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Tag: affluenza

  • Ethan Couch’s Family Will Pay Out $2 Million To Paralyzed Victim

    Ethan Couch’s Family Will Pay Out $2 Million To Paralyzed Victim

    The family of Texas teenager Ethan Couch has agreed to pay $2 million to the family of the boy who was paralyzed during the drunk driving incident that happened in 2013.

    Ethan, who was 16 years old at the time of the accident, was driving a pickup truck when he crashed into pedestrians, killing 4 and injuring several others. Reports say that he had 3 times the legal alcohol limit in his body when the accident happened.

    Ethan’s case gained attention and concerned citizens accused his parents of coddling him. In 2013, Judge Jean Hudson sentenced Ethan to a 10-year probation and sent him to therapy instead of prison. The supposed reason was that the boy was suffering from “affluenza”, resulting to his irresponsible behavior.

    The $2 million will be paid to Sergio E. Molina, who was riding at the back of Ethan’s pickup truck when the accident happened. Molina is now paralyzed, only having the ability to blink and smile. Before the accident, Molina was a star soccer player in high school and had hopes of playing for the Barcelona soccer team.

    Alexander Lemus, Molina’s older brother, said that they are not happy with the settlement, but said they have to “take what we got and strive for better days.”

    The liability insurer of Ethan’s parents will be paying over $1 million in cash. The rest will be placed in a trust for Molina. An annuity to cover the attorney’s fees is also included based on court documents.

    Five families of those who were killed or injured in the incident have also settled with Ethan’s family. However, their settlements are still pending court approval. Lucas McConnell, one of the victims injured in the accident, was the only one who did not opt for a settlement. His family said that they prefer going to court, as they said that is the only way they will be able to seek justice.

    Ethan is being treated for mental health at the North Texas State Hospital.

    Image via YouTube

  • Affluenza Teen: Family Foots Only Fraction Of Rehab

    Many were outraged when Texas teen Ethan Couch – responsible for taking the lives of four people as he drove intoxicated in his family’s company truck – was only sentenced to ten years of counseling. Recent reports from court officials now have Texas taxpayers especially upset, as they learn they will be partially footing the bill.

    17-year-old Couch’s parents will only be required to pay $1,170 a month for his treatment at a rural Vernon state hospital – which won’t cover costs for even two days there. The decision comes on the heels of a defense expert describing the teen as suffering “affluenza” – an irresponsible state into which his wealthy parents had coddled him.

    Greg Coontz, an attorney for the family of a deceased victim, said: “As a taxpayer, I probably feel exactly like you do.” He went on to add, “It seems like maybe that ought to be a little different and should be addressed if there’s the ability to pay. Most time, I don’t know that there is. Clearly, sometimes that ability is there.

    Lance Evans, the Couch family attorney, replied more pithily: “The family respects the decision of the facility and the court and will honor the payment system the court has put into place.”

    “Affluenza”, a term popularized in the 90’s, is described by Time magazine as a “painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.”

    Although it’s hard to deny that our culture propagates a sense of spiritual dearth and insatiable desire for material acquisitions, it hardly seems like a fair defense in a court of law. Anyone raised within a social narrative like ours is subject to “seeking more” than they have. Even after our basic needs for survival are met, we’re encouraged to further search externally. Then, those who can barely meet those basic needs are punished disproportionately.

    Counseling may thus seem like a good option to restore those with legal or substance abuse issues when possible. Yet, the larger issue being argued is an inequality across demographics when doling out these sentences versus time behind bars.

    One issue brought up on social media is that only the financially fortunate find favor with the judges in avoiding jail time. For example, in March 2014, homeless mom Shanesha Taylor attended an interview for 45 minutes and had to leave two kids in her car. She faced a felony for child abuse. That same month, Dupont Empire heir Robert H. Richards IV received probation but no jail time after being found guilty – of raping his own 3 year old daughter. The judge stated he “wouldn’t fare well in prison.”

    Is it fair that the rich receive help following heinous crimes, while a mom of two down on her luck and seeking legitimate employment… gets punished?

    Also, how is it that Couch’s “wealth affliction” is enough to keep him from lockup, yet his family can’t afford the alternative treatment?

