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Affluenza Teen’s Case Moved to Adult Court

When he turns 19 in April.

A Texas judge said “affluenza teen” Ethan Couch’s case will be moved to adult court after he turns 19 on April 11. Couch, now 18, has been held at a county maximum-security adult facility since Feb. 5, upon his extradition from Mexico after fleeing when he allegedly violated probation. Couch’s probation is set to continue until February 2024, and under adult court, he will be assigned a new judge who could revise the terms and conditions for his probation. According to The Dallas Morning News, “a criminal district judge would have the option to order Couch to spend 120 days in jail as part of an adult sentence in addition to probation. But, if Couch were to violate his probation then, he could get up to 10 years in prison.” Couch received an unusually light sentence in 2014 for the intoxicated manslaughter of four others after his lawyer infamously argued “affluenza” as his client’s defense.