Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

“Affluenza” …16 Year Old Ethan Couch Sentenced to 10 Years’ Probation by Judge Jean Boyd For DUI Vehicular Manslaughter of Hollie & Shelby Boyles, Breanna Mitchell and Brian Jennings

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2013/12/20/affluenza-16-year-old-ethan-couch-sentenced-to-10-years-probation-by-judge-jean-boyd-for-dui-vehicular-manslaughter-of-hollie-shelby-boyles-breanna-mitchell-and-brian-jennings/


 ::snipping3::

Simply speechless

"Affluenza".  Absolutely ridiculous!!  ::MonkeyNoNo:: 

Daily Commentary – Friday, December 20, 2013 – Have you Heard of the Affluenza Defense?

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2013/12/20/daily-commentary-friday-december-20-2013-have-you-heard-of-the-affluenza-defense/

Take a listen to Dana's comments on affluenza.

I couldn't agree more.

Thank you Red and Dana for speaking out on this subject.  I agree with both of you.

I was appalled when I read about the story (after the verdict) and especially upset that this blatant miscarriage of justice took place in a Texas court! 

My heart breaks for the victim's families, nothing can bring their loved ones back or reverse the permanent injuries to others that were injured; but they deserve justice. 

And they didn't get it!   ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyMad::

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1312/13/lvab.01.html


Ethan Couch knew right from wrong.  That was evident in the fact that he RAN from the scene!

He'd been in trouble before and he knew he was in trouble again. 

He should be in jail!

JMO

 ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyMad::

http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/local/x1005129914/Couch-still-faces-possible-jail-time

December 19, 2013
Couch still faces possible jail time

By Tammye Nash/reporter3@trcle.com

 ::snipping3::

In a statement emailed Wednesday to the Times-Review, Shannon said, “During his recent trial, the 16-year-old admitted his guilt in four cases of intoxication manslaughter and two cases of intoxication assault. There has been no verdict formally entered in the two intoxication assault cases. Every case deserves a verdict. The District Attorney’s Office is asking the court to incarcerate the teen on the two intoxication assault cases. Due to limitations in the Family Code, we are unable to make additional comments.”

Under Texas juvenile law, the maximum sentence Couch faces on the two intoxication assault charges is three years in a Texas Juvenile Justice Department facility. He would have to be released when he turns 19. On the other end of the spectrum, the judge could choose to assess no punishment.

http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/texas/teen-given-probation-for-fatal-wreck-due-in-court/ndDJT/
Teen given probation for fatal wreck due in court
February 5, 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas teenager sentenced to probation for a drunken-driving crash that killed four people is expected back in court.
A Wednesday hearing is scheduled in the case of Ethan Couch, who was given 10 years' probation for the wreck last year that also severely injured two people. Couch was 16 at the time.
 ::snipping3::
Judge Jean Boyd issued the original sentence, but has not ruled on a prosecution request to give Couch jail time on charges related to the two people who were injured.
She also hasn't decided whether to send Couch to a pricey California rehab facility, as his attorneys have requested.

http://www.kvue.com/news/state/243854821.html
Teen convicted in fatal DWI crash going to Texas treatment center
February 5, 2014

FORT WORTH — Ethan Couch, the teenager whose case sparked national outrage after he was sentenced to 10 years' probation for killing four people in a drunken driving accident, returned to court for a hearing Wednesday afternoon.
At a meeting closed to the news media and the public, Judge Jean Boyd determined that Couch will go to a "lock-down" residential treatment facility in Texas for which his parents will foot the bill.
The location of that center and the length of time Couch will spend there have not been disclosed.
According to Eric Boyles, who lost  both a daughter and wife in the accident, it was revealed at the hearing that an upscale treatment center in California refused to accept Couch after publicity surrounding the case
 ::snipping3::
Boyd scheduled the hearing for 3:30 p.m. and ordered the court cleared about 15 minutes before it was set to begin. Media was never permitted to return.
Couch was 16 when he barreled his Ford pickup truck into a stalled SUV at a speed between 68 and 70 miles-per-hour. Youth pastor Brian Jennings; mother and daughter Hollie and Shelby Boyles; and 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell, the driver of the stalled SUV, died in the June 15, 2013  accident along the side of a Burleson road that had a posted speed limit of 40 mph.
Jennings and the Boyles pulled over to help Mitchell with a flat tire. The teen's blood alcohol content at the time of the wreck was 0.24, more than three times the legal limit of 0.08. It is, however, illegal for a minor to drive under the influence of any alcohol.
Couch was convicted in December and sentenced to 10 years' probation. Judge Boyd could have sent the teen to prison for up to 20 years.
As a condition of his probation, the teen is not premitted to drive and must not use drugs or alcohol for 10 years. Any violation could send him to prison.
The defense argued that Couch was brought up in an environment that was bereft of punishment.  Psychologist Dr. G. Dick Miller testified that Couch was given “freedoms no young person should have” and that he felt no rational link between behavior and consequences. He coined this “affluenza.”
Miller has since expressed regret that the defense used that term as a diagnosis.
“This kid had medical problems, he had social anxiety disorder, he had all sorts of things. He had depression. He found alcohol was his medicine,” Miller said from his Bedford home in December. “I think that term, ‘affluenza,’ which I was just using to describe what we used to call spoiled brats, it’s not a diagnosis.”
Couch had two prior alcohol citations before the crash. On Feb. 19, 2013, Lakeside police ticketed him for being a minor in possession of alcohol and consuming alcohol as a minor after he was found with a 12-ounce can of beer and a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka. He pled no contest to each citation.
After being sentenced to probation following the crash, Couch’s father vowed to pay $450,000 a year for his son to go to an intensive California in-patient center.
However, Boyd has not addressed a request from Tarrant County District Attorney Joe Shannon to try Couch on two cases of intoxication assault which were not part of his original conviction.
"There has been no verdict formally entered in the two intoxication assault cases," read a statement issued by the district attorney’s office in December. "Every case deserves a verdict. The District Attorney’s Office is asking the court to incarcerate the teen on the two intoxication assault cases. Due to limitations in the Family Code, we are unable to make additional comments."
 ::snipping3::

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/24646771/no-additional-jail-time-for-ethan-couch-will-be-sent-to-rehab
No additional jail time for Ethan Couch, will be sent to rehab
February 5, 2014

The teenager who killed four people while drunk at the wheel will get no additional jail time and be sent to an unknown rehab facility, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Ethan Couch, 16, has previously received 10 years of probation from Judge Jean Boyd for a drunken driving wreck that killed four people in June 2013. The sentence triggered a controversy in North Texas and across the United States.

