'Affluenza' Teen Driver Who Killed Four People Gets Rehab, Not Jail

Ethan Couch, the Texas teenager who killed four people while driving under the influence and only received probation after a defense expert diagnosed him with “affluenza,” has been sentenced to rehab.

The teenager was in court on Wednesday after prosecutors tried to get additional jail time tacked on to his sentence. Originally, Couch had been sentenced to 10 years probation, a decision which provoked outrage throughout the community. But once again, the court declined to send the teen to prison:

Judge Jean Boyd again decided to give no jail time for Ethan Couch,
defense attorney Reagan Wynn and prosecutors told reporters after the
hearing, which was closed to the public. Prosecutors had asked Boyd to
sentence him to 20 years in state custody on charges related to two
people who were severely injured.

According to reports, Couch will go to an undisclosed rehab facility somewhere in the state of Texas. His parents will have to foot the bill for his stay.

For those who don’t remember, the accident was particularly devastating::

Couch was 16 at the time of the accident. His blood-alcohol level was
three times the legal limit for an adult and there were traces of
Valium in his system when he lost control of his pickup truck and plowed
into a group of people helping a woman whose car had stalled. Seven passengers were riding in Couch’s truck. One, Sergio Molina, is
paralyzed and can communicate only by blinking. The other, Solimon
Mohmand, suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries.

Once he finishes his stay in rehab, Couch still has numerous wrongful death lawsuits to look forward to.