for raising their son to be a sociopathic, thieving, drunken killer? Maybe the crack defense team has other attorneys on staff who could handle civil litigation against the parents. Or would that be considered unethical double dipping? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/17 "2013-12-12T14:12:49Z")
Me, I’m always looking for a precedent. “Your honor, this young man was _ **so rich** _, that he was never taught right from wrong and he thought he could get away with anything. Therefore he should be given only probation for killing those four people.” “Your honor, this young man was _ **so poor** _, that he was never taught right from wrong and he thought he could get away with anything. Therefore he should be given only probation for killing those four people.” I’m sure the next young black kid from the projects who kills four people though some criminally negligent act will be happy to find himself on probation as well. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/18 "2013-12-12T14:24:54Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Me, I’m always looking for a precedent. > > “Your honor, this young man was _ **so rich** _, that he was never taught right from wrong and he thought he could get away with anything. Therefore he should be given only probation for killing those four people.” > > “Your honor, this young man was _ **so poor** _, that he was never taught right from wrong and he thought he could get away with anything. Therefore he should be given only probation for killing those four people.” “So, kid, what are you in for?” “Manslaughter. And having middle-class parents.” ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/19 "2013-12-12T14:47:15Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > “So, kid, what are you in for?” > > “Manslaughter. And having middle-class parents.” Exactly what I was thinking. My kids had better never get drunk and kill somebody or they will be fucked. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/20 "2013-12-12T15:51:50Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > “So, kid, what are you in for?” > > “Manslaughter. And having middle-class parents.” Your honor, this child was so average, the difference between right and wrong became a negligible technicality. This also works for the children of nihilist parents. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119.md?page=2)