Boyd decided on a rehabilitation facility for Couch, but the facility was not named publicly and it's not known when Couch will begin rehab. Couch will stay at the rehab facility until the center determines he is fully rehabilitated.

Couch's father had offered to pay for him to stay at a $1,200 per day rehab facility in California. Judge Boyd said she would evaluate that center and others closer to home that the probation department suggested.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.kvue.com/news/250893081.html
Families of 2 'affluenza' case victims settle civil suits
March 18, 2014

The families of a woman who was killed and a teen who was injured in a prominent drunk driving case last year have reached settlements in civil lawsuits against the driver's family.

The family of Ethan Couch and his father's Cleburne business will pay Isaiah McLaughlin and his family a total of nearly $114,000 in the agreement.
The terms of the settlement with the family of Breanna Mitchell were not released.

In June 2013, then-16-year-old Couch was speeding in his father's company truck when he struck and killed four pedestrians, including Breanna Mitchell, Hollie and Shelby Boyles, and youth pastor Brian Jennings. Couch's blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.24, three times the limit for those of legal drinking age.

In all, six civil lawsuits related to the crash were filed against Couch's family and his father's business. The McLaughlin and Mitchell families were the first of those to reach settlements.
 ::snipping3::

Bolded by me.
If what the psychologist claimed was true, then this would be a perfect time to change the "atmosphere of affluenza" surrounding Couch and give him consequences for is reckless and dangerous actions that resulted in deaths of others.  Instead, Couch got a pass imo and Judge Boyd becomes another enabler.  We can't predict the future, but I wonder who else may die or be injured because proper action wasn't taken in this case?  JMHO  ::MonkeyNoNo::


http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/One-victim-from-infamous-affluenza-drunk-driving-case-refuses-to-settle--252532401.html
'Affluenza' drunk driving victim seeks trial to settle civil lawsuit
March 26, 2014

BURLESON — The McConnell family made one thing clear Wednesday: They want a jury trial to reach a verdict in their civil lawsuit against Ethan Couch and his parents.
Couch was driving drunk last June when he plowed into a group of people off Burleson-Retta Road trying to help a stranded motorist.
Four people were killed.
In December, a juvenile judge ruled that Couch — who was 16 at the time of the fatal crash — would only receive ten years of probation and rehabilitation as punishment.
Part of his defense strategy included testimony from a psychologist who claimed Couch suffered from too much wealth and too few consequences, which helped create an atmosphere of "affluenza."
Families of the victims were outraged.
At least five of the families recently settled with the parents of Ethan Couch and the family business.
But the case involving 13-year-old Lucas McConnell will move forward.
In a heartfelt plea Wednesday afternoon, the young teenager spoke of his close relationship with Brian Jennings, a youth pastor who was killed in the accident. McConnell was in Jennings' car when Couch slammed into the group.
"I know everyone says everything happens for a reason, but I don't know the reason here," he said.
The youngster was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center after the accident, where he had shattered glass removed from his head.
His father Kevin said even though his son is alive, he feels the Couch family hasn't taken adequate responsibility for what happened to his son, the other injured kids, or the families of the four who died.
 ::snipping3::
Attorneys for the McConnells say they expect depositions to begin next month. They will seek a trial  date soon after, although it's likely that process could drag out for months.
Couch is spending an undetermined amount of time at an undisclosed rehab facility in Texas.

maybe the parents should do the jail time, as the  psychologist said the boy was taught by parents
wealth buys privileges,
JMO what a crock
BBM


In December 2013, State District Judge Jean Boyd sentenced a North Texas teenager, Ethan Couch[6][7] to 10 years probation for drunk driving and killing four pedestrians and injuring 11[8] after his attorneys successfully argued that the teen suffered from affluenza and needed rehabilitation, and not prison.[9] The defendant was witnessed on surveillance video stealing beer from a store, driving with seven passengers in his father's Ford F-350, speeding (70 MPH in a 40 MPH zone), and had a blood alcohol content of .24%, three times the legal limit for an adult in Texas, when he was tested 3 hours after the accident. Traces of Valium were also in his system. G. Dick Miller, a psychologist hired as an expert by the defense, testified in court that the teen was a product of affluenza and was unable to link his bad behavior with consequences due to his parents teaching him that wealth buys privilege.[9] The rehabilitation facility near Newport Beach, California that the teen will be attending will cost his family $450,000 annually.[10][11] At a February 5, 2014 hearing, Eric Boyles, whose wife and daughter were killed in the crash, said "Had he not had money to have the defense there, to also have the experts testify, and also offer to pay for the treatment, I think the results would have been different."[9]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affluenza#As_a_legal_defense

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarrant/Judge-orders-Ethan-Couchs-parents-to--254925901.html
Parents of Ethan Couch to pay fraction of rehab bill
April 11, 2014

BURLESON -- A judge has ordered the parents of Ethan Couch to pay less than the actual cost of their son's treatment in a state-run rehabilitation hospital.
Couch's parents will have to pay $1,170 per month. A placement officer said the actual cost of Vernon State Hospital is $715 per day. This means that they'll be paying for less than two days of every month their son is there. The rest will come from the state mental health care budget.
The officer told News 8 that the hospital requires families to pay on a sliding scale.
 ::snipping3::
A psychologist previously testified Ethan Couch has multiple mental health issues, including depression and substance abuse.

