One of my law professors once told our class : I 'd rather be rich and guilty than poor and innocent . Maybe he was right . In Texas , in the courtroom of Judge Jean Boyd , not only can the wealthy afford top-notch attorneys and experts , they are afforded their very own legal defense . It 's called `` affluenza . '' Ethan Couch is a 16-year-old troubled teen who drove drunk and killed four innocent people . He lost control of his Ford F-350 truck , rolled it and slammed into them as they tried to fix a disabled car on the road 's shoulder in a Fort Worth suburb . One of his seven teen passengers was thrown from the truck and permanently paralyzed . He can only communicate by blinking . Prosecutors had sought the maximum sentence of 20 years in state custody . In court , paid experts on Couch 's behalf argued he suffered from `` affluenza '' -- a previously made-up diagnosis not even recognized by the American Psychiatric Association -- and that his behavior was excused because of how he was raised . Opinion : The cure for `` affleunza '' is prison . The theory was that Couch was not to blame for his actions because his rich parents gave him too much , never set limits for him , and he never learned consequences for his actions . His parents and his family 's wealth were to blame , they argued . The defense is ridiculous . And the judge 's decision -- despicable . Couch was not sentenced to a Texas juvenile detention center . Instead , he was sentenced to 10 years probation and is required to enter into a private counseling center to receive one year of rehab . The posh California facility his attorneys have recommended will reportedly cost his parents $ 450,000 . There are no locks . There are no fences . There is , however , yoga , nutrition courses , horseback riding and cooking classes . Welcome to Ethan Couch 's world . Where the same privilege that justified him killing four people allows him to walk away with virtually no consequences . The message this case sends about our criminal justice system and personal responsibility is chilling . There really are two systems of justice -- one for the rich , and one for those other people . There really is a double standard . Related : Affluenza , is it real ? The purpose of juvenile justice is not solely rehabilitation . It 's also to teach young people about accountability and consequences so that they wo n't continue to offend . It 's also about punishment when teens kill and hurt others . Judge Boyd knows this . She heard a case last year where a 14-year-old African-American teen punched someone once ; the person tragically died two days later . Judge Boyd ruled that the teen could get his services and counseling while sentencing him to Texas juvenile detention with the possibility of adult prison for up to 10 years . That was for one punch . Ethan drove his truck 70 mph with a .24 blood alcohol content ( three times the legal limit for an adult ) , killed four people , and got 10 years probation . And yoga classes . The scales of justice are clearly on one side here . Our juvenile system is full of teens from challenging backgrounds . Many are born to parents who neglected them , abused them or did n't teach them right from wrong , who in some cases fended for themselves at very young ages . But , unlike Ethan Couch , they do n't suffer from affluenza . They are poor and , too often , they are black . They 're disenfranchised . Off to jail they go . Their backgrounds may offer explanations for their actions , but they do n't justify them . So why should Ethan 's ? Judges often use their sentencing to set an example and send a message . If that 's the case , would n't the best cure for affluenza be to deprive Ethan Couch of his wealth ? Humble him . Not give him special treatment in world-class facilities and reinforce the message that he 's different and not like the rest of us . Send him to juvenile detention where he can get services , but also protect society by not allowing him the opportunity to kill others . Justice is not blind in Judge Boyd 's courtroom . Ethan is being granted a privileged outcome based on his privileged background . And prosecutors should challenge this sentence as outrageously lenient . Ethan Couch is not being held accountable . Judge Boyd should be .
Faith Jenkins calls judge 's decision in the `` affluenza '' drunk driving case `` despicable '' Jenkins : Privilege that justified killing four allows him to walk with virtually no consequences . Comment: