Believe it or not, 16-year-old Ethan Couch of Keller, Texas, avoided prison for killing four people while driving drunk because his lawyer says he was a victim of wealth, or more specifically, “affluenza”. Prosecutors originally asked that Couch serve 20-years in state prison, as his blood alcohol level was .24, three times the legal limit for an adult. His new sentence is a mere 10-years of probation. Continue reading for a video and more information.
According to TV station KHOU, “his family felt that wealth bought privilege and there was no rational link between behavior and consequences.” However, Couch will be sent to a private counseling center that costs $450,000 as part of his sentence.
