"Affluenza" Teen Sentenced To Two Years In Jail For Violating Parole

Ethan Couch — who killed four people in a drunk-driving crash in 2013 — had initially avoided jail time by arguing he was too privileged to understand right from wrong.

The strange saga of Ethan Couch — the teenager who avoided jail time after killing four people in a drunk-driving crash by arguing he was too privileged to understand right from wrong — came to an end Wednesday when a Texas court sentenced him to two years behind bars for violating his parole.

Judge Wayne Salvant ruled that Couch should spend 180 days in jail for each of his victims, the Associated Press reported. The decision came during the19-year-old's first appearance in adult court.

Couch's blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash in 2013 was three times the legal limit.

At the time, the 16-year-old's lawyer presented an "affluenza" defense, claiming that his client was too spoiled to be held accountable for his actions. The juvenile court agreed, and allowed him to avoid jail time in exchange for 10 years of probation.

Couch resurfaced in the public eye late last year after an acquaintance posted a video that appeared to show him at a party where alcohol was served — a situation that would have constituted a violation of probation. The teen and his mother then fled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they were captured.

Couch has been in custody in Texas since January and will have to serve each of his 180-day terms consecutively.


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