"Rich" kid kills 4, gets probation.

[Greenday]

And yet this same judge, a few months earlier sentenced a 14 year old to 10 years at a juvenile facility for punching another person. The person was knocked out and fell, and cracked his head open on the sidewalk, later dying.

This kid didn't have money (I won't even bother listing the race of the kid, as I think we all know), didn't he have a future that shouldn't have been ruined? Rich kid kills 4 outright, another kid gets 10 years by the same judge for killing one.

She looks like a young judge too. Too bad her career is probably going to get ruined over this too. Perhaps we should be lenient with her too. Hell, let's just be lenient all around as everyone has a potentially bright future....

So someone who intentionally aimed to hurt someone got jail time while someone who did not got parole?

Mens rea plays a large part in this.

[ebonyknight]

For those who don't think the kid should have gotten more than probation, let me ask you this way: Exactly what punishment do you believe a 16 year old, who probably has very little experience in drinking, making decisions while drinking, and driving in general, that made a bad decision in what will be one of the first drunk experiences he ever has in his life? This isn't the type of person who should obviously know better all around. I'm sure had you asked him days before the accident he'd say he knows driving drunk is bad. Everyone will say that. But this is not someone experienced enough in life to make an informed decision.

As such, I don't blame the judge for not ruining the kid's entire future.

And yet this same judge, a few months earlier sentenced a 14 year old to 10 years at a juvenile facility for punching another person. The person was knocked out and fell, and cracked his head open on the sidewalk, later dying.

This kid didn't have money (I won't even bother listing the race of the kid, as I think we all know), didn't he have a future that shouldn't have been ruined? Rich kid kills 4 outright, another kid gets 10 years by the same judge for killing one.

She looks like a young judge too. Too bad her career is probably going to get ruined over this too. Perhaps we should be lenient with her too. Hell, let's just be lenient all around as everyone has a potentially bright future....

[Canarr]

But my point is there are lots of kids in the same position of being raised by terrible parenting where the only difference between them and this kid is money. Those kids go straight to jail. Those kids sometimes have even worse parents than this kid. They still go straight to jail because no money is involved.

So, your problem actually isn't that his kid got too lenient a sentence, it's that other - poor - kids got too strict a sentence?

[lordlundar]

I'd much prefer to see some sort of punishment for his parents. They created the situation that led to the deaths of 4 people, they should have some liability for that fact.

That's extremely likely. The defense used the claim that he was raised to not respect others which shunts civil liability onto the parents for poor child raising skills.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

I'd much prefer to see some sort of punishment for his parents.

Oh I'm sure that will take care of itself. They won't go to jail, but the defense used by the child might very well bury the parents in a tort case. The defense essentially made the negligence case for anyone who thought about bring lawsuit against them. They should be safe in the sense that the child stole the car, but a jury actually bought that they were THAT negligent as to wrap the knuckles of the child, there was probably some fairly egregious lapses in parenting that were highlighted at trial.

The family might find itself wiped out. Honestly if the kid had been that smart, he'd have taken the hit for the family and copped to responsibility. If they're that wealthy he'd come out of jail in better financial position in 10 years than he probably will be 10 years from now.

[Gravekeeper]

Of course he was a little shit. He'd been taught from day one that he could do whatever the fuck he wanted to and nothing bad would happen to him. He would have had to have been an extraordinary individual to have such an upbringing and manage to form a decent sense of morality.

But my point is there are lots of kids in the same position of being raised by terrible parenting where the only difference between them and this kid is money. Those kids go straight to jail. Those kids sometimes have even worse parents than this kid. They still go straight to jail because no money is involved. So ultimately this case just proves what this kid was raised to believe.

Its also an unsettling precedent for other rich dicks and their children.

I mean, this kid seems like kid of a sociopath. No matter how you're raised, you still have some measure of natural empathy. But he's avoiding jail time based on the testimony of one consulting psychologist called as a witness. The kid didn't get a full psych evaluation or anything.

On a side note, the psychologist in question's RateMD rating has plunged pretty god damn quick after this case. ;p

I'd much prefer to see some sort of punishment for his parents. They created the situation that led to the deaths of 4 people, they should have some liability for that fact.

They're going to be sued into the ground. Their company is being sued too since the kid was driving a company vehicle.

[Andara Bledin]

I'd much prefer to see some sort of punishment for his parents. They created the situation that led to the deaths of 4 people, they should have some liability for that fact.

If a few more parents were held responsible for churning out little shits (as provable that they are to blame, so a bit of a hurdle, but already cleared in this case), maybe a few of them would make an effort to not do so.

