The Texas man whose defense blamed “affluenza” for the reason behind his drunken driving accident that killed four was released Monday from prison.
Ethan Couch was given probation after a 2013 drunken driving conviction for ramming a pickup truck into a group of good samaritans helping a stranded driver. He was imprisoned after violating that probation and has served almost all of his 720-day sentence, according to USA Today.
Couch, who was 16 at the time of the crash, will have to wear an ankle monitor with a GPS device at all times and will have to submit to a 9 p.m. curfew.
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Couch also will be monitored regularly for alcohol use via a substance abuse patch and will have to call a drug hotline daily when not wearing the patch.
Psychologist call it “affluenza”
During the trial, a psychologist testifying on Couch’s behalf suggested that the young man, now 20, was suffering from “affluenza,” a fictitious ailment in which people brought up in a wealthy, entitled atmosphere devoid of consequences are incapable of knowing the difference between right and wrong or accepting responsibility for actions.
The claim went viral, drawing reactions of outrage from the public.
A juvenile judge sentenced Couch to 10 years of probation and rehab. Couch was later arrested after it was discovered he ran off to Mexico with his mother.
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Mom and son convicts
This apparently is a period of legality for Couch’s family. On Wednesday, his mother, Tonya Couch, was arrested when her bond was revoked, USA Today reported. According to court papers, she failed a urine test for drugs.
The elder Couch, 50, was out on bond after allegedly trying to help her son flee the country in 2015.