So-called 'affluenza teen' Ethan Couch released from prison

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Monday, April 2, 2018
So-called 'affluenza teen' released from prison
Ethan Couch, the "affluenza teen," served two years in prison. He was 16 when he killed four people while driving under the influence.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The so-called "affluenza teen," Ethan Couch, was released from prison on Monday.

Couch, now 20, served two years in a Texas prison for violating his probation. He was 16 years old when he killed four pedestrians while driving under the influence in 2013.

Couch's attorneys argued his wealthy upbringing made it impossible for him to understand the consequences of his actions, dubbing it "affluenza." A juvenile court sentenced him to 10 years of probation.

Couch's probation was revoked in 2016 after he attended a party where alcohol was served.

A Texas judge revoked bond for his 50-year-old mother. State District Judge Wayne Salvant had warned Tonya Couch last June to "use common sense" pending her trial on hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering charges. She was charged after she and Ethan Couch fled to Mexico in 2015.

A chaplain at the jail said Ethan Couch has changed.

"I think he has made clear to me that he needed time behind bars -- just really get him to the place of ownership," the chaplain said.

Ethan Couch is now on probation until 2026. He is under a mandatory curfew and can't leave the house until after 8 a.m. and must be back home by 9 that night. He must also consent to alcohol and drug tests and has a GPS monitoring system on his ankle.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.