Let Ethan Couch, the Affluenza Brat, Spend the Next Several Months in a Mexican Jail

Ethan Crouch, Texas' affluenza teenager/brat fled justice in America with Tonya, his mom, or was it mommy and the brat? They fled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – not a barrio. Ethan ducked out of a routine probation meeting after a video recorded a raucous party with teenage friends, presumably affluenza soulbodies. The video does not show Ethan imbibing, which would have been a clear violation of the terms of his probation. If he wasn’t drinking, it would have been his only smart act of the past three years. In any event momma and momma’s boy fled to the consternation of Tarrant County. The District Attorney, Sheriff, and much of America were chagrined at the 10 years probation handed out by a hopelessly flawed Tarrant County judge in response to a novel, legally unrecognized claim of affluenza. Dick Miller, the defense attorney’s shrink, argued Ethan could not be responsible for killing four people and injured nine while driving drunk. One of Couch’s teenage passengers was left paralyzed for life with brain damage. Eric’s blood alcohol level tested at .24 three hours after the tragic accident. Miller testified that Ethan was so spoiled that he could not tell right from wrong. Miller now says he shouldn’t have used the word affluenza. “Spoiled brat” is a better description. Ethan Crouch was drunk; it was his choice to drink, to drive, to steal cases of beer from WalMart. The judge bought the crockpot argument hook, line and sinker. Justice should be blind – not stupid! Tarrant County wanted Eric back to face justice, real justice. Federal marshals joined the pursuit. A nationwide bolo went out for mother and son. The County has been accused by some of wasting too much money in seeking the affluenza brat. Whatever they spent was a small price for the return of the errant Eric. Mother and child had carefully prepared their escape from justice. He died his blond hair black, She cut her hair. They ditched their identifications. Who would find the gringos in Puerto Vallarta, popular with affluent Americans? The Couch’s failed to take one critical precaution. They should have bought some burner phones. Instead, the idiots used their cell phone, even being stupid enough to use it to order a pizza from Domino’s in Puerto Vallarta. Duane “Mad Dog” Chapman, the fabled bounty hunter, could have brought them back. He had tracked down in 2003 the fleeing date rape drug rapist Andrew Luster, the heir to the Max Factor fortune, in Puerto Vallarta. Chapman though is persona non-gratis in Mexico. Mexican authorities arrested mother and child for violating Mexican law. They overstayed their lawful trip to Mexico by not registering under Mexican law. Momma was deported yesterday to Los Angeles, and was escorted in handcuffs through LAX. She faces up to ten years in jail. Ethan though is still in Mexico. Attorneys obtained an injunction entitling him to a hearing on his claim that it would be unfair to deport him to the United States. He’s seeking justice and fairness in Mexico in an immigration jail in Mexico City. It may take days, weeks, or even months for a decision to be reached. There’s no requirement of a speedy resolution in Mexico. Mexico has no use for him. They’ll happily ship him back to the states, but let them take as much time as they want. Keep Ethan in a Mexican jail however long the system takes. I say, let him stay in the Mexican jail without momma. Maybe he will start to rot in the Mexican jail. Maybe he will think about his acts. Maybe he will reacquire a respect for American justice. And maybe, even under the sentencing quirks of Texas law for juveniles, justice delayed may not be justice denied for Ethan Couch.