ALJAZEERA: A Texas teenager who killed four people while driving drunk was sentenced this week to 10 years’ probation in lieu of jail time, after the defense argued that the 16-year-old was a product of “affluenza” — a condition in which growing up wealthy prevents children from understanding the links between their behaviors and the consequences, because they are rarely held accountable for their actions…
[Ethan] Couch was driving 60-70 mph in a 40-mph zone and had a blood alcohol content of .24, three times the legal limit in Texas. Testimony indicated that toxicology reports also found Valium in his system, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper…
Couch’s defense argued that he should not be jailed for 20 years because he suffered from so-called “affluenza.” Dr. G. Dick Miller, a psychologist who testified on Couch’s behalf, argued that Couch was a product of a lifestyle in which wealth brought privilege and he had faced no consequences for his bad behavior… (more)