[s_stabeler]

Personally if you kill someone(s) while intoxicated the default should be at least life without parole or death. There's no excuse for driving while intoxicated, none!!!

no. Life w/o parole should be confined to the irredeemable. I would say 5 years jail, PLUS 5 years probation afterwards PLUS bye-bye license until the probation is over. (so 10 years) oh, and that is for a first offence. second offense, and the penalty is doubled ( 10 years jail, 10 years probation. 20 years with no license) third offence? life with parole & license gone for life.

[Tanasi]

I agree with GK there's no excuse for this kid. Let him serve time in a juvi facility until he's 18 and then over to the big house.
Locally a recent UT graduate ran over two women and a man that were on the side of the road. He killed the man and the pregnant woman. The other woman lived but later killed herself from the guilt of having lived. The pregnant woman was busted open and her unborn baby was flung down the road. The boy came from money but his parents wisely left him to his own devices and I think he got 20 plus years.
Personally if you kill someone(s) while intoxicated the default should be at least life without parole or death. There's no excuse for driving while intoxicated, none!!!

[Andara Bledin]

Of course he was a little shit. He'd been taught from day one that he could do whatever the fuck he wanted to and nothing bad would happen to him. He would have had to have been an extraordinary individual to have such an upbringing and manage to form a decent sense of morality.

He's being hit with consequences for his actions for pretty much the first time ever. Let's at least give him the chance to prove that he's capable of not being a shit before throwing him in prison. It's not like he's gotten off scot free. If he proves he's not capable of behaving, the option to throw his ass in prison is still on the table.

[Gravekeeper]

As such, I don't blame the judge for not ruining the kid's entire future.

Dude, he *stole* the beer they were drinking and had 3 times the legal limit in his system plus valium. He killed 4 people and injured 11. There were *7* passengers in the truck with him. Including people in the truck bed.

This was not his first experience with alcohol. The article we're talking about says he was permitted to drink all the time. He has a history of being a total little shit. Prior to this he was caught by police with a naked, unconscious 14 year old girl in the truck with him.

So, he stole alcohol from Walmart, took it home and got liquored up to three times the legal limit. Decided to go joyriding for more beer. Likely stole his father's truck ( The truck is a company vehicle from his father's company. ), loaded it up with 7 buddies and than hit a stranded motorist at 70 mph killing her and the 3 people that had stopped to help her. Plus injuring everyone involved that lived. Paralyzing one friend for life and leaving him with brain damage and putting another into a vegetative state.

If all of the factors here were the same, parents not teaching responsibility, letting him get away with everything, etc. But the family was NOT rich. This kid would be behind bars. End of story.

[TheHuckster]

That implies that people are able to think clearly about the consequences of this act, which they aren't. Longer and longer jail sentences won't change that. No one gets in their car while being drunk, thinking "Oh well, if i kill someone it's only 7, not 20 years".

There are serious consequences for being caught DWI while not killing someone, too. The least of which is at least a suspended license, higher insurance premiums, fines, and at least some probation. In my experience, when I observe people talk about the "consequences of driving while intoxicated" they're talking about simply getting pulled over and failing the sobriety test, and having to face the judge in such a case.

More often I hear, "Hey, man, put the keys down. You don't want to get arrested, do you?" rather than, "You don't want to kill anyone or yourself, do you?"

[Greenday]

For those who don't think the kid should have gotten more than probation, let me ask you this way: Exactly what punishment do you believe a 16 year old, who probably has very little experience in drinking, making decisions while drinking, and driving in general, that made a bad decision in what will be one of the first drunk experiences he ever has in his life? This isn't the type of person who should obviously know better all around. I'm sure had you asked him days before the accident he'd say he knows driving drunk is bad. Everyone will say that. But this is not someone experienced enough in life to make an informed decision.

As such, I don't blame the judge for not ruining the kid's entire future.

[Andara Bledin]

It's worth noting that as part of his sentence, he's being taken away from his parents and forced to take part in long-term rehab. That's a bit more than "just probation."

If he does violate probation, I suspect that he'll get the max for making the judge look bad. Then again, he might be able to buy his way out.

The worst part, really, is that more juveniles aren't afforded the same options to prove that they can be worthwhile human beings as opposed to being turned into career criminals, which is about the only thing our prisons are really good at.

[hinakiba777]

10 years probation for the death of four people doesn't seem enough. I'm not saying that Ethan should have served jail (though maybe), I'm just saying that maybe some additional stuff. Yes he is being sent to rehab, but it's at a BEAUTIFUL resort. That place looks nicer than my best vacation, then again at half a million it would be nice.

Somehow I really don't think he is going to learn any consequences from any of this. I am sure he will violate his probation, though I feel like he might never be charged for Violation of Probation if it does happen.