The family of a Texas teen who was sentenced to probation after killing four people while driving drunk, will only be paying a fraction of the cost of his court-ordered treatment.
According to The Week, Couch’s parents will only be paying $1,170 a month for his treatment at the North Texas State Hospital. The in-patient mental health center normally costs $715 a day, so the family will essentially be paying for less than two days.
Couch, 17, killed four people when his truck crashed into a crowd that had stopped at the side of the road to help the driver of a disabled vehicle. He was driving under the influence of alcohol and with Valium in his system.
A defense expert claimed that the case was due in part to “affluenza”, a condition that stemmed from being spoiled by his wealthy parents, which in turn caused his irresponsibility.
Instead of jail time, which is what the families of the victims ideally wanted, Couch received 10 years’ probation in addition to rehab, reports USA Today. Some of the families have since sued and reached hefty settlements.
Lance Evans, the attorney for Couch’s parents said that they "respect the decision of the facility and of the court, and will honor the payment system that the court has put in place."