The case of Ethan Anthony Couch is one most people are familiar with PDF

Preview

Summary

Research paper about the case of Ethan Couch and his defense of Affluenza...

Description

The case of Ethan Anthony Couch is one most people are familiar with. When this story hit the news on June fifteenth and sixteenth of twenty thirteen most could not even comprehend exactly what had truly happened. The four people killed and nine injured by Ethan Couch are not the only tragedy due to his driving while intoxicated. This unfortunate incident also turned the spotlight on our judicial system showing how the elite upper-class lives by a set of laws and consequences differ from the middle lower-class society. The question was justice served in this case? Did the victims receive the closure they deserved? My answer will be no. The way the entire case was handled from start to finish proves our Criminal Justice system is broken on all levels. This case proved not all people are created equal and the wealthy only get a slap on the wrist for crimes they commit. The defense Ethan Couch’s attorney used was a psychological excuse only the extreme wealthy would be allowed to utilize in any court of law. The condition is called Affluenza, “the inability to understand consequences of one’s actions because of financial privilege (“Ethan Couch,” 2020). The research into the diagnosis of Affluent indicates one will show feelings of entitlement due to their social status. This not only has become a personal problem but also a social problem among affluent youth. Ethan Couch used the defense of being spoiled for the reason

behind the manslaughter of four individuals. This defense showed Americans how money can buy your freedom while also sending the wrong message to other teens across the nation. This shows our society is setting a double standard for the rich and the poor. An offender without means of hiring a private attorney as well as psychological experts would not have received the same sentencing as Ethan Couch. This was proven when information of a similar case was discovered and reported. “District Judge Jean Boyd gave a harsher sentence to another 16-year-old intoxicated driver, Eric Miller, 10 years earlier to 20 years in Texas Youth Commission for killing one victim not four” (“Ethan Couch,” 2020). When Ethan Couch was indicted on four counts of intoxication manslaughter for reckless driving under the influence, he was sentenced to only ten years’ probation and long-term inpatient therapy. The State of Texas punishes second degree felony convictions with 2-20-year prison sentences, and/or a fine of up to $10,000 (Thiessen, 2017) for only one count. It is not uncommon for minors to receive probation instead of prison time who are involved in drunk driving cases. This is a growing trend to try and give a young person a second chance through rehabilitation and therapy instead of being tried as an adult and sent to a state detention center where he or she will not receive

what is needed to change their behavior or lifestyle for the better. Even though this trend is the beginning of a change needed in our juvenile judicial system, affluent youth will use this to avoid consequences for their actions. Hopefully an intensive screening process will be set in place to avoid this manipulation of the system. December 2005 Ethan Couch proved his punishment for the manslaughter charges was not enough by violating his probation and then fleeing the country with his mother. Once captured he was sentenced to serve four consecutive terms of 180 days in jail. One for each of the 2013 car crash victims. Lawsuits were filed by the victims’ families against Ethan Couch and his family. Even though these lawsuits had various outcomes, this was one way for the Couch family to see there are consequences for all the actions pertaining to this case including their involvement of raising a child who has developed affluent behavior based on their parenting. The lawsuits were the only way the victim’s families could get justice since the judicial system in Texas had failed to do their job. They allowed money to influence the punishment for such a heinous crime. With any luck Texas has evaluated what went wrong in the case of Ethan Couch and has tried to take the appropriate measures needed to ensure equality within the judicial system.

References Ethan Couch. (2020, March 11). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Couch

Thiessen, M., & Thiessen, M. (2020, January 22). The Penalties For Intoxication Manslaughter in Texas. Retrieved from https://www.thetexastrialattorney.com/blog/2017/july/the-penalties-for-intoxicationmanslaughter-in-t...