By Jennifer Gomez | Associate editor
Last June, Breanna Mitchell’s vehicle broke down on the side of a north Texas road. Good Samaritans Brian Jennings, 41, a youth pastor, as well as mother and daughter Hollie Boyles, 52, and Shelby Boyles, 21, stopped to help out Breanna, 24.
All four were killed instantly when 16-year-old Ethan Couch plowed over them, driving 70 mph on a rural stretch of highway with a posted speed limit of 40 mph. His blood-alcohol-content was .24 — well above the legal driv- ing limit for someone over the age of 21.
Couch was taken to court and admitted his guilt to four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. His defense team brought in psychologist G. Dick Miller to argue in Couch’s favor. Miller claimed the 16-year-old lived a life of too much privilege and was never held accountable for his actions, therefore he could not be held responsible for his actions. Miller coined this illness ‘affluenza.’
“A condition in which his family felt that wealth brought privilege and there was no rational link between behavior and consequences,” said Miller.
The condition, which is not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a diagnosis or any other credible medical association, was a solid enough argument for Judge Jean Boyd. She sentenced the boy to 10 years probation and a year of therapy at an outside treatment center.
For the next year, Couch will be serving his time at California’s Newport Academy. His family will pay upwards of $500,000 for his treatment. Couch is expected to be comfortable in the facility that was deemed “the most beautiful treatment facility in the industry” in 2009 by Treatment magazine.
The affluenza argument hasn’t escaped the students of Indian Trail High School & Academy.
“He (Couch) should still take responsibility for it or he’ll never learn,” said Daniel Bravo, a Communications junior.
Bravo felt that Couch’s treatment in court was different because his family was so rich and that if another person had committed the same crime who wasn’t of the same socioeconomic status would have gotten a harsher punishment.
The same judge who ruled in Couch’s case made a very different decision in a similar case just a year prior. Judge Jean Boyd sentenced a 14-year-old African American teen who accidentally killed a person in a fight to 10 years in juvenile detention.
“He (Couch) should go to prison. He should have to deal with jail, because hav- ing money shouldn’t go to your head. He should know it’s illegal to drink underage and drive while you’re drunk,” said Samantha Molitor, a Communications senior.
The family of the deceased and injured may still have their chance at justice in civil court though. Eric Boyles is suing the Couch family for more than $1 million in damages for the loss of his wife and daughter. Shauna Jennings, the wife of Brian Jennings, is suing for damages to herself and their three children. Couch’s friend Sergio Molina is also suing for $20 million in damages after he was thrown from the car Couch was driving and suffered severe brain injury.