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You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / Open Thread: Tiny Smidgen of Justice

Open Thread: Tiny Smidgen of Justice

by Anne Laurie|  December 28, 201510:52 pm| 65 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Assholes

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Mexican officials' statement: "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime…" RT @AndrewKirell https://t.co/QDMm1cMdQj

— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) December 29, 2015

From the original CNN article:

Mexican authorities have detained so-called “affluenza” teen Ethan Couch and his mother near the popular Mexican Pacific beach resort town of Puerto Vallarta, officials briefed on the matter told CNN.

Couch, 18, went missing earlier this month, two years after he made national news when he was sentenced to probation for a drunken driving crash that killed four people.

Couch is expected to be turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service, who have spent weeks searching for him. A spokesman for the service declined to comment…

At the time of his conviction, prosecutors said Couch could be incarcerated up to 10 years for violating his probation terms.

Too bad the prosecutors probably won’t ding him with some of the ever-popular “being a nuisance to law enforcement” charges, though. (Yeah, that’s not the technical term, but y’all know exactly what I mean even if you’re not lawyers, either.)

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Reader Interactions

65Comments

  1. 1.

    chopper

    December 28, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    lemmy died. shit.

  2. 2.

    Suzanne

    December 28, 2015 at 10:56 pm

    OOOOH, I hope this little shit gets some awesome prison time. I would trade twenty nonviolent offenders to keep this fucker in jail for ten years or so.

  3. 3.

    redshirt

    December 28, 2015 at 10:57 pm

    @chopper: Killed by Death Lemmy?

    Shocking.

    Also, it’s Bigfoots all the way down.

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    December 28, 2015 at 10:58 pm

    As it’s an Open Thread, shall recommend a nice slice of life movie I caught up with recently, White On Rice. Cute and just fun, with some real laughs in it. Felt better after watching it than did before.

    trailer

  5. 5.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 28, 2015 at 11:04 pm

    @redshirt: This hall monitor shtick is getting old.

  6. 6.

    JCJ

    December 28, 2015 at 11:06 pm

    They’re bringing drugs

    Oh, sure. But are their calves as big as cantaloupes?

  7. 7.

    redshirt

    December 28, 2015 at 11:07 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: What are you talking about? My bigfoot joke?

  8. 8.

    oz29

    December 28, 2015 at 11:07 pm

    @chopper: Couldn’t imagine gettin’ old with anyone . . .

  9. 9.

    Culture of Truth

    December 28, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    If he got off, why did he flee to Mexico?

  10. 10.

    Gin & Tonic

    December 28, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    @redshirt: Yes. Any time Cole or AL post within an hour of each other, a bigfoot comment from you is as sure as the sun coming up.

  11. 11.

    mclaren

    December 28, 2015 at 11:16 pm

    No, Anne, this guy’s crime was “driving while white.” To get summarily executed by a bunch of cops emptying their pistols and reloading 12 times or sent to prison for 30 years, you need to be guilty of driving while black.

  12. 12.

    redshirt

    December 28, 2015 at 11:18 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: I’m thankful you’re paying attention. :)

  13. 13.

    Howard Beale IV

    December 28, 2015 at 11:20 pm

    @Culture of Truth: He got videoed with friends where they were doing beer pong, in violation of his parole. When that vid surfaced, him and his mother disappeared.

  14. 14.

    peach flavored shampoo

    December 28, 2015 at 11:25 pm

    Can his mom be charged with anything? Aiding and abetting a parole jumper? Would be pretty funny if they BOTH ended up in the pokie together.

  15. 15.

    Corner Stone

    December 28, 2015 at 11:25 pm

    Betty Fowler?

  16. 16.

    Corner Stone

    December 28, 2015 at 11:28 pm

    NOT EVEN CLOSE!

  17. 17.

    benw

    December 28, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    Free MNF!

  18. 18.

    Steeplejack

    December 28, 2015 at 11:30 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    Shankapotamus.

  19. 19.

    Corner Stone

    December 28, 2015 at 11:37 pm

    BS call, Hercules.

  20. 20.

    Cacti

    December 28, 2015 at 11:39 pm

    Tamir Rice was summarily executed for nothing, while this little shit got probation for killing 4 people.

    Justice, American style.

  21. 21.

    Corner Stone

    December 28, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    Can someone please fucking plant Brock O.

  22. 22.

    Corner Stone

    December 28, 2015 at 11:42 pm

    God damn it you fucking chump ass mofos.

  23. 23.

    Suzanne

    December 28, 2015 at 11:43 pm

    I am cleaning out my closet. I am moving ever closer to the architecture-douche dream closet of 80% black things, 10% gray things, 5% white things, with the other 5% made up of the rare splash of bright orange or royal blue.

  24. 24.

    Howard Beale IV

    December 28, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    @peach flavored shampoo: That’s an open question, best left up to our resident lawsplainers.

  25. 25.

    Corner Stone

    December 28, 2015 at 11:51 pm

    Fuck you, Kubiak.

  26. 26.

    Corner Stone

    December 28, 2015 at 11:53 pm

    WOW.

