Teen gets probation in death of 4 because he's rich and not responsible

[Dean C.]

Judge was an idiot for letting him off on that case, she is also a filthy hypocrite for sentencing Eric Miller a sixteen-year-old black male from a poor family to twenty years imprisonment for killing one person while driving drunk. Why did she not sentence Ethan Couch the same punishment when he killed four people instead of just one!?!?! The whole point of our CJ system is to rehabilitate criminals into being productive members of society. Sending Couch back to his dip**** parents who were "to blame for his behavior" was as good as saying "well you have money here is a slap to the wrist now off you go".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Hudson_Boyd

 

[LPMan59]

Seems surprising to me that surrendering his passport wasn't a condition of the plea agreement

 

[ruger1800]

Judge was an idiot for letting him off on that case, she is also a filthy hypocrite for sentencing Eric Miller a sixteen-year-old black male from a poor family to twenty years imprisonment for killing one person while driving drunk. Why did she not sentence Ethan Couch the same punishment when he killed four people instead of just one!?!?! The whole point of our CJ system is to rehabilitate criminals into being productive members of society. Sending Couch back to his dip**** parents who were "to blame for his behavior" was as good as saying "well you have money here is a slap to the wrist now off you go".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Hudson_Boyd

am sure the judge got paid, you'd be surprised how often lawyers and judges pass the buck

 

[HoughMade]

Does anyone know what the "standard" sentence in in Texas for "intoxication manslaughter"?

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

The whole point of our CJ system is to rehabilitate criminals into being productive members of society.

Says who ?

 

[Alamo]

Does anyone know what the "standard" sentence in in Texas for "intoxication manslaughter"?

If by "standard" you mean "what does the law allow", it is a 2nd degree felony, 2-20 years, $10K fine. If multiple victims, each can be charged separately, and sentences can be stacked.

If you mean "what generally happens..." -- it appears it varies a lot on the circumstances, but here's some examples:

"For a first offender with no prior criminal history and one person killed, juries typically give 10 years probation," said Warren Diepraam, chief prosecutor for the Vehicular Homicide Team at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. (Harris County is Houston area.) (Also in the case at this link, the defendant was a judge's daughter. Did that help? Dunno, but a juror said the family of the victim (her boyfriend) asking for leniency for her and no prior offenses did help).
Shelton gets jail, probation for intoxication manslaughter | Texas District & County Attorneys Association

But San Antonio Express-News says judges are tougher than juries:
In the past six intoxication manslaughter or assault trials, juries gave three of the defendants probation and three prison terms.
Judges, on the other hand, meted out or approved prison sentences for nine out of 10 defendants who over the past year chose to forgo a jury trial.

The average sentence from a judge for DWI deaths was 19.4 years in prison vs. 10.6 years from juries.


If you kill a cop, a firefighter, or an EMT, then it becomes a 1st degree felony, and the prison term can go higher:
Jurors, at times, have given tough sentences. In January, for example, prosecutors convinced a jury to sentence drunken driver Sandra Briggs to 45 years in prison for causing the death of a police officer.

Also:
Sentences vary widely across Texas and depend on multiple factors, including the experience of prosecutors and the overall attitudes of the community, said Richard Alpert, an assistant district attorney in Tarrant County who has written a book on strategy for the prosecution of intoxication manslaughter.
In Tarrant County, for example, Alpert said he hasn't always gotten the sentence he wanted but that he can't remember a jury ever giving probation for intoxication manslaughter. But in neighboring Dallas County, the district attorney's office has been criticized for the number of probation plea agreements it has offered in recent years.
Juries less harsh than judges on DWI deaths - San Antonio Express-News

Apparently it depends, but the affluenza case seems...odd.

 

[HoughMade]

More what "generally happens" than what can happen.

My only point is before people lose their minds about "affluenza" just because it was argued, shouldn't we have some idea as to whether it had anything to do with the sentence?

Personally, I can't make that assumption.

 

[Alamo]

More what "generally happens" than what can happen. My only point is before people lose their minds about "affluenza" just because it was argued, shouldn't we have some idea as to whether it had anything to do with the sentence?Personally, I can't make that assumption.

Do judges have to give reasons for the sentences they issue? Altho I suppose she could do that and still not say "affluenza" made me do it.

WRT to the comparison between Couch's (Mr. Affluenza) and Miller's (the black kid) cases, there is an article here that goes into it: Fatal crash in 2004 drew different sentence from Tarrant judge | The Star-Telegram

A couple of the differences include that Miller stole a stranger's pick up (a felony, which combined with a resulting death could have been charged as murder) and he tried to blame another teen for the crash that killed his victim. Couch owned up to what he did, plead guilty, and got sentenced to probation + rehab.

Miller got sentencedto 20 years, served four of it in the juvenile system, then was released in 2008 on probation when he became an adult. In 2011 he ran from a police stop because he had unpaid traffic tickets, eventually got caught, and bought another five year sentence plus revocation of his parole. He'll be eligible for parole again in 2017.

Couch got 10 years probation, I presume with the rehab a requirement of that. Now that he has broken that, and absconded as well, I think he will not fare so well in the next court encounter... if he is captured alive. The DAs will ask the court to handle him as an adult rather than a juvenile, and I suspect they will be successful.

The cops seem to think the mother is helping him evade. Probably so, but then occasionally I wonder if she is still alive?

 

[atvdave]

Looks like they found him....



Texas "affluenza" teen detained in Mexico: CNN


Looks like they got Mom also.

http://www.wyff4.com/national/urgent-mexico-affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-detained/37168586

 

[Dean C.]

Says who ?

Every Criminal Justice professor I have ever had......

They are charging the Mother with "Hindering Apprehension" which can carry an 1-10 year sentence and they are considering adding charges to Ethan as well in addition to the 10 years he had on probation. I think his ***** ass will get the book thrown at both himself and his mommy.

 

[churchmouse]

Every Criminal Justice professor I have ever had......

They are charging the Mother with "Hindering Apprehension" which can carry an 1-10 year sentence and they are considering adding charges to Ethan as well in addition to the 10 years he had on probation. I think his ***** ass will get the book thrown at both himself and his mommy.

As it should have been when he took those peoples lives.

 

[actaeon277]

Some might argue that the criminal justice system protects the citizen and the criminal.
The citizen from misdirected mob justice.
The criminal from mob justice. (Which tends to be more ugly, and final)

 

[Leadeye]

I'll be curious about the outcome. Don't know what these folks bankroll is but you get the justice you can buy.

 

[HoughMade]

Some might argue that the criminal justice system protects the citizen and the criminal.
The citizen from misdirected mob justice.
The criminal from mob justice. (Which tends to be more ugly, and final)

I would be one of those people.

 

[actaeon277]

Some might argue that the criminal justice system protects the citizen and the criminal.
The citizen from misdirected mob justice.
The criminal from mob justice. (Which tends to be more ugly, and final)

I would be one of those people.

Of course, there was a nice write up somewhere talking about that. But now I can't find it.

 

[actaeon277]

The United States is the greatest law factory the world has ever known. ~Charles Evans Hughes

 

[singlesix]

120 Days only?

Ethan Couch, 'affluenza' teen, in Mexico, say officials. - CNN.com

 

[churchmouse]

120 Days only?

Ethan Couch, 'affluenza' teen, in Mexico, say officials. - CNN.com

We are doomed. No message is being sent here. None.

 

[SSGSAD]

What I heard on the TV news, is if he stays in the Juvinile system, he MIGHT stay in jail, till he turns 19 .....

There are people wanting him "transferred" over to the adult system .....

 

[actaeon277]

[h=6]Ron White - Official Site[/h]5 hrs ·





I say we give this "Affluenza" kid the death penalty. We don't need to see how big of a prick this little prick can become.




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