This angers me on so many levels. This family was "so rich" they could not teach him right from wrong but can not pay for treatment that they AGREED to pay for?  Many others (my husband being one of them) have to pay full price for court ordered treatment for kids. Why not this family?

ITA with you on this, tbm. 

This angers me too TMB on may levels ::MonkeyMad::

Just wrong!

I agree with tbm too.    ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyMad::

The headlines in this article make it sound like this victim is going to be rolling in dough.   At age 17, Sergio Molina is paralyzed and will need care the rest of his life.  See my bold.  It doesn't look like he and his family are going to be living high on the hog.  ::MonkeyNoNo:: Look at the legal fees...

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/One-of-victims-in-Affluenza-case-to-receive-millions-258047671.html
Teen paralyzed in 'affluenza' drunk driving case to receive millions
May 5, 2014

FORT WORTH — According to newly-filed documents in Tarrant County District Court, one of the victims in the Ethan Couch case has settled for close to $3 million in cash and other payments.
Sergio Molina, 17, was paralyzed in a June 2013 crash when then 16-year-old Ethan Couch killed four people south of Fort Worth.
Couch was drunk. Molina was riding in the back of his pickup truck.
This story was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a WFAA media partner.
Molina's family and other victims filed lawsuits against Couch's family and their family company Cleburne Metal Works.
Many of the settlements haven't been disclosed, but in a final civil judgment signed off on Friday by Judge R. H. Wallace, some key details emerge.
A special trust for Molina is set to receive just over $1 million in cash. There also will be close to $800,000 distributed in annuity payments over the coming decades.
Molina's family will receive a separate $215,000 cash payment,  More than $950,000 is also expected to be paid toward the family's ongoing legal and attorney fees, according to the filing.
News 8 reached out to a number of the attorneys involved in the case, but has yet to hear back.
Couch was only sentenced to probation and rehabilitation by a juvenile judge in December.
His defense team had an expert witness claim the young man was a victim of "affluenza," spoiled to such an extent by his parents that he never before had faced legitimate consequences for his actions.

http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/texas/affluenza-teens-family-to-pay-victim-2m/nfqGT/
Affluenza' teen's family to pay victim $2M
May 6, 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas — The family of a Texas teenager who killed four people in a drunken-driving wreck has agreed to pay more than $2 million to the family of a boy who was paralyzed in the accident, according to court documents detailing the first approved settlement in the case.
The liability insurer of Ethan Couch's parents agreed to pay more than $1 million in cash and the rest in annuities to a trust established for Sergio E. Molina, who was among 12 people injured in the wreck last year near Fort Worth.
Couch's case drew national attention after his attorneys argued that his wealthy parents coddled the then-16-year-old into a sense of irresponsibility, which one witness termed "affluenza." He was sentenced to 10 years of probation and ordered to a rehab facility.
Molina, who was riding in the back of Couch's pickup when it flipped, can now only smile and blink, according to his parents. He has been in the hospital since the June accident.
 ::snipping3::
Along with the cash payment, the Couches' insurer will buy two annuities to make monthly payments of $1,515 and $1,837 to the trust starting in July, and another annuity to cover attorneys' fees, according to Tarrant County court documents.
Molina was in the back of Couch's pickup truck on June 15, 2013, when Couch swerved and hit a stranded motorist and three people who had stopped to help her. All four were killed.
 ::snipping3::
Molina's parents sued Couch and his parents after the accident. Five other families of the injured or killed also have settled with the Couches, pending court approval. Details of those settlements haven't been released. One family is seeking a jury trial.
Randy Nelson, the attorney representing Couch's parents, Fred and Tonya Couch, declined comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Interesting comments...

http://kxan.com/2014/05/16/affluenza-wreck-victim-wants-doctors-testimony/
‘Affluenza’ wreck victim wants doctor’s testimony
May 16, 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A judge will not immediately rule on whether the psychologist who said a teenage drunken driver who killed four people had “affluenza” will have to testify in a civil case.
 ::snipping3::

The crash got national attention thanks in part to the testimony of psychologist Dick Miller. He said Couch was coddled into a sense of irresponsibility by his wealthy parents, a condition he termed “affluenza.”

The attorneys of one of the injured boys say Miller should be forced to testify again in their lawsuit, but Couch’s lawyers argue that would violate attorney-client and doctor-patient privileges.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarrant/Judge-orders-Couch-family-to-release-psychological-records-261264541.html
Judge orders Couch family to release psychological records
May 30, 2014

TARRANT COUNTY -- A judge has ordered the family of Ethan Couch to release all psychological records used for his defense.
Couch, 16, received probation after he drove drunk, killing four people in a crash. He spent time at a California rehab center afterward, and psychologist Dr. Dick Miller testified during Couch's trial.
He used the term "affluenza" to describe the way Couch was allegedly raised with few restrictions or consequences.
The family of injured victim Lucas McConnell, 13, asked that Couch's records from his time at the rehab center be released. The Couch family argued that it would violate Couch's privacy.
The McConnell family argued that Dr. Miller's documents should be released because he had already testified in open court, and gave interviews to News 8 and CNN's Anderson Cooper.
More...

There is more than one way to skin a cat -- sorry, no offense to kitties.

