The Affluenza Argument

Drunk driving North Texas teen gets probation for killing 4 people

A Tarrant County teen driver involved in a drunk driving car crash that killed four people was sentenced to probation instead of being sent to jail. Juvenile court judge Jean Boyd sentenced 16-year-old Ethan Couch to 10 years' probation on December 10 for his role in the June 15 accident.

Mother and daughter Hollie and Shelby Boyles, Breanna Mitchell, and youth pastor Brian Jennings were killed; Couch could have been sentenced to 20 years.

Eric Boyles, whose wife and daughter were killed, stated that he thought Ethan Couch stayed out of jail because his family was rich.

According to WFAA, Judge Boyd didn't believe Couch would be rehabilitated in jail. An editorial in the Fort Worth Star Telegramdefends Boyd in her role as top judge on Tarrant County's juvenile court. She'll leave office when her current term ends in 2014.

A psychologist for the defense testified that Couch could be rehabilitated in one to two years plus no contact with his parents.

Dr. G. Dick Miller (really? Dr. G. Dick?) described Couch as "a product of 'affluenza,' where his family felt that wealth bought privilege, and there was no rational link between behavior and consequences."

Couch was driving a Ford truck registered to his father's company, and he reportedly had stolen beer from a Walmart. His blood alcohol tested at 0.24 percent, and he also had Valium in his system.

He'll be sent to the Newport Academy, a small facility in California at a cost of $450,000, which Couch's parents will pay.

Couch had two prior alcohol citations for driving 89 mph in a 40 mph zone, to which he pleaded no contest in March. His mother paid $423 in court costs, and Couch was supposed to take an alcohol awareness class and do 12 hours of community service.

Eric Boyles, whose wife and daughter were killed, stated that he thought Couch stayed out of jail because his family was rich. Columbia University professor Patricia J. Williams told Al Jazeera that "it makes a mockery of equality and equal standing before the law."

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

Unsplash

Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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