    Image via Youtube

  • “Affluenza” Teen Still Gets No Jail Time After Killing 4

    On Wednesday, judge Jean Boyd ordered Ethan Couch to rehab in addition to his 10-year probation sentence. Couch is the 16-year-old Texan who killed four people and injured two with is father’s Ford F-350 pickup truck on June 15. The teenager had been driving drunk after being video taped stealing 2 cases of beer from a nearby Wal-Mart. At the time of the incident, Couch’s blood alcohol level was revealed to be 0.24, three times the legal limit in Texas. Couch also tested positive for valium. Despite this, he received zero jail time.

    As you can image, there has been intense public outrage regarding the outcome of the trial. The public anger intensified when the defense’s expert witness diagnosed Couch as having “affluenza” — a term used to claim that his family’s wealth impaired his ability to take responsibility for his actions.

    On Wednesday, prosecutors asked judge Boyd for 20 years in state custody on charges related to the two injured people. They were unsuccessful.

    Is Ethan Couch receiving special treatment because he comes from a wealth family?

    Fred Couch, Ethan’s father, is a multi millionaire and owner of a very successful metal works company in Fort Worth. His son received what amounts to a slap on the wrist for a crime that many believe would have  sent the “average Joe” to prison.

    Last year, CNN reported that judge Boyd sentenced an African American teenager to 10 years in juvenile detention after punching a man in the face. The blow inadvertently resulted in the man’s death. This is a stark contrast to sentencing Ethan Couch to probation and rehab for killing 4 people and injuring 2.

    Defence attorney Reagan Wynn said the judge did not use “affluenza” to make her decision. “She (Boyd) heard all the evidence and she made what she thought was the appropriate disposition,” he said.

    Eric Boyles lost his wife, Hollie Byles, and daughter, Shelby after both were mowed down by Couch’s truck. He remains convinced that money played a role in the outcome.

    “Had he (Couch) not had money to have the defense there, to also have the experts testify, and also offer to pay for the treatment, I think the results would have been different,”  Boyles said after the trial.

    Here’s happened on the night of the incident.

    Image via YouTube

  • Affluenza Teen Sent To Rehab Facility

    Affluenza Teen Sent To Rehab Facility

    Affluenza is a term used to described someone who is affluent and has no boundaries or responsibilities. A teenager who killed 4 people and severely injured two others in a drunk driving accident has been considered by many to be a victim of affluenza, and the supposed disease may have affected his recent sentence.

    Ethan Couch was driving drunk with two friends in the back of his pickup truck when he ran off the side of the road and struck 4 people working on another vehicle. The 4 people were killed and Couch’s two friends were thrown out of the truck and injured. One may never walk or talk again.

    Couch’s blood-alcohol level measured 0.24, three times the legal limit and Couch appeared to show no remorse for his actions in court. While prosecutors asked that Couch receive as much as 20 years in prison, a judge only ordered that he would be on probation for 10 years. The judge also decided that the boy would go to a lock-down residential treatment facility, which his parents will have to pay for.

    Although the judge claimed that Couch’s Affluenza did not affect her sentencing order, prosecutors and family members of the victim believe differently. Eric Boyles, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash, is one of the people who believe Couch was let off easy because his parents are wealthy.

    “Had he (Couch) not had money to have the defense there, to also have the experts testify, and also offer to pay for the treatment, I think the results would have been different,” he said Wednesday after the proceedings.

    Prosecutor Richard Alpert also expressed his disappointment in the sentencing saying, “This has been a very frustrating experience for me. I’m used to a system where the victims have a voice and their needs are strongly considered. The way the system down here is currently handled, the way the law is, almost all the focus is on the offender.”

    Do you think Couch was a victim of affluenza or is victim the wrong word?

    Image via YouTube.

  • Affluenza Teen Might Be A Jailbird, After All

    You may have heard about this sixteen-year-old who killed four people in a terrible and bloody drunk driving accident; his claim to infamy is that he is not serving any jail time for his deplorable actions, all because he (supposedly) suffers from “affluenza.” If you’ve never heard of that, don’t worry, you’re not alone; it isn’t recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, and a multitude of psychiatrists don’t even believe in its existence. A diagnosis of this “disease” implies that one can literally get away with murder, simply because they are rich -or, you know, affluent, like the name- and don’t know any better than to take and take despite all they have.

