Rich Kid Justice
Affluenza teen's family settles civil lawsuits in deadly drunken crash
Ethan Couch's parents have reached settlements in two civil lawsuits related to their son's deadly, drunken crash. In June 2013, when Couch was 16 years old, he wrecked his pickup truck into a group of people on Burleson-Retta Road.
Mother and daughter Hollie and Shelby Boyles, Breanna Mitchell, and youth pastor Brian Jennings were killed.
According to NBC DFW, the Boyles and Mitchell families have agreed to settle their lawsuits against Couch for an undisclosed amount of money. Brian Jennings' family has not reached a settlement.
For his role in the crash, Couch pled guilty to four counts of intoxication manslaughter. The teen avoided jail time when Judge Jean Boyd gave him a controversial sentence of 10 years probation. Couch faced up to 20 years in jail.
During his trial, clinical psychologist G. Dick Miller testified that Couch suffered from "affluenza," a condition that apparently causes wealthy kids to believe their actions have no consequences. Miller advocated for probation and an intensive, long-term treatment facility.
Judge Boyd kicked the media out of her courtroom ahead of a February 5 hearing to announce Couch's probation terms. The teen was assigned to a private rehab facility, which his parents will pay for.