A Case of Affluenza
20/20 · Season 2015 · Episode 42
The so-called "affluenza" case of a Texas teenager who caused a fatal car accident that killed four people and severely wounded another made national headlines in 2013 when 16-year-old Ethan Couch's defense team used an unusual argument during the trial. During Couch's sentencing, a psychologist hired by the defense testified that the teen was a product of "affluenza" -- a term used to describe Couch's irresponsible lifestyle associated with his affluent upbringing -- and that irresponsible parenting had "strongly enabled" the accident, despite the fact that Couch had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit on the night of the crash.
Episode Details
Air date, runtime, timezone, and episode position.
Season
2015
Episode
42
Air Date
16/Oct/2015
Air Time
22:00
Runtime
60 min
Overview
Episode summary.
The so-called "affluenza" case of a Texas teenager who caused a fatal car accident that killed four people and severely wounded another made national headlines in 2013 when 16-year-old Ethan Couch's defense team used an unusual argument during the trial. During Couch's sentencing, a psychologist hired by the defense testified that the teen was a product of "affluenza" -- a term used to describe Couch's irresponsible lifestyle associated with his affluent upbringing -- and that irresponsible parenting had "strongly enabled" the accident, despite the fact that Couch had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit on the night of the crash.
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