Controversial teen Ethan Couch is known these days as the wealthy teen who avoided prison when a psychologist told the court that he is suffering from "affluenza." It turns out that his case might not be unique in the family.
Before his arrest in 2013, Couch and his family had previous run-ins with the law often succeeding to get out of trouble by relying on personal wealth, Chicago Tribune reported. His father, Fed Couch has been previously charged with criminal mischief, theft by check and assault. He once posed as a police officer during a disturbance call and presented a fake badge. All these charges were eventually dismissed. In 2013, his mother, Tonya Couch received a $500 fine and a six-month community supervision for reckless driving. At the age of 15, Ethan was caught in a parked pick-up truck with a half-naked 14 year old girl who passed out.
At a tender age of 13, Ethan already had the liberty to drive himself to school and drink alcohol. Such experiences at a young age and his parents' previous brushes with the law bolster his claim that his actions were due to bad parenting that encouraged a sense of irresponsibility.
Ethan's defense is coined as 'affluenza' a condition that creates characterizes ones inability to understand the consequences of one's actions because of financial privilege. Psychologists refer to it as a vicious cycle of overload, debt, anxiety and waste as a result of consumerism.
A case cited as parallel to Ethan's case is that of Robert H. Richards IV, the heir to the du Pont family fortune, who has been convicted for raping his 3-year-old daughter. Richards argued that an inmate of his stature will not "fare well" in prison, The New York Times reported.
Earlier this month, a US warrant was issued when Ethan broke his probation. He had been the subject of a manhunt on Dec. 11, 2015 and was detained in Mexico together with his mother, 17 days thereafter. On Thursday, he returned to the United States from Mexico, CNN reported.
In 2013, Ethan has been arrested in a fatal drunk-driving incident that resulted in the death of four victim, two of which are his passengers. Ethan's hearing is set for Feb. 19. He will remain in the U.S. custody.
