Couch escapade won’t mean prison time

Ethan Couch didn’t do himself any favors by skipping out on juvenile probation for a trip to Mexico with his mom.

But did it hurt him? Probably not much.

Many Tarrant County residents, including officials like Sheriff Dee Anderson, have held Couch near the top of their list of despised people since 2013 when, as a very drunk teen, he drove a pickup into a group of people, killing four.

He vaulted up the hate list later that year when a judge sentenced him to 10 years probation instead of 20 years in jail.

A Dec. 2 social media video, apparently showing Couch at a drinking party, raised his despicable rating again. Then he and his mom skipped town, changed their appearance and hid out in Mexico.

By law, the most this escapade can cost him is being held in a juvenile lockup until he turns 19 in April.

He might be moved to the adult justice system after that. Then another serious violation of probation or another crime could send him to prison. What are the odds?

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Couch escapade won’t mean prison time."