‘Affluenza’ Teen’s Case Moved to Adult Court System After Hearing
— -- The teen who was put on probation after killing four people in a drunken- driving accident will now continue his probation through the adult court system, following a hearing in Texas this morning.
Ethan Couch allegedly violated the terms of his probation from the drunken-driving case by missing a court-mandated check-in before he and his mother were apprehended in Mexico in late-December.
Couch had a hearing in juvenile court today and a judge transferred his case to the Tarrant County District Court, which handles adult cases, to complete his 10-year probation.
The 18-year-old will remain in an adult jail in Fort Worth until his 19th birthday on April 11. He will then have another hearing when a district judge will set conditions for the remainder of his adult probation.
If he violates probation as an adult, the possible penalty is higher than any probation violations as a juvenile.
The teen was initially put on probation in 2013 after killing four people while driving drunk at the age of 16.
During Ethan's sentencing in the drunken-driving trial, a psychologist hired by the defense testified that the teen was a product of "affluenza" -- a term he used to describe Ethan's irresponsible lifestyle associated with his affluent upbringing.
Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.
