‘Affluenza Teen’ Heads Back to Court

Photograph courtesy of the Tarrant County Jail.

FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News) – The Fort Worth teen who killed four people in a drunken driving crash makes his first appearance in adult court on Wednesday morning.

Without the transfer from the juvenile system to adult court, Ethan Couch’s probation would have expired on his 19th birthday, which was Monday.

Couch was convicted of four counts of intoxication manslaughter stemming from a deadly crash in June 2013. Four people were killed, and nine others were hurt. Couch had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit, according to court records.

Couch avoided jail and was sentenced to 10 years probation. His lawyers argued Couch was a victim of his privileged upbringing or “affluenza.”

Couch and his mom, Tonya, left the country in Nov. 2015 as authorities were investigating if he violated his probation.

The judge could order Couch to spend four months in jail as part of his probation. If he violates those conditions, he could get up to ten years in prison for each person killed.