Ethan Couch, the young Texas man at the center of the so-called “affluenza” case, was released from jail this morning.
Couch, now 20, was sentenced to two years in Tarrant County jail after violating his probation conditions for a 2013 fatal drunk-driving accident that killed four people and injured several others.
His case gained national attention when a psychologist involved in the case said then-16-year-old Couch was a product of “affluenza”, a term he used to describe Couch’s irresponsible lifestyle associated with his affluent upbringing. Couch had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit on the night of the crash.
Couch pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxication manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years of probation and time in a rehabilitation center.
However, in 2015, he failed to show up to a check-in with his probation officer, sparking a manhunt. Authorities discovered he had fled to Mexico with his mother, Tonya Couch. Ethan Couch was extradited back to the U.S. and later sentenced to 720 days in jail for violating the terms of his probation.
“Now, nearly five years after this horrific event, Ethan does not wish to draw attention to himself and requests privacy so he may focus on successfully completing his community supervision and going forward as a law-abiding citizen,” the lawyers’ statement said.