 ::justice2nj2::

 ::rhino:: ::justice2nj2::

I am really not surprised here. It has been a long standing rule that if you are going to use your mental or physical health as either a defense or part of an action then all the records come out. I am looking forward to reading them.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarrant/Sunday-marks-one-year-since-Ethan-Couch-drunk-driving-crash-263224831.html
Victims of 'affluenza' crash remembered one year later
June 16, 2014

TARRANT COUNTY -- Sunday marked one year since a drunk driving crash in Tarrant County killed four people and made national headlines.
Ethan Couch was driving drunk when he plowed into a group of people who were working on a broken down car.
Couch avoided jail time by being described as having "affluenza." The decision in juvenile court to sentence him to probation caused a huge uproar. He is now undergoing rehabilitation at a Texas facility.
 ::snipping3::
About 100 people gathered Sunday night at the home of Eric Boyles, where the accident happened last year. Boyles lost his wife and daughter in the crash.
Also killed were Brian Jennings, a popular youth pastor from the area, and Breanna Mitchell, whose car it was that originally broke down.
Sergio Molina, a young man paralyzed in the accident, was in attendance, as were a number of first responders, detectives and attorneys who worked on the case.
In sending out a note about Sunday's plans, Boyles said he hopes the anniversary serves to remind people how "the justice system failed the victims."

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/06/20/5916978/family-of-injured-teen-settles.html
Family of injured teen settles suit against Couch family
June 20, 2014

Solaiman Mohmand says he barely knew Ethan Couch when he climbed into the bed of Couch’s pickup with six other teens out for a good time on the night of June 15, 2013.

A few minutes later, Mohmand was one of 12 people injured when Couch’s pickup plowed into a cluster of four people standing near a disabled vehicle on Burleson-Retta Road. The four were killed.

Mohmand and his best friend, Sergio Molina, were the most seriously injured of the teens in the bed of Couch’s pickup, which hit two vehicles before it went airborne and flipped. Molina is paralyzed and unable to speak.

Scott Frenkel, an attorney representing Solaiman and his father, Sultan Mohmand, said Solaiman is still recovering from neck and back injuries.

“Solaiman is very lucky, but he is going to be reminded of this for the rest of his life,” Frenkel said Friday.

Mohmand and his family reached a settlement Thursday with Couch’s parents. He will receive a lump sum payment of $196,117. And beginning in August 2016, Mohmand will receive $16,377.04 twice a year for the next five years.
 ::snipping3::

Families of the four people killed and of four of the injured teens, including Mohmand and Molina, sued the Couch family. Six suits have now been settled.

The family of Lucas McConnell, a passenger in a parked pickup that was hit in the crash, have not settled, saying they want a jury trial.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/26319287/ethan-couchs-father-arrested-for-impersonating-police-officer


Ethan Couch's father arrested for impersonating police officer

Posted: Aug 19, 2014 3:42 PM CST Updated: Aug 19, 2014 3:50 PM CST
By: Mark Norris - email
 
(http://kdfw.images.worldnow.com/images/4521184_G.jpg)
 
The father of Ethan Couch was arrested Tuesday for allegedly impersonating a police officer.

Frederick Anthony Couch was taken into custody shortly before 11 a.m. on Tuesday by North Richland Hills police.

Police said North Richland Hills officers discovered Fred Couch while responding to an early morning incident on July 28. Officers found Fred Couch at the scene and told North Richland Hills police he was a reserve officer with the City of Lakeside.

After police finished their investigation of the incident, they spoke again with Fred Couch who reiterated he was a reserve officer and had his “police stuff” in his car.

Fred Couch then produced a wallet that had what appeared to be a police badge and ID card and was allowed to leave

But, the on-scene officer continued to investigate whether Fred Couch was actually an officer and subsequently found out Couch was not a Lakeside officer and has never been a licensed officer in the state of Texas.

 ::snipping3::

Fred Couch has been officially charged with False Identification as a Police Officer: Misrepresentation of Property and his bond was set at $2,500.

Personally, I'm eagerly waiting for Ethan to violate his probation!

 ::justice2nj2::

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article45518238.html

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Tarrant prosecutors seek to move ‘affluenza’ teen to adult court

BY RYAN OSBORNE
rosborne@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH
A motion filed this week in juvenile court would transfer the probation of the teenage drunken driver responsible for a 2013 crash that killed four people to the supervision of adult court.

Ethan Couch, 18, of Keller, lost control of his Ford F-350 pickup on June 15, 2013, and plowed into a group of people helping a woman whose car stalled on Burleson-Retta Road near Burleson. His blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit and traces of Valium were in his system, officials said.

A juvenile court judge sentenced him to 10 years of probation and therapy.

This week, the Tarrant County district attorney’s office filed a motion to transfer Couch to the supervision of an adult court. Without the transfer, under the Texas Family Code, Couch’s probation will expire on his 19th birthday in April.

Filing the motion was standard procedure, said Richard Alpert, who prosecuted Couch at trial in December 2013. “There’s nothing novel or unique about this,” Alpert said.

“We’re not pulling anything out of a hat.”

A hearing will be scheduled, and a juvenile judge will accept or reject the motion, said Sam Jordan, a spokeswoman for the Tarrant County district attorney’s office.

“If it is accepted, it will then be assigned to an adult district court judge, who will determine the provisions of his adult probation,” Jordan said.

Under an adult court judge, Couch’s probation terms could change or stay the same.

“For any good cause shown, any district judge can add or take away what they see fit,” Alpert said. “The judge has that discretion.”

 ::snipping3::

 ::ElfMonkey:: ::MonkeyCool::

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article47748570.html

 December 3, 2015

Tarrant district attorney investigating alleged Ethan Couch partying video

Clip was posted to Twitter Wednesday night

Tweet says Couch was among group playing the drinking game beer pong

Couch is on probation for fatal 2013 DWI crash

(http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/m5xe7f/picture47748565/ALTERNATES/FREE_960/ethan%20couch%203)

Screenshot from a video the Tarrant County district attorney’s office is investigating. Osborne, Ryan Star-Telegram

By Ryan Osborne

rosborne@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH

The Tarrant County district attorney’s office is investigating a partying video that allegedly includes “affluenza” teen Ethan Couch violating his probation for drunkenly killing four people in a crash in 2013.

