20/20: Season 2015, Episode 42 - ProjectFreeTV

2015 - 42: A Case of Affluenza

The so-called "affluenza" case of a Texas teenager who caused a fatal car accident that killed four people and severely wounded another made national headlines in 2013 when 16-year-old Ethan Couch's defense team used an unusual argument during the trial. During Couch's sentencing, a psychologist hired by the defense testified that the teen was a product of "affluenza" -- a term used to describe Couch's irresponsible lifestyle associated with his affluent upbringing -- and that irresponsible parenting had "strongly enabled" the accident, despite the fact that Couch had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit on the night of the crash.