Texas teen gets 10 years probation for driving drunk, killing 4?

symyjym

Banned

Nov 2, 2009

13,138

Brighton / Hove actually

• Dec 12, 2013

• #1

The defense was, the youth is himself a victim -- of "affuenza," according to one psychologist -- the product of wealthy, privileged parents who never set limits for the boy.

Lawyers for Couch, 16, had argued that the teen's parents should share a part of the blame for the crash because they never set limits for the boy and gave him everything he wanted.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/11/us/texas-teen-dwi-wreck/index.html

His parents are very wealthy. (We are talking the 1%.)

So if you are privileged, spoilt and well connected there is a different law? That’s justice for you!

 

F

Footsoldier

Banned

May 26, 2013

2,904

• Dec 12, 2013

• #2

He'd probably have got 120 hours community service here.

 

clippedgull

Hotdogs, extra onions

Aug 11, 2003

20,789

Near Ducks, Geese, and Seagulls

• Dec 12, 2013

• #3

The female judge probably had the hots for him.

Hopefully he will meet a grisly end somewhere, just like his victims.

 

brightn'ove

cringe

Apr 12, 2011

9,137

London

• Dec 12, 2013

• #4

Surprised?

I don't doubt that judge's political party of choice will receive a very large anonymous donation from a very wealthy set of parents, if they haven't already.

 

bWize

Well-known member

Nov 6, 2007

1,682

• Dec 12, 2013

• #5

symyjym said:

The defense was, the youth is himself a victim -- of "affuenza," according to one psychologist -- the product of wealthy, privileged parents who never set limits for the boy.

Lawyers for Couch, 16, had argued that the teen's parents should share a part of the blame for the crash because they never set limits for the boy and gave him everything he wanted.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/11/us/texas-teen-dwi-wreck/index.html

His parents are very wealthy. (We are talking the 1%.)

So if you are privileged, spoilt and well connected there is a different law? That’s justice for you!

Click to expand...

That's the way the world has always worked... Not sure why you are so surprised?

 

Badger

NOT the Honey Badger

NSC Patron

May 8, 2007

12,778

Toronto

• Dec 12, 2013

• #6

He'll probably be a Republican leader in 20 years time.

 

symyjym

Banned

Nov 2, 2009

13,138

Brighton / Hove actually

• Dec 12, 2013

• Thread starter
• #7

Arundel_Seagull said:

That's the way the world has always worked... Not sure why you are so surprised?

Click to expand...

Yep I know it is the way the world works historically, but I didn’t think you could get away with it so blatantly in the 21st Century.

 

Buzzer

Languidly Clinical

Oct 1, 2006

26,121

• Dec 12, 2013

• #8

Badger said:

He'll probably be a Republican leader in 20 years time.

Click to expand...

Teddy Kennedy was a Democrat.

 

brightn'ove

cringe

Apr 12, 2011

9,137

London

• Dec 12, 2013

• #9

symyjym said:

Yep I know it is the way the world works historically, but I didn’t think you could get away with it so blatantly in the 21st Century.

Click to expand...

It's still 1974 in Texas.

 

Badger

NOT the Honey Badger

NSC Patron

May 8, 2007

12,778

Toronto

• Dec 12, 2013

• #10

brightn'ove said:

It's still 1874 in Texas.

Click to expand...

Corrected.

 

Buzzer

Languidly Clinical

Oct 1, 2006

26,121

• Dec 12, 2013

• #11

brightn'ove said:

It's still 1974 in Texas.

Click to expand...

Nearer to home...would Tony Pulis have escaped a driving ban in 2012 if he hadn't been rich and famous? Most definitely not.

 

symyjym

Banned

Nov 2, 2009

13,138

Brighton / Hove actually

• Dec 12, 2013

• Thread starter
• #12

Buzzer said:

Nearer to home...would Tony Pulis have escaped a driving ban in 2012 if he hadn't been rich and famous? Most definitely not.

Click to expand...

He had a strange excuse;

He was spared a ban as he argued he could not be expected to use a chauffeur because he needed to keep his phone conversations private.

So he admits to using a phone whilst driving

 

strings

Moving further North...

Feb 19, 2006

9,965

Barnsley

• Dec 12, 2013

• #13

symyjym said:

He had a strange excuse;

He was spared a ban as he argued he could not be expected to use a chauffeur because he needed to keep his phone conversations private.

So he admits to using a phone whilst driving

Click to expand...

He also claimed that driving was an essential part of his job and, were he to be sacked, it could result in Stoke City FC being relegated. His lawyers argued therefore that the banning of Tony Pulis could have a detrimental effect on the local economy.

Madness.

 

happypig

Staring at the rude boys

May 23, 2009

7,959

Eastbourne

• Dec 12, 2013

• #14

symyjym said:

He had a strange excuse;

He was spared a ban as he argued he could not be expected to use a chauffeur because he needed to keep his phone conversations private.

Click to expand...

I think I would have asked could he not get a car with a privacy screen or somesuch if he didn't trust his driver. Or get a driver with hearing issues who cannot hear him. Or tell people to ring back later if it's confidential. Or tell his driver to pull over and get out of the car (if it's safe to do so).
I'm not overly sympathetic to pleas of exceptional hardship.

 

Pinkie Brown

I'll look after the skirt

Sep 5, 2007

3,541

Neues Zeitalter DDR

• Dec 12, 2013

• #15

Being Texas, its a nailed on certainty the court verdict would have been rather different had the defendant been black.

As has been shown many times in the past, money can buy justice (sic) in the USA. Chances are the boys parents move in the 'right circles' of people who also happen to move in the same 'circles' as the judge.