Everyone get their Affluenza shots?

[Outlaw]

The reason he didn't get a harsher sentance was probably because he's a minor. If it was my world he would be charged as an adult. Still disgusting though. I hate rich people.

[Callisto]

I think getting charged as a minor played back into the money end, though. Do you really see a poor brown kid getting charged as a minor at 16 after killing a family of 4?

[Serra]

It was four people, not a family of four. I think only a mother and daughter were related.

But to answer your question, yes, I think that did play a part. But beyond that, if it was a poor brown kid whose parents weren't around to ever discipline him, a defense of "no one ever told him what he was doing was wrong" would never work.

[Ksandra]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/affluenza-d...ry?id=21259169

The Texas teenager who was spared a prison sentence after a psychologist called him a product of "affluenza" could still serve time in jail if prosecutors have their way.

The Tarrant County District Attorney's office has asked a juvenile judge to incarcerate Ethan Couch, 16, on two counts of intoxication assault for which there has been no verdict.

"The 16-year-old admitted his guilt in four cases of intoxication manslaughter and two cases of intoxication assault. There has been no verdict formally entered. Every case deserves a verdict," District Attorney Joe Shannon said in a statement.

Probation for Teen in Fatal DWI Case and Other Shocking Decisions

Couch was sentenced last week to 10 years probation after he caused a fatal accident that left four people dead and two others severely injured. Couch was driving 70 mph in a 40 mph zone when the accident occurred. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence of 20 years in juvenile hall with parole available after two years.

Afterwards police found he had a blood alcohol level of 0.24, three times the legal adult limit, and had valium in his system.

Psychologist G. Dick Miller argued during Couch's trial that the teen was a product of too much privilege and had never been reprimanded for his actions and therefore was not responsible for his actions, calling him a product of "affluenza."

Teen in 'Spoiled Brat' Defense Gets Probation Sentence

In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper after the sentencing, Miller said he regrets that assessment.

"I wish I hadn't used that term," Miller told Cooper. "Everyone seems to have hooked onto it.

ABC News has learned from county court records that both of Couch's parents had a number of previous charges from alleged misdemeanors, most of them traffic-related.

Couch's mother, Tonya, had five charges while his father, Fred, had 22 incidents, dating as far back as 1989. The charges against the couple were sometimes dismissed or paid with fines.

The parents face civil lawsuits from the families of the victims -- Brian Jennings, 43, Breanna Mitchell, 24, Shelby Boyles, 21, and her mother, Hollie Boyles, 52.

Authorities said Couch and friends were seen on surveillance video June 15 stealing two cases of beer from a store. While driving his Ford F-350, Couch slammed into Mitchell, whose car had broken down, and Jennings, and the two Boyles, who had all come to Mitchell's aid.

Eric Boyles, the wife of Hollie Boyles and father to Shelby Boyles, told ABCNews.com on Saturday that he never believed that Couch could receive just probation for his sentence.

"At some point there should be some level of accountability for their actions," Boyles said. "I'm not sure how our justice system has gotten to this."

Before the final sentencing, Boyles and other families of the victims were able to directly address Couch and the judge but Couch never spoke to the families.

"Nowhere in this process did Ethan ever say to the families, to the court, 'I'm so sorry for what happened,'" said Boyles. "Nowhere did Ethan express any remorse or anything."

Pretty sure after this fiasco no judge in their right mind would get the kid off if they bring these other charges to trial.

[Howie Roary]

well if 16 is age of consent in Texas they could get the kid off either way

[SamanosukeShiva]

[Cream Soda]

The dude laying in the back of the truck's family shouldn't get any damages. If you're willing to ride in the bed of a truck with a drunk driver at the wheel, you're just a moron. The actual bystanders that were injured/killed, they deserve ever penny and then some

[Serra]

Yeah, I agree with that. He chose to be there (and most likely was drinking with this kid).

[BaneTheBrawler]

show me a teenager able to accurately assess risks and i'll show you a hallucination

[Cream Soda]

show me a teenager able to accurately assess risks and i'll show you a hallucination

Shit like that is what gets people off with affluenza.

[BaneTheBrawler]

sure, if you want to go down the slippery slope.

[Cream Soda]

Regardless, ignorance doesn't bob n' weave responsibility. They want to collect 20 million on his own fuck up? Fuck that.

[BaneTheBrawler]

except this thread exists because ignorance does 'bob and weave' responsibility


and anyway that's not the point i was trying to make. no teenager is ever competent enough to accurately assess risks, especially not that kind of risk. it seems asinine to me to deny the family any recompense because their kid had the misfortune to trust the wrong person... especially since pretty much everyone makes that mistake at some point. and it's not like they're going to GET 20 million.

[Cream Soda]

I've already noted that

Shit like that is what gets people off with affluenza.

sure, if you want to go down the slippery slope.

I meant in my personal view on whether or not his family should be able to collect. They may win their case, who knows. I just don't support it.

[RKenshin]

It shouldn't really matter what side of the accident you're involved in; if you're not the driver, and you suffer injuries, you should be able to seek restitution from the driver.

I certainly believe the people that were hit deserve the most, but the people in the car with him aren't just 'guilty by association' and therefor get nothing.

I agree that the kids shouldn't have been in the car in the first place, and should've known better, but most all of the fault here is ultimately still on the driver.

[Meresgi]

Regardless, ignorance doesn't bob n' weave responsibility. They want to collect 20 million on his own fuck up? Fuck that.

Do we know he was drunk and knew the driver was drunk too? Doesn't matter either way, when you're driving you're responsible for everyone else in that car, unless the dude in the back headbutted the driver and caused the accident, its the drivers fault and his alone. Also fucking teenagers, there's a difference between doing stupid shit like hoping in the back of a truck bed and driving intoxicated and killing 4 people.

[NynJa]

This kid, who was an active participant in stealing beer from a store as well as getting into the truck seeks restitution for the accident? HAHAHAAH

[Brill Weave]

Texas, what happened to you? If he was 18 you would have put him on death row.

[Kyreth]

This kid, who was an active participant in stealing beer from a store as well as getting into the truck seeks restitution for the accident? HAHAHAAH

Of course. They'll probably end up getting shut-up money as a result, this just pushed the amount up a bit.

[Meresgi]

Texas, what happened to you? If he was 18 and poor/a minority you would have put him on death row.

Fixed that up for you a bit.