“We are aware of it it, and investigating the claim,” district attorney spokeswoman Sam Jordan said Thursday.

A six-second clip was posted to Twitter Wednesday night by an account with the handle @BlondeSpectre. The video shows a group of people around a beer pong table littered with red plastic cups and cans of Miller Lite.

A person who resembles Couch is standing on one side of the table, clapping as someone else dives onto the table.

    ya boy ethan couch violating probation. i got more if u want @CityofBurleson @TarrantCountyDA pic.twitter.com/otiGprQ1uD
    — h (@BlondeSpectre) December 2, 2015

Couch, who turns 19 in April, was 16 when he lost control of his Ford F-350 pickup on June 15, 2013, and plowed into a group of people helping a woman whose car had stalled on Burleson-Retta Road in southern Tarrant County.

 ::snipping3::

Couch is not currently in state custody but is required to check in with a juvenile probation officer, Jordan said.

Earlier this month, Tarrant County district attorney’s office filed a motion to transfer Couch to the supervision of an adult court. Without the transfer, under the Texas Family Code, his probation will expire on his 19th birthday in April.

Filing the motion was standard procedure, said Richard Alpert, who prosecuted Couch at trial in December 2013.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/12/16/tarrant-county-sheriff-names-affluenza-teen-top-fugitive/

Tarrant County Sheriff Names ‘Affluenza’ Teen Top Fugitive
December 16, 2015 8:24 PM By Jason Allen
Filed Under: Ethan Couch, Tarrant County Sheriff

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – The Tarrant County Sheriff said he would not be surprised if “affluenza” teenager Ethan Couch is no longer in the country. Sheriff Dee Anderson said Couch is now the top fugitive his investigators are trying to find.

Sheriff’s investigators started searching for Couch Wednesday morning. It came a day after an arrest warrant was issued after Couch’s probation officer was unable to reach him or his mother for several days.

The teenager was two years into a 10-year probation term after a 2013 drunk driving crash that killed four people. Couch avoided jail time, and his sentence received national attention after a defense witness used the term “affluenza” to describe his family’s wealth contributing to his lack of responsibility.

“I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so,” Anderson said. “I said, we’re going to see him again. He’s going to be back in this system.”

Anderson said there were indications Couch had left his last known residence for some time. He believed the disappearance was planned after the release of a video earlier this month, showing a boy who appeared to be Couch at a party.

 ::snipping3::

Anderson was not aware of any restrictions on travel for Couch.

There was no arrest warrant for his mother Tonya, but Anderson said they were looking for anyone who may be with him or helped him leave the area.

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/tarrant-county/2015/12/16/affluenza-teen-missing-officials-wonder-if-he-left-country/77453634/

Sheriff: FBI, U.S. Marshals join search for Ethan Couch
Jim Douglas and Todd Unger, WFAA 4:10 p.m. CST December 17, 2015

FORT WORTH — The name Ethan Couch is now in a national crime database. Authorities concede they have no idea where he is.

One day after Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said his department was "working every angle" it could, he said the FBI and U.S. Marshals have joined the nationwide search.

The teen gained infamy for his "affluenza" defense after he drove drunk and killed four people in 2013. He received 10 years of juvenile probation, but probation officers cannot find him.

Officials say Couch and his mother, Tonya, disappeared several days ago. He hasn't been seen since before Dec. 3, when he missed a probation appointment.

Anderson said Wednesday that if he had a top 10 most wanted list, Couch would be No. 1.

"He had a good amount of time to get a good head start," the sheriff said Wednesday. "And we all know what kind of resources this family has to get out of town. Get out of the country. Who knows?"

News 8 was told Couch was not wearing a GPS monitor. The house Couch shared with his mother near Eagle Mountain Lake appears to have been empty for some time.  A neighbor said Couch and his mother Tonya leased it over the summer but that they haven't been there since.  A pinball machine is all that remains inside the white home.

"Now we've got to deal with this mess," Sheriff Anderson seethed. "Now we have to spend more time, more resources, more taxpayer dollars out looking for someone who should be locked up."

Anderson thinks Couch and his mother decided to leave when video surfaced on Twitter appearing to show him laughing at a beer pong party. Terms of his probation forbid drinking.

Anderson says it's important to find Ethan Couch for the families of the four people he killed. And for Sergio Molina, the young man left paralyzed.

"He's going to have to look over his shoulder the rest of his life," Anderson promised. "Any time he gets anywhere we could apprehend him, we're going to find him. And we're going to keep looking and we're not going to stop."

Sources say the investigation is already leading to speculation Ethan Couch has left the country.

 ::snipping3::

I am not sure WHY ANYONE thought he or his parents would abide by any order of the court. They all think they are above the law.

 ::rhino::

https://www.facebook.com/CBSDFW/photos/a.124335744256237.15998.108571612499317/1115038255185976/?type=3&theater

(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b258/texasmom55/EthanCouch12182015_zpswgzs7tuv.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/texasmom55/media/EthanCouch12182015_zpswgzs7tuv.jpg.html)

You have that right TBM.

He will be going to prison for quite a while.

I don't think they will be treating him with kid gloves anymore. He's in serious trouble now.

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/tarrant-county/2015/12/19/wanted-poster-issued-ethan-couch-legal-questions-rise/77592

If he is caught and certified, and an adult court judge revokes probation instead of modifying it, then it's possible Couch could spend years in prison for each of the four people he killed.

I fully expect the judge to revoke his probation because they already know he 's a flight risk.

