Wealthy sixteen year old teen spared jail after killing four people

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/wealthy-16-year-old-killed-4-drunken-crash-spared-jail-article-1.1544508

by legacy2013 • 13 years ago

20 9 13 years ago

louthy• 13 years ago

"Defense attorneys said the boy suffered from 'affluenza' and blamed the boy's parents, saying they gave him everything he wanted and didn't teach him about consequences."

Which should have been an argument that he needed a life lesson. Even a short custodial sentence would have done that. Now he's learned that his wealth can buy him out of anything.

bryanlarsen3• 13 years ago

He's used up his "get out of jail free" card. The judge made it quite clear that if he ever gets in trouble with the law again the hammer will come down.

swalkergibson3• 13 years ago

Four people are dead. Why should he get any second chances? He made his bed, he should lie in it.

swalkergibson3• 13 years ago

Affluenza? Seems like a huge teaching moment just slipped by.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families. An unimaginable tragedy compounded by no justice.

bryanlarsen3• 13 years ago

The key word in the title is "teen", not "wealthy". Light sentences are common in the juvenile court system.

swalkergibson3• 13 years ago

Did you read the article? The defense presented is a bullshit justification called affluenza. Not "boys will be boys." I can absolutely guarantee there are teenagers serving lengthy drug sentences in Texas. This punk killed four people. There is no way to rationalize this at all.

bryanlarsen3• 13 years ago

The teenagers serving lengthy drug sentences in Texas were sent there by an adult court system.

mathattack• 13 years ago

This just leaves me scratching my head for the other side of the story. When things are so irrational, there has to be something, but I just can't think of it. It's one thing to be wealthy and hire an expensive attorney, but to actually go in front of a jury of peers to say, "Sorry, forgive me for being rich" just seems too flagrant and irrational.

Anyone have more backdrop on the story?

wting• 13 years ago

One rationalization is that a 10 year probation means he'll be under police watch for a significant amount of time.

On the other hand if he was given a sentence as a minor, he would be released in 2 years when he's 18. That leads to the question why he wasn't tried as an adult, but IANAL.

Wealthy sixteen year old teen spared jail after killing four people

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