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'Affluenza Teen' Ethan Couch Gearing Up To Go Home From Prison
After Ethan Couch killed four people in a drunk driving crash, he received the nickname “affluenza teen” after a psychologist claimed he suffered from a psychological condition that affects wealthy children who aren’t forced to live by the same rules as others.
Ethan Couch is set to be released from prison on Monday evening. The former “affluenza teen,” now 20, will be required to wear a GPS monitor on his ankle, according to NBC-DFW.
"[Couch] will now serve the remaining six years of his period of community supervision under the terms and conditions imposed by the court," his lawyers said in a statement to ABC News. "From the beginning, Ethan has admitted his conduct, accepted responsibility for his actions, and felt true remorse for the terrible consequences of those actions.”
Back in 2013, Couch, then 16, killed four people in a drunk driving accident in Tarrant County, Texas. The nickname “affluenza teen” arose after a psychologist testified during the trial claiming Couch suffered from “affluenza,” a psychological condition that affects wealthy children who aren’t forced to live by the same rules as others. In 2015, Couch was sentenced to 10 years probation after he was found guilty of four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. A requirement of that probation was to steer clear of alcohol. That didn't happen. In late 2015, a video leaked of Couch allegedly playing beer pong. Couch and his mom then fled to Mexico. A tip led to their capture within a few weeks. In 2016, a judge ordered Couch to spend 720 days (almost two years) in jail.
It appears that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the affluenza tree. Just last week, Couch’s mom was arrested for violating the terms of her release, according to the New York Daily News. Tonya Couch, 50, is currently awaiting trial for escaping to Mexico with her son in 2015 but has been free on bond since early 2016. Court documents obtained by The Dallas News indicate that she failed a urinalysis test, after a condition of her release on bond was that she is not allowed to drink alcohol. She additionally faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and money laundering.
[Photo: Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office]