48 Year Old Tonya Couch, Mother Named a Missing Person in Hunt for ‘Affluenza’ Teenager, Ethan Couch

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2015/12/22/48-year-old-tonya-couch-mother-named-a-missing-person-in-hunt-for-affluenza-teenager-ethan-couch/

(http://scaredmonkeys.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/tonya-couch-and-truck-300x169.jpg)

::snipping3::

I hope they find them both and they both get major jail time. His mother is just as guilty as the kid. This is what happens when the parents don't teach their children there are consequences for their actions. Very sad

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/28/us/mexico-affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-detained/ (http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/28/us/mexico-affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-detained/)

http://www.cbs19.tv/story/30843261/report-affluenza-fugitive-ethan-couch-nabbed-in-mexico


Report: 'Affluenza' fugitive Ethan Couch nabbed in Mexico
Posted: Dec 28, 2015 9:42 PM CST
Updated: Dec 28, 2015 9:45 PM CST
 

(WFAA) - Ethan Couch, the North Texas teenager found responsible for a drunk driving crash that killed four people near Burleson in 2013, has been apprehended in Mexico along with his mother, according to a report broadcast Monday night by CNN.

WFAA has not been able to independently confirm the reported break in the case.

Couch, now 18, is the subject of an international manhunt after violating probation terms for his conviction on four counts of vehicular manslaughter.

The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office said Monday night it was aware of the CNN report, but "cannot confirm" Couch's apprehension. U.S. Marshals did not confirm the broadcast report, either.

 ::snipping3::

Still waiting for confirmation on whether they have detained Nathan & his mom in Mexico. I sure hope so. ::MonkeyGavel::

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/12/28/ethan-couch-caught/


Ethan Couch And Mother Caught In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
December 28, 2015 8:53 PM


According to Mexican authorities, “Affluenza” teen Ethan Couch has been caught near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico along with his mother Tonya Couch.

He disappeared earlier this month after missing a meeting with his probation officer.

When authorities went to his house, no one was home.

Ethan Couch made national news when he was sentenced to probation for a drunk driving crash that killed four people in 2013.

The two were handed over to the authorities of the National Institute of Migration after they were unable to prove their legal stay in Mexico.

Couch is expected to be turned over to U.S. Marshals who have been searching for him.

 ::snipping3::

Thanks texasmom for the up date. I see he dyed his hair. Still looks like a punk. He doesn't have that smug look on his face this time.  So glad they found them. ::MonkeyCheer4::

He looks "under the influence" to me.  jmo   ::MonkeyNoNo::

http://abcnews.go.com/US/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-detained-mexico-officials/story?id=35984791

'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Detained in Mexico, Officials Say

    By TOM LIDDY

Dec 29, 2015, 1:18 AM ET

 ::snipping3::

Couch was picked up in Puerto Vallarta on Monday at 6 p.m. local time along with his mother, according to a spokesman for the Jalisco state prosecutor's office. Both underwent a medical check-up and were then transferred to immigration authorities. They are en route to Guadalajara to be transported to the U.S. It is unknown when that flight to America will take place.

The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in Texas also confirmed the two were in Mexican custody.

Authorities were concerned that he allegedly missed a check-in with a probation officer and may have skipped town or the country and a juvenile judge issued a "directive to apprehend" on Dec. 11.

 ::snipping3::

(cropped)

(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b258/texasmom55/EthanCouch12292015_zpsjzkl4prg.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/texasmom55/media/EthanCouch12292015_zpsjzkl4prg.jpg.html)

This photograph released by the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office shows American teen Ethan Couch, who was detained in Mexico on December 28, 2015. He was convicted in 2013 of four counts of intoxication manslaughter after a drunk driving accident but avoided jail.

You're welcome, Green Eyes!  I'm glad they found them too!   ::MonkeyCheer3:: ::justice2nj2::

On GMA they showed blurry pics of Tonya Couch too, they said she refused to sit still for a picture.

She'd obviously cut her hair drastically.   ::MonkeyNoNo::


https://twitter.com/JoshuaHoyos/status/681729237649244161 (https://twitter.com/JoshuaHoyos/status/681729237649244161)



Joshua Hoyos
‏@JoshuaHoyos

Authorities have released pic of Tonya Couch. Now has shorter hair- pic is blurry bc she didn't want it to be taken.

10:51 PM - 28 Dec 2015

http://www.cbs19.tv/story/30843261/report-affluenza-fugitive-ethan-couch-nabbed-in-mexico


Update: Warrant to be issued for mom of "affluenza" teen
Posted: Dec 28, 2015 9:42 PM CST
Updated: Dec 29, 2015 10:25 AM CST
 

DALLAS (AP) — (10 a.m.) -  A Texas sheriff says an arrest warrant will be issued for mother of a teenager found in Mexico after fleeing probation after killing four people in a drunken-driving wreck and invoking an "affluenza" defense.

Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said Monday at a news conference that the warrant would be issued for Tonya Crouch on charges of hindering and apprehension.

Mexico's Jalisco state prosecutors' office said 18-year-old Ethan Couch and his mother were located and detained Monday evening in the Pacific Coast resort city of Puerto Vallarta.

Anderson said it appears the two planned their disappearance and even held something of a going-away party.

Anderson said the U.S. Marshals Service was working to get the two returned to the United States.

 ::snipping3::

http://www.fox4news.com/news/65180909-story

Affluenza teen Ethan Couch, mother detained in Mexico


By: FOX4News.com Staff

Posted:Dec 28 2015 09:06PM CST

Updated:Dec 29 2015 11:08AM CST

Infamous affluenza teenager Ethan Couch and his mother have been found in Mexico, according to authorities.

Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said he’s been told they were pulled over by Mexican authorities and detained near the popular beach resort Puerto Vallarta Monday afternoon.

Anderson said a fugitive task force has been working tirelessly to find the pair. The media publicity helped and they received numerous tips from both close friends and members of the general public who reported seeing them.