  27. 27.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    December 28, 2015 at 11:54 pm

    You have just described my architecture douche dream closet – and for the first time in my life, any clothing I received as gifts for Christmas or for my upcoming birthday have been black, with the exception of one pair of gray trousers. I can’t tell you how perfect I find this.

  28. 28.

    Steeplejack

    December 28, 2015 at 11:55 pm

    Hikeapotamus.*

    At least the Bengals are still in the playoffs.

    * Looked like the QB’s fault.

  29. 29.

    Goblue72

    December 28, 2015 at 11:57 pm

    @Suzanne: One can only hope.

  30. 30.

    father pussbucket

    December 29, 2015 at 12:07 am

    Maybe Mexico will build a wall.

  31. 31.

    Goblue72

    December 29, 2015 at 12:09 am

    @efgoldman: And a sharply raised eyebrow. Because justice demands.

  32. 32.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 29, 2015 at 12:22 am

    And so ends Part One of my exciting big fish story! 28,399 words so far. Check it out :)

  33. 33.

    Yutsano

    December 29, 2015 at 1:08 am

    So this guy was an acquaintance of mine from college. I knew he had moved to LA to pursue composition in film but I had no idea his career had received such a HUGE signal boost. Way. To. Go. Paul!

  34. 34.

    Gian

    December 29, 2015 at 1:30 am

    @Culture of Truth:
    lower drinking age?

  35. 35.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 29, 2015 at 1:39 am

    @Suzanne: Is it too much to hope they let him sample the delights of Mexico’s prisons before the Marshalls take custody?

  36. 36.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 29, 2015 at 1:41 am

    @Gin & Tonic: @redshirt: I thought he was referring to the joke about me being part sasquatch in the Dr. Strange post.

  37. 37.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 29, 2015 at 1:43 am

    @Suzanne: Are you a) goth, b) a vampire, c) emo, or d) Olivia from Fringe?

  38. 38.

    Amir Khalid

    December 29, 2015 at 1:46 am

    @Suzanne:
    Probably not all of the ten years, since he’s a first offender. But a couple of years might suffice to make the point to him.

  39. 39.

    Major Major Major Major

    December 29, 2015 at 1:56 am

    @Adam L Silverman: The third Olivia who is also a vampire. They couldn’t introduce that universe because the show got cancelled. Oh, and she had lousy aim and kept shooting civilians

  40. 40.

    Adam L Silverman

    December 29, 2015 at 2:03 am

    @Major Major Major Major: well done. And now to bed!

  41. 41.

    Amir Khalid

    December 29, 2015 at 2:09 am

    It’s amazing, the music you can find on the YouTubes.

  42. 42.

    Rashi

    December 29, 2015 at 2:38 am

    That was pretty quick. If anyone hasn’t seen the 2014 German film Phoenix do yourself a favor and see it.

  43. 43.

    Suzanne

    December 29, 2015 at 3:10 am

    I need to post some pictures of my closet. It looks great. I am awesome.

  44. 44.

    Suzanne

    December 29, 2015 at 3:13 am

    @Adam L Silverman: I am E, none of the above. I’m an architect, ergo, I wear mostly black. I even used to have the Corbusian-black-framed glasses.

    Seriously, architects are the least creative dressers around. Black black black gray black black black orange black black black. Makes it easy to get dressed and hide the cat hair.

  45. 45.

    Gvg

    December 29, 2015 at 4:33 am

    @Suzanne: how do you hide cat hair on black?

  46. 46.

    Marc

    December 29, 2015 at 5:01 am

    @Suzanne: @Gvg: Dito that question: How do you hide black cat hair. My previous kitty was black, but her fur was never the same shade of black of anything I owned. Now that I have Miri and the three Scaperbeasts (h/t Scalzi), I have more cat hair which will never match anything I own.

  47. 47.

    Mustang Bobby

    December 29, 2015 at 5:25 am

    My flight from Cincinnati to Miami was cancelled after they couldn’t get a crew in to make the flight, so after a two-hour wait in line to re-book, I’m on a flight to Philadelphia connecting to a flight in Fort Lauderdale. Close enough for a friend to come get me. Unlike mechanical issues, the airline did not pay for my overnight stay at the Doubletree, but it’s better than stretching out at the gate (which I’ve done in my younger days).

    Anyway, see you when I get home.

  48. 48.

    Satby

    December 29, 2015 at 7:52 am

    Going to my first day on the new job in an ice storm was just as much fun as you can imagine. Coming home was even better, by then there had been 7 hours of freezing rain so there was also flooded frozen roads. One minivan had gone at least 40 feet off the road and down an embankment into a field, though fortunately hadn’t rolled over so they were all fine. And just before my house a tree had come down and blocked the lane I was driving in. Hair-raising.
    I’m rethinking how much I hate Florida’s weather. A tiny bit.

  49. 49.

    Tommy T

    December 29, 2015 at 7:54 am

    Now, in addition to serving time, he’ll have a Unauthorized Flight to Avoid Prosecution charge added (which is a Federal felony).

    Idiot.

  50. 50.

