Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
In a case of justice delayed but (finally) not denied, the case of the “affluenza teen” may finally have come to an end…
Ethan Couch, who killed four people in a DUI manslaughter case, but received no jail time in a case that outraged the nation finally received his punishment.
A Texas judge just sentenced him to two years in the Tarrant County jail-180 days per each person he killed. While this seems light, it is the maximum punishment he could receive based on the conditions of his parole. The judge announced that Couch’s terms of probation would be similar to what he was previously doing including no drugs/alcohol and he must get a job.
Ethan Couch was front page news in 2013 when a now retired judge sentenced him to 10 years of probation only after he drove into a crowd of people. Though only 16 at the time, he was legally drunk on stolen beer and the crash killed four people including a youth pastor and a mother and daughter.
The judge at the time listened to Couch’s criminal defense attorney who hired a psychologist. The psychologist claimed that the boy was a victim of “affluenza” and that he was so spoiled from his family that he never learned the difference between right and wrong. The court was told that the “child” never learned that actions have consequences.
The judge bought it and Couch stayed out of trouble…for a while. Video last year showed him playing beer pong at a party which was a violation of his probation. Rather then face the court, Couch and his mother Tonya fled to Mexico. They both changed their appearance with Couch sporting dyed blonde hair and his mother holding tens of thousands in cash. They were arrested in Puerto Vallarta in December and he was deported in January.
As of this writing, his mother still faced a third-degree felony charge.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a DUI or a violation of probation? Then call the Clearwater criminal defense attorneys at Blake & Dorsten, P.A. today. These former prosecutors are experienced trial attorneys.
Blake & Dorsten, P.A. handles all criminal and personal injury cases along the Gulf Coast including Clearwater, Saint Petersburg, Tampa, Bradenton, Largo, Seminole, Safety Harbor, Sarasota, Dade City, and Madeira Beach.
To speak directly with your Pinellas criminal defense lawyer, click on the contact button or call them at 727.287.6141. Blake & Dorsten, P.A…available 365/24/7.