Ethan, who killed four people while driving drunk in 2013, and his mother, Tonya, went missing about two weeks ago. Ethan missed an appointment with his probation officer, leading authorities to believe he was on the run from law enforcement and had possibly fled the country.

 ::snipping3::

Investigators now believe the teen and his mother always had a plan to disappear, although there is no indication that his father was involved.

“They even had something akin to a going away party before driving to Mexico,” Anderson said.

In the days before Christmas, authorities asked people to search for Tonya’s vehicle, a black 2011 Ford F-150 pick-up truck. Anderson said the task force received tips indicating that they did indeed cross the border in that truck.

The sheriff said the Couches were wise to go to Puerto Vallarta where there are a lot of American tourists during the Christmas holiday. He credited “good police work” for finding out where they were staying.

A photo of Ethan in Mexican custody shows he now has darker hair. Anderson said it’s pretty obvious he tried to change his appearance, but is still recognizable.

Anderson also said he’s not surprised that Tonya helped her son disappear. She was determined that he not be held accountable during his trial, he said.

In 2013, Ethan was convicted of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years of probation for driving his pickup truck drunk and killing four people.

Prosecutors said his alcohol level was three times the legal limit when he caused the chain reaction crash in Burleson. The crash killed a 24-year-old stranded motorist, a youth pastor who stopped to help her and a mother and daughter who lived nearby. They were all working to change a flat on the side of the road.

Ethan was found guilty, but the defense argued he had “affluenza.” Attorneys said he was the product of a dysfunctional and abusive family -- parents who condoned drug and alcohol use and never set boundaries. He was given probation and sent to a pricey rehab facility in California.

In reference to the victim’s families, Anderson said he hopes justice will be served this time around. His department responded to the fatal crash and he said he doesn’t believe Ethan received an appropriate punishment.

“I just want to tell them that we have done everything humanly possible to bring justice. As I’ve said many times I don’t think initially justice was served,” he said.

 ::snipping3::

Once they are back in the country, Tonya will be charged for hindering an arrest. Ethan will be returned to juvenile detention.

He will go before a judge on Jan. 19 for a hearing to transfer his probation to the adult system. Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson said that is important because the maximum punishment he could have in the juvenile system is four months, which is when he turns 19 in April.

If the judge agrees to transfer him to the adult system, he will still be bound by his original 10 year probation sentence, but he’d be held to adult standards.

“I would like to see him put an adult prison and serve out the remainder of his 10 year sentence,” Anderson said.

http://www.fox4news.com/news/66053801-story

Affluenza teen Ethan Couch fighting extradition


By: FOX4News.com Staff

Posted:Dec 29 2015 10:55PM CST

Updated:Dec 30 2015 09:13AM CST

DALLAS - Affluenza Teen Ethan Couch and his mother, Tonya, are fighting extradition.

Their attorneys have filed an amparo or writ of habeas corpus in Mexico. The U.S. Marshal's office says that means it could be weeks before they are returned.

 ::snipping3::

Mexican authorities got tip from the U.S. Marshals on their location and made the arrest after Tonya made a call for pizza.

 ::snipping3::

Victims' families say the teen has demonstrated he can't be rehabilitated and want him moved out of juvenile detention, and into a "real" jail.

A hearing in mid-January will determine whether Ethan will remain in the juvenile system or be transferred to adult probation.

No matter what happens at that hearing, this run from the law is a matter for the juvenile court meaning 120 days in jail is likely the maximum punishment he could receive.

 ::MonkeyNoNo::

He needs more than 120 days.  ::MonkeyNoNo::

https://www.facebook.com/startelegram/posts/10153914700123530

Fort Worth Star-Telegram
5 mins · Fort Worth, TX ·

‪#‎Breaking‬: Ethan Couch's mother, Tonya Couch, has been deported to the U.S., according to The Associated Press.

Will have more information as it is available.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/12/sheriff-couches-fighting-extradition-to-u-s-will-most-likely-not-return-today.html/


Update: Mother of ‘affluenza’ teen Ethan Couch deported to U.S.; Mexican court grants son temporary stay against deportation
Naheed Rajwani Follow @naheedrajwani Email nrajwani@dallasnews.com
Published: December 30, 2015 9:36 am

Last updated at 2:15 p.m. to include information from a news conference held in Houston by the U.S. Marshals.
Last updated at 5:35 p.m. Revised to include Tonya Couch’s deportation

Ethan Couch’s mother was deported to the U.S. on Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press reports.

Officials originally said Wednesday that Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, were fighting removal from Mexico and might not return to the U.S. for several weeks.

The pair was arrested Monday in Puerto Vallarta after Ethan Couch, who got 10 years’ probation for killing four people in a DWI crash in 2013, missed a probation check-in in early December.

Mexican authorities and the U.S. Marshals service were coordinating their return, which was slated for Wednesday.

The Associated Press reports that Ethan Couch won a three-day delay in deportation. It wasn’t immediately clear, based on the AP’s report, whether Tonya Couch’s return trip was also put on hold.

In a news conference in Houston Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Marshal Richard Hunter said both Tonya and Ethan Couch had filed an “amparo” brief, asking for protection from deportation from Mexico. The filings, similar to writs of habeas corpus in the U.S., usually question the legality of deportation in hopes of delaying or canceling it.

 ::snipping3::

I agree, that's just crazy!   ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyMad::

https://twitter.com/JoshuaHoyos/status/682352012609085440 (https://twitter.com/JoshuaHoyos/status/682352012609085440)

Joshua Hoyos ‏@JoshuaHoyos

23 seconds ago

#TonyaCouch has been deported to the US, an official at the Mexico's National Immigration Institute confirms to @ABC News.

