# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![DollarburgerQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@DollarburgerQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DollarburgerQueen)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/241 "2016-02-18T21:55:04Z")
RIP to the people that murderer killed using his car. May God be with those who passed on. And may Karma meet that snot brat…head on!!! Scum bag!! May you burn eternally in hell!!! PS. Here is toast…for you!!! cheers!!! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/242 "2016-02-19T19:14:33Z")
I’m unsure of the basis in Texas law for this, other than “the judged said so”, but [del]Douchebag’s[/del] Couch’s case will be [taken up in adult criminal court](http://www.people.com/article/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-transfer-to-adult-court-when-he-turns-19) when he turns 19, rather than magically evaporating like a vodka shot spilled on the back of naked sleeping 14-year-old girl. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/243 "2016-04-13T17:09:02Z")
> [@](#): > > The Texas teenager who used an “affluenza” defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck must serve nearly two years in jail, a judge ordered Wednesday. Ethan Couch, who turned 19 Monday, was making his first appearance in adult court. > > Initially, state District Judge Wayne Salvant said he would not immediately rule on how much longer Couch would spend in Tarrant County jail. But he reconsidered his ruling after hearing an argument from prosecutors that Couch should be sentenced not to a maximum of 120 days in jail, but for 180 days for each of four counts of intoxication manslaughter under a separate part of Texas code. > > The terms will be served consecutively. It was not clear if that would include the time Couch has already spent in jail. > **[Judge orders ‘affluenza’ teen Ethan Couch to nearly 2 years in jail](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2016/04/13/judge-orders-affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-to-nearly-2-years-in-jail/)** > > A judge on Wednesday ordered a Texas teenager who used an “affluenza” defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck to serve nearly two years in jail, a surprising sanction that far exceeds … ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/244 "2016-04-13T19:36:12Z")
Well, at least it’s something, although I wish they had tacked on time for fleeing the country. It sounds like they gave him as much time to serve as possible under state law, the bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/245 "2016-04-13T19:48:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Taxpayers paid more than $150,000 of the $200,000 bill for the year-long rehabilitation imposed as part of the sentence because his parents could not afford to pay for all of the treatment, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said, citing court documents. This is some industrial-grade bullshit here. Taxpayers paid the tab because the parents couldn’t afford it? Even though his defense was that his rich parents spoiled him rotten to the point where he didn’t know right from wrong? And 200K for rehab??? No. Hell, no. Rehab only costs 200K when you are rich and can pay. Poor folks can go to rehab for about a quarter of that. You don’t get to go to the _ **posh** _ rehab on the public dime! Mommy and Daddy should have their assets forfeited or wages garnished to pay the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/246 "2016-04-13T20:48:45Z")
I thought rehab involved breaking large stones into small ones with a hammer. How expensive could that be? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/247 "2016-04-14T03:07:46Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > This is some industrial-grade bullshit here. Taxpayers paid the tab because the parents couldn’t afford it? Even though his defense was that his rich parents spoiled him rotten to the point where he didn’t know right from wrong? > > And 200K for rehab??? No. Hell, no. Rehab only costs 200K when you are rich and can pay. Poor folks can go to rehab for about a quarter of that. You don’t get to go to the _ **posh** _ rehab on the public dime! Mommy and Daddy should have their assets forfeited or wages garnished to pay the bill. Am I remembering things wrong? Didn’t Mommy and Daddy send him to a posh swanky rehab country club in California? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/248 "2016-04-14T03:29:59Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I thought rehab involved breaking large stones into small ones with a hammer. How expensive could that be? They probably insist on imported marble. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/249 "2016-04-14T15:28:44Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Well, at least it’s something, although I wish they had tacked on time for fleeing the country. It sounds like they gave him as much time to serve as possible under state law, the bastard. I would imagine the felony flight is a separate charge, and will require a new trial. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/250 "2016-04-14T15:35:06Z")
Let’s hope so. This tree-fucker needs to do serious time. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/251 "2016-04-14T21:11:51Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Let’s hope so. This tree-fucker needs to do serious time. It’s all serious. I know a guy who was convicted, wrongly, in a drug trial. He helped the prosecution and in exchange he was supposed to get off, but instead had his conviction vacated. But he still spent three weeks inside, and to hear him tell it, it was three weeks of hell. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/252 "2016-04-15T15:05:04Z")
I saw a jail once. It looked pretty serious. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/253 "2020-01-03T03:16:25Z")
This just popped up on the AP news feed: [‘Affluenza teen’ jailed in Texas for probation violation](https://apnews.com/be8a8649740c50f200def0245a9d960a)! > [@](#): > > Ethan Couch, 22, was booked into a jail in Fort Worth after he tested positive for THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, court records show. > > Couch’s attorneys, Scott Brown and Reagan Wynn, said their client has been intensely monitored for alcohol and illegal substance use for more than 20 months and “has never been positive for the use of any substance before.” > > “We cannot make any further statement until we have the opportunity to conduct an investigation to determine if, in fact, Ethan ingested THC and, if so, if it was a voluntary act on his part,” Brown and Wynn said in a statement. > > Jail records did not indicate whether his bond had been set Thursday afternoon. And ya know, considering his track record in court, I’m not sure “they forced me to get high” won’t be a successful defense. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/254 "2020-01-03T04:13:11Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > This just popped up on the AP news feed: [‘Affluenza teen’ jailed in Texas for probation violation](https://apnews.com/be8a8649740c50f200def0245a9d960a)!And ya know, considering his track record in court, I’m not sure “they forced me to get high” won’t be a successful defense. Since there are many ways to ingest THC that dont involve smoking it nor even knowing that we are ingesting THC, I would reserve judgment. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/255 "2020-01-03T04:41:47Z")
And how would anyone prove either way whether it was ingested voluntarily or otherwise? If the burden of proof is on him, it seems a pretty stiff job to keep out of jail for this, lacking someone’s confession of spiking his brownies or whatever. Maybe his mommy would confess to that to keep him out of jail. On the other hand, the authorities might turn up some toking buddies who would drop the hammer on him (sorry if my slang is wrong or out of date, I’m out of touch). ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/256 "2020-01-03T09:49:47Z")
I’m hoping someone is on the ball and requires a hair follicle drug test. I’ll bet he fails it spectacularly. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/257 "2020-01-03T12:16:31Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > I’m hoping someone is on the ball and requires a hair follicle drug test. I’ll bet he fails it spectacularly. Based on this quote from the posted AP article, that seems unlikely, but not impossible. > [@](#): > > Couch’s attorneys, Scott Brown and Reagan Wynn, said their client has been intensely monitored for alcohol and illegal substance use for more than 20 months and “has never been positive for the use of any substance before.” ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119/258 "2020-01-03T15:49:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Quote: > Couch’s attorneys, Scott Brown and Reagan Wynn, said their client has been intensely monitored for alcohol and illegal substance use for more than 20 months and “has never been positive for the use of any substance before.” …that we know of. Other than alcohol. I mean, he was ripped when killed 4 people. AND he was arrested for violating probation for and fleeing the jurisdiction to avoid punishment. Seriously. ‘He’s never done it before’ is not a defense for anything. ‘My guy is innocent of murder. I mean, he’s never killed anyone _before_…’ For everything, there is a first time. Like maybe this guy taking some responsibility. Or being photographed without his shit-eating grin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-lets-killer-drunk-driver-off-because-hes-spoiled/676119.md?page=12)