    This kid (who, just to reiterate, killed four people while driving under the influence of alcohol) was diagnosed with affluenza, and was able to get out of any jail time because of his debilitating illness. He was excused by the psychologist assigned to his legal team, who claimed that he “never learned to say that you’re sorry if you hurt someone… If you hurt someone, you sent him money… He never learned that sometimes you don’t get your way… He had the cars and he had the money. He had freedoms that no young man would be able to handle.” Apparently, the Texas judge agreed, and sentenced the young man to rehab and 10 years of probation.

    Tarrant County District Attorney Joe Shannon was not satisfied with this situation, however, and is working hard to get the young man behind bars. In an email sent to the town newspaper, Shannon was quoted as saying, “During his recent trial, 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 in the two intoxication assault cases. Every case deserves a verdict.” If the court follows through with action concerning this statement, that might very well mean that the young man will find himself behind bars, after all.

    And that prospect isn’t the only trouble facing him and his parents. The bill that the parents promised to foot for the swanky rehab center the defense team opted for (rather than the state-run facility where the young man might not “get proper care”) might fall through in the face of the multiple lawsuits that are bombarding the boy’s parents. Whatever happens, it certainly looks like tough times ahead for the young man and his family. It really is terrible to see the effects of affluenza in action.

    Image via this YouTube video.

  • Rich Kid DUI, Gets 10 Years Probation For 4 Deaths

    According to TIME, a 16-year-old in Keller, Texas was convicted of manslaughter after driving drunk and crashing into another vehicle that resulted in the death of four people. Because the kid is rich and suffers from “affluenza”, he wounded up getting 10 years of probation and mandatory psychological treatment.

    A·fflu·en·za

    [aa-floo-en-zah]

    noun

    1. In Layman’s terms: being so spoiled with wealth that you demand more, all while believing there are no consequences; the effects of greed.

    2. To be able to get away with murder because you’re wealthy.

    Affluenza is not (currently) recognized by the American Psychiatric Association; some psychologists assert that it doesn’t even exist.

    On the night of June 15, Ethan Couch and his seven teenage friends hopped in his Ford F-150 after they stole and drank some liquor from WalMart. With alcohol and Valium stirring in his system, Couch drove 70 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone; he ended up crashing his truck into a broken down vehicle parked on Burleson, Texas road, killing Breanna Mithcless, 24, the stopped vehicle’s driver, along with three others that were helping her. Two of Couch’s friends that were sitting in the truck bed suffered critical injuries.

    Couch admitted in court he was driving drunk, and testimony showed that his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit (0.24 BAC).

    Couch’s legal team argued that the teenager’s lack of judgment was due to poor parenting.  Psychologist Dr. Gary Miller, who was assigned to Couch, said in the courtroom that: “The teen never learned to say that you’re sorry if you hurt someone.”

    ”If you hurt someone, you sent him money.” Miller added, saying that Couch’s “intellectual age” was that of an 18-year-old boy, but his “emotional age” was that of a 12-year-old.

    “He never learned that sometimes you don’t get your way,”

    “He had the cars and he had the money. He had freedoms that no young man would be able to handle.”

    According to Couch’s legal team, Couch suffers from affluenza – State District Judge Jean Boyd believed it; instead of the initial Texas sentencing guideline for fines up to $10,000 and between 2 and 20 years in the state penitentiary, on Tuesday, Couch got 10 years of probation. He was also assigned to a Southern California rehabilitation center, which costs $500,000 a year. His father said he’d pay for it. If Couch happens to mess up again, he could wind up in jail for 10 years, according to a statement from the Tarrant County District Attorney.

    Judge Boyd agreed that the therapy Couch needs for his affluenza wouldn’t be provided to him in prison.

    (image)

    Eric Boyles, the man who lost his wife and daughter Holly and Shelby due to the crash, said that Couch’s wealth bought him justice.

    “Ultimately today, I felt that money did prevail,” Boyles told the Star-Telegram after the sentencing.

    “If [he] had been any other youth, I feel like the circumstances would have been different.”

    According to the National Post, Jessie H. O’Neill, the granddaughter of Charles Erwin Wilson, a one-time president of General Motors, first popularized the world “affluenza” in 1997 with her book The Golden Ghetto: The Psychology of Affluence.

    No word yet on what new faux-medical terms can be used to tie in “sickness” with “poverty”, thus justifying an innate suffering due to socially economical disadvantages.

    Justice served?

    (Pictures via Heavy.com, YouTube)