Portrait of a bad mother, imo.   ::MonkeyNoNo::

Her hair doesn't look as short as it did in the blurry pics.

http://www.people.com/article/affluenza-teen-mom-tonya-couch-arrested-los-angeles

'Affluenza' Teen's Mom Tonya Couch Arrested in L.A. After Allegedly Helping Son Flee to Mexico

By Michele Corriston @mcorriston

12/31/2015 AT 09:20 AM EST


Tonya Couch (center) being arrested at Los Angeles International Airport
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

 ::snipping3::


 ::snipping3::

Tonya Couch posts bond after it was lowered to $75K; she’ll be released Tuesday

Posted 6:19 pm, January 11, 2016, by CNN Wire Service, Updated at 10:43pm, January 11, 2016

 ::snipping3::

On Friday, Tarrant County Magistrate Judge Matt King ordered Tonya Couch to undergo a mental exam after the court found “reasonable cause” to believe that she suffers from “a mental illness or is a person with a mental retardation,” according to court documents.

The judge’s order was issued Friday and must be completed within 30 days. The mother will plead not guilty, said Stephanie Patten, her attorney.

The mental examination will determine whether there is clinical evidence to support the argument that Tonya Couch may be incompetent to stand trial.

Before she and her son fled to Mexico, she withdrew $30,000 from her account and told her husband that he would not see them again, an arrest affidavit stated.

 ::monkeyscissors::

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Ethan-Couch-Moved-From-Juvenile-Center-to-Adult-Jail-367847071.html

Ethan Couch Moved From Juvenile Center to Adult Jail
Couch housing change doesn't affect juvenile status, Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson says
By Frank Heinz

Ethan Couch, the Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving crash, was moved Friday afternoon from a juvenile detention center to the Tarrant County Correction Center in Downtown Fort Worth.

Couch, 19, is currently being held for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, pending a hearing Feb. 19 to determine whether his case will be moved from juvenile court to adult court.

Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said during a news conference Friday afternoon that a juvenile court judge signed a revised order of detention that allowed for Couch's housing change.

Anderson said the sheriff's department was notified of the housing change once Couch was under way Friday afternoon and that he arrived at the downtown corrections center at about 1:30 p.m.

Couch is still under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and his case is still continuing under the original judge's order, Anderson said. The move to the adult jail doesn't change his juvenile standing.

A continuation hearing related to Friday's housing move will be held on Feb. 12, Anderson said.

Anderson added Couch is considered a high-profile inmate and is being held in a single cell, away from the general population, for his safety and not because he's considered a threat. Couch, Anderson said, has been soft-spoken, very respectful and has asked for no special treatment or accommodations.

 ::snipping3::

Authorities believe Couch and his mother fled Texas in her pickup truck after an online video appeared to show Ethan Couch at a party where people were drinking. Couch had been sentenced to 10 years' probation in juvenile court for the 2013 drunken-driving crash, and the terms prohibit him from drinking or leaving Tarrant County, Texas.

If Couch's case is transferred to the adult system and if he violates his probation again, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each person killed in the 2013 crash, a total of 40 years.

 ::snipping3::

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/06/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-jail-time-adult/79920884/

(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/8334042135d7f679c06190b7cdf533ced74a407e/c=15-0-465-600&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/2016/02/06/USATODAY/USATODAY/635903402289060453-AP-Deadly-Wreck-Affluenza.jpg)

Thank you for the update, texasmom.

His mother needs to be put in general population!

You have that right Sister., instead of house arrest at her older sons. I call BS on the mental illness they are trying for.  ::MonkeyMad::

and her bond was only set for $75,000 -- they already know she will run!

 :smt021

http://www.kvue.com/news/crime/new-conditions-for-couch-as-he-turns-19/128546519
New conditions for Couch as he turns 19
April 11, 2016

DALLAS -- Ethan Couch turns 19 years old on Monday, which signals a big shift in his case.

With his birthday comes a new set of legal conditions that could shape his future.

He's facing stricter conditions of his probation. That could include serving more jail time -- anywhere between 120 and 180 days. He's in jail right now after violating his 10-year probation when he fled to Mexico.
 ::snipping3::
One week from Monday, Couch will have his first hearing in adult court before the same judge as his mom, who is on house arrest after helping her son flee the U.S.

Couch's probation expires in 2024.

 ::MonkeyNoNo::

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/01/02/ethan-couch-jail-probation-violation-bond/

Ethan Couch Back In Jail For Probation Violation, Tested Positive For THC
January 2, 2020 at 2:45 pm

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Ethan Couch is back in the Tarrant County Jail for a probation violation.

He’s being held with no bond.

According to his community supervision violation warrant, Couch tested positive for THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana.

Ethan Couch (Tarrant County Jail)

Couch, 22, who killed four people in a drunk driving crash in June 2013 when he was a teenager, was originally sentenced to 10 years probation for intoxication manslaughter.

When he violated his probation, he was forced to serve two years in jail.

He violated his probation in December 2015, when video surfaced appearing to show Ethan Couch at a party where there was alcohol.

Couch went to jail after he and his mother, Tonya Couch, fled to Mexico.

Last March, almost one year after he was released from jail, Couch was no longer required to wear an ankle monitor.

At his trial, a psychologist testified Ethan Couch was a victim of “affluenza,” a product of wealthy, privileged parents who never set limits for him.

Last April, a judge has revoked bond for Tonya Couch, 53, after she failed a urine test required as a condition of her bond but don’t specify the substance the urinalysis revealed.

She also had to return to jail in March 2018 after failing a urine test.

Couch faces money laundering and hindering apprehension charges related to events in 2015 when she ran to Mexico with her son.

Ethan Couch’s father, Fred Couch, was charged last September with assault and accused of choking his girlfriend in July, according to Tarrant County criminal court records.

Couch, 53, of Fort Worth, is charged with assault of a house member by impeding her breath.

A criminal complaint indicated that Couch is accused of grabbing Brandi Gober around her throat or neck and applying pressure on July 14, 2019.