I’m sure Ethan Couch fled the country and changed his hair color for completely innocent reasons unrelated to his probation. [-X
“The one who should get the blame is the kid’s attorney, who successfully argued this nonsense, and the idiot judge who accepted it.”
Actually, the defense attorney did a brilliant job in getting his client the least severe sentence possible in case of conviction. That is what defense attorneys are supposed to do. It is the prosecution who did not do a good job convincing the judge that the defense’s arguments were full of baloney.
Hope mom will be on the hook as well. Pity, they did not make it all the way to Russia…
Excellent point, @hayden.
You would think they would have more sense than to run to a popular tourist trap…
“I’m sure Ethan Couch fled the country and changed his hair color for completely innocent reasons unrelated to his probation.”
They were just taking a few days to vacation in this popular tourist spot en route to celebrate New Year with Mr. Snowden…
Just read that because he violated his “Juvenile” probation & the case had not yet been transferred to “Adult” probation- “DA says the most he can be sentenced to is 120 days in jail”
I do believe he has, in no way learned from his in-patient counseling/care or his parent’s (or society’s) lack of holding him accountable/responsible for his actions. He is bound to continue to violate probation & end up doing more time in the adult system. (imo)
The judge (Jean Boyd)was a law school classmate of one of my good friends. He can’t understand where she got so off track. Everyone who knew her over the years is horrified.
I find it interesting that she gave him this very light sentence and then retired shortly thereafter. Not saying she took a bribe, but it does look fishy.
We have a similar case pending in my town right now - drunk teen crashed and killed two of his passengers. He has been charged with 2 counts of vehicular manslaughter. Even with a plea deal, which I fully expect, he will do jail time.
BB that was my point, though you were clearer. An attorney I dated once said his job had nothing to do with justice. His job was to win his case within the boundaries of the law. Some people are better than others at selling sand to the Arabs, as they say. The defense attorney did a good job for his client, but not for society.
The fact that the kid got probation actually fed right into his history of not having to learn the consequences of his behavior. I hope he learns the hard way now, and his mother too.
This is a very good point. Did Judge Boyd not realize that she was doing exactly what his mother has done his whole life? Letting him off the hook for his behavior. This Judge really went off the deep end with this one.
Interesting twist that the mother is actually facing more serious jail time now while the most Ethan can get is 120 days.
Good for her.
Did the judge decide his original punishment or was there a jury?
It’s disappointing that the kid may only get a few months in jail. IIRC his family was quite dysfunctional. Dad drank too much and I there was much more (I don’t recall specifics) . This kid (no longer a kid) has p*$$ poor role models.
Lovely people. http://fox4kc.com/2015/12/21/profile-of-ethan-couchs-parents-who-attorneys-argued-spoiled-him-made-him-irresponsible/
Apparently this judge gave another 16-year-old 20 years in jail for the same crime. It does make one wonder.
^ Ugh, @jym626 so many things in there made me sick.
I’d almost, almost feel bad for him but by 16 you know the difference between right and wrong. CPS would’ve stepped in or been brought in before this if they didn’t have money. It’s sickening that we turn a blind eye to abuse/neglect if it’s a rich family.
I think the problems in this family run deep. What teenage boy sleeps in the same bedroom as his mother unless by strict necessity which is not the case here? And the father’s antics dressing up as a police officer…
Really these people are clueless and have no respect for others - the boy was allowed to get behind the wheel of a car at 13 and drive to school. Utterly insane. Putting other peoples lives at risk was clearly something they had no problem doing and when the expected happens there is still no accountability. Hard to process.
@rockvillemom (#227)
The judge had announced her retirement (that she would not run for reelection when her term was up at the end of 2014) a few days before Couch had his accident.
@HarvestMoon1
I don’t know which was more barf-worthy, that he told the cops in 1992 when pulled over for a DUI “I make more in a day than you make in a year” or, when his kid drove himself to school at 13 and the school questioned this, the dad’s response was to “threaten to buy the school”.
Lovely people.