    NorthLeft12

    December 29, 2015 at 8:06 am

    I guess his escape from a prison sentence did not teach him anything. You would like to think that this douchebag would have stopped and perhaps re-evaluated where his life was heading,

    But I guess at his level of douchebaggery and privilege that’s not how it works. He probably believes[and rightly so] that his family’s money and position will continue to protect him no matter what.
    I think he may be in trouble here because of how publicly he flaunted the terms of his probation, thus embarrassing the justice system that worked so hard for him to get that easy probation.

  51. 51.

    Uncle Cosmo

    December 29, 2015 at 8:52 am

    @Adam L Silverman: I’m holding out for a 2-week all-expenses-paid side trip to a Turkish prison courtesy of Midnight Express Extraordinary Rendition Airlines.

  52. 52.

    Gvg

    December 29, 2015 at 9:36 am

    He should get the sentence that he would have gotten if his family hadn’t argued affluenza. It’s not his fault his lawyers pissed us off.
    The judge who “bought” that dumb argument should loose reelection and be investigated to see if he took bribes.
    His mom is now in trouble and that is likely fair as she does seem to have contributed to the original problem described by lawyer and helped him flee.
    Interesting that dad didn’t flee too. I wonder if he learned something.
    If we had a justice system that was well designed, he would have received counseling to actually correct the causes of his bad choices such as alcohol abuse and so would poor drunk drivers. We don’t though.

  53. 53.

    Brendan in Charlotte

    December 29, 2015 at 9:57 am

    @efgoldman: you’re right. But it’s never stopped law enforcement from doing things like that. They heap a bunch of minor BS charges on top of the major charge. Then, they offer to dismiss all the minor charges as part of a “plea deal”.

  54. 54.

    Shana

    December 29, 2015 at 10:46 am

    @Marc: I remember a stand up from many years ago, female, with a line about “someone needs to breed navy blue cats.”

  55. 55.

    who

    December 29, 2015 at 10:52 am

    @Adam L Silverman: Terrible idea. For the rich, Mexican prisons are like resorts complete with hookers and drugs.

  56. 56.

    Hungry Joe

    December 29, 2015 at 11:09 am

    It’s shocking that none of you seems to realize that affluenza doesn’t just go away: It’s a serious, ongoing disorder that can re-emerge at any time. A new truck — say, an even-more upscale version of the one he was driving when he mowed down those four pedestrians — might go a long way toward healing the psychic wounds inflicted by his parents’ wealth. He’ll probably have to live with affluenza of some form or other for the rest of his life. Have some pity, for god’s sake.

  57. 57.

    schrodinger's cat

    December 29, 2015 at 11:50 am

    @Suzanne: You know what goes with greys? pink. My winter wardrobe is pretty dull, lots of blues, blacks and greys. To add color to the sea of dullness that is my winter wardrobe, I rely on colorful silk scarves and long necklaces. I have quite of collection of bright silk scarves in traditional patterns from India.

    In summer my wardrobe is far more colorful and feminine, lots more skirts and dresses. Wear mostly jeans and pants in the winter, because tights just don’t cut it in subzero weather, which we sometimes get in Jan and Feb.

  58. 58.

    Paul in KY

    December 29, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    @Amir Khalid: He deserves all 10 for killing those people & being a fugitive from justice.

  59. 59.

    Paul in KY

    December 29, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    @Suzanne: You could go on Sprokets!

    Now we dance…

  60. 60.

    Paul in KY

    December 29, 2015 at 12:24 pm

    @Uncle Cosmo: You are an optimist!

  61. 61.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    December 29, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    A complication in this case is that Couch was convicted as a juvenile, in juvenile court. The judge in her questionable wisdom sentenced him to 10 years probation. Given that juvenile system conviction, the extent of the court’s sentence is limited to time in a juvie facility until his 19th birthday – in 2016.

    The prosecutor already filed a motion to have probation transferred to adult court, and that motion is pending. I’ve not read the Texas escape/fleer/abscond statute, but given his current majority that charge could get him to adult court. Ma will (can) definitely face charges for assisting a fugitive. So there is possibility of actual prison time, but it will likely result from new charges rather than the probation violation. A clever juvenile judge would transfer the probation and get it off her desk, but my confidence in the sentencing judge is limited.

    /Not admitted to TX practice and all other disclaimers

  62. 62.

    pea

    December 29, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    afflue-asshole.
    a martin shkrelli/donald trump aspirant.

  63. 63.

    Sad_Dem

    December 29, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    @peach flavored shampoo:

    in the pokie together.

    Since they are not of the same sex, it’s not likely to happen, but think of what a stern punishment doing 10 years in a small room with your mom could be.

  64. 64.

    Sad_Dem

    December 29, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    @NorthLeft12:

    his family’s money and position will continue to protect him

    It does seem that dad has lost patience. He cooperated with the police in finding the brat.

  65. 65.

    Sondra

    December 30, 2015 at 10:03 am

    @Culture of Truth:
    Apparently being on probation and having to report in to a probation officer was too onerous. The Mommy dearest who raised this little sociopath will no doubt claim the same “Afluenza” defense and when she is put on probation for aiding and abetting a criminal will flee to Puerto Vallarta with the kid’s Grandmother.

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