Ethan Couch's Affluenz Case Study
Anthony Zurcher, an editor for “Echo Chamber” published in BBCNews, wrote the article “Affluenza Defense: Rich Privileged, and Unaccountable” in response to a Texas judge’s ruling on a controversial case. This case was about a 16-year-old boy, Ethan Couch, who drove with a “blood-alcohol level three times above the legal limit” (283), lost control of his pick-up truck and killed four pedestrians. Couch’s lawyers argued that he lacked a sense of responsibility because of his absent, wealthy parents and the lavish lifestyle he lived. This argument led the judge to sentence Couch to a drug rehabilitation center, paid for by his parents, and 10 years probation. There are many other cases similar to Couch’s where the perpetrator would receive a
Victor Rios, author of Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Youths grew up in Oakland, California. During his childhood there he had an experience that made him return to Oakland to question and study the current issues that the youth’s their face. At the age of 14 he had joined a gang, he did this mostly for protection from other gangs and threats in the area, and during his time in the gang he met another kid named “smiley,” nicknamed because of his knack to smile during every situation, good or bad. Rios would become good friends with him, and even steal a car for him to use as a home at one point when he was kicked out of his own home. Although this would eventually lead to one of his first encounters with bad police officers, as he was severely beaten for what he had done.
In my opinion, Mike Rhodes did wrong on robbing the place, knowing that is a crime so now he would have to pay the consequences that the law gives to him. If Mike doesn’t have enough money to pay for the crime he did he should pay with community service that the judge would have decided instead of giving him a bail that is set for $100,000 it would be fair if he paid less and community service he would
Affluenza is not a recognized mental disorder and is not found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association.
Individuals allow themselves to be placed in horrific situations. They can be influenced by the society of other individuals but, it ends up being their own decision whether to go through with it or not. The decision comes down to their own moral compass to guide them to make the right decision. However, losing a good moral compass