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DUI Teen Kills Four, Gets Probation

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GoonSquad
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12 Dec 2013, 9:16 am

CLICK

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Lawyers for Couch, 16, had argued that the teen's parents should share a part of the blame for the crash because they never set limits for the boy and gave him everything he wanted.

According to CNN affiliate WFAA, a psychologist called by the defense described Couch as a product of "affluenza."

He reportedly testified that the teen's family felt wealth bought privilege, and that Couch's life could be turned around with one to two years of treatment and no contact with his parents.

Couch was sentenced by a juvenile court judge on Tuesday. If he violates the terms of his probation, he could face up to 10 years of incarceration, according to a statement from the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

Judge Jean Boyd told the court she would not release Couch to his parents, but would work to find the teen a long-term treatment facility.


I'm really conflicted about this... I firmly believe in the disease model of addiction and don't believe in freewill (our actions are determined by our previous experience in a long chain of cause and effect). Because of this, I'm more inclined toward rehabilitation than punishment. We don't punish cancer patients for being sick. We shouldn't punish the mentally ill for being sick either.

I think this kid is sick--suffering from the mental illness of addiction--and is the product of abusively negligent parents.

I really believe the kid needs treatment rather than punishment.

However, I also sympathize with the victim's family and understand their need for justice. But I'm just not sure where to find justice here. Putting this kid in prison won't do anything but ruin one more life. If anyone needs punishment, I think it's the parents...


:?


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thewhitrbbit
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12 Dec 2013, 10:36 am

Since when is being spoiled a mental illness?



GoonSquad
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13 Dec 2013, 7:43 am

Being spoiled isn't. Substance addiction is. Also, parents allowing their child to ingest addictive intoxicants is a form of child abuse.



By the way, nice edit. :P


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GGPViper
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13 Dec 2013, 8:08 am

Excellent. This will clearly bolster the already impressive levels of public confidence and trust in the US justice system.



Geekonychus
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13 Dec 2013, 9:36 am

GoonSquad wrote:
Being spoiled isn't. Substance addiction is. Also, parents allowing their child to ingest addictive intoxicants is a form of child abuse.

"Affluenza" my ass...........Do you actually buy that s**t?



thewhitrbbit
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13 Dec 2013, 10:25 am

GoonSquad wrote:
Being spoiled isn't. Substance addiction is. Also, parents allowing their child to ingest addictive intoxicants is a form of child abuse.



By the way, nice edit. :P


Yeah, when i first read it, I didn't catch the part about his defense being that he was a spoiled brat. I thought his defense was legit alcoholism.



GoonSquad
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13 Dec 2013, 11:20 am

Geekonychus wrote:
GoonSquad wrote:
Being spoiled isn't. Substance addiction is. Also, parents allowing their child to ingest addictive intoxicants is a form of child abuse.

"Affluenza" my ass...........Do you actually buy that sh**?


I buy the idea the alcoholism is a disease and I buy the idea that children need parents who establish reasonable boundaries for their children.

The kid needs rehab and some kind of consequence, but the parents are the ones that need to be held responsible and need real punishment.


My bottom line is this.... The kid is too young to be held fully and criminally responsible for this.


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The_Walrus
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13 Dec 2013, 4:51 pm

Reforming criminals is more important than punishing them for punishment's sake.

The approach here is good- he has to get away from alcohol, and if he doesn't then he'll go to prison. We should use sentences like this one more often.

On an unrelated note, 16 year olds driving?



UndeadToaster
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13 Dec 2013, 4:58 pm

The_Walrus wrote:
Reforming criminals is more important than punishing them for punishment's sake.

The approach here is good- he has to get away from alcohol, and if he doesn't then he'll go to prison. We should use sentences like this one more often.

On an unrelated note, 16 year olds driving?

The legal age is 14 in some states in the US, but 16 in most.

I agree that the approach here is probably decent, but the problem is that the sentence likely would have been different had the kid been from a lower economic status.



The_Walrus
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13 Dec 2013, 5:47 pm

UndeadToaster wrote:
The_Walrus wrote:
Reforming criminals is more important than punishing them for punishment's sake.

The approach here is good- he has to get away from alcohol, and if he doesn't then he'll go to prison. We should use sentences like this one more often.

On an unrelated note, 16 year olds driving?

The legal age is 14 in some states in the US, but 16 in most.


14!! !

Are they not allowed to drive in other states if they pass in their home state or...?

Seriously, driving at 14 but drinking at 21?

Mind you, I guess Americans probably think "driving at 17 then drinking at 18? Or earlier in some circumstances? How crazy those Brits are!"
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I agree that the approach here is probably decent, but the problem is that the sentence likely would have been different had the kid been from a lower economic status.

Then protest the bad rulings, not the good ones.



Kraichgauer
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13 Dec 2013, 7:17 pm

Geekonychus wrote:
GoonSquad wrote:
Being spoiled isn't. Substance addiction is. Also, parents allowing their child to ingest addictive intoxicants is a form of child abuse.

"Affluenza" my ass...........Do you actually buy that sh**?


If this was a poor kid standing trial, no one would be bringing up idiotic terms like affleunza.


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LoveNotHate
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13 Dec 2013, 7:39 pm

GoonSquad wrote:


I think this kid is sick--suffering from the mental illness of addiction--and is the product of abusively negligent parents.



There is no evidence of "addiction".



GoonSquad
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13 Dec 2013, 10:56 pm

LoveNotHate wrote:
GoonSquad wrote:


I think this kid is sick--suffering from the mental illness of addiction--and is the product of abusively negligent parents.



There is no evidence of "addiction".


Actually, I bet the kid would qualify as addicted under DSM V criteria and certainly as an abuser under the DSM IV.

The kid tested .24 blood alcohol level hours after the accident. It seems pretty clear that he was completely wasted and had no idea what he was doing at the time of the accident.

There's no malice here. Just a stupid, out of control kid doing stupid out of control things. That's pretty common. Unfortunately, on this occasion the kid's stupidity cost four lives. While that cannot be ignored, ruining a fifth life won't accomplish anything good.


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raisedbyignorance
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14 Dec 2013, 9:45 am

I'm not sure exactly how this is a case of alcoholism.

Alcoholism is when you are so completely dependent on drinking that it affects your normal life and relationships.

Binge drinking is when you drink more at a given time than your body can handle. This feels more like a case of the latter to me unless he's been sneaking drinks at school and home.



raisedbyignorance
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14 Dec 2013, 9:55 am

I'm not sure exactly how this is a case of alcoholism.

Alcoholism is when you are so completely dependent on drinking that it affects your normal life and relationships.

Binge drinking is when you drink more at a given time than your body can handle. This feels more like a case of the latter to me unless he's been sneaking drinks at school and home.



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14 Dec 2013, 2:21 pm

Somewhere, a lawyer is thinking "I can't believe that actually worked!". :lol:

I'm with GS and Walrus on this one, BTW, reforming the kid is more important that punishment, but the "afluenza" thing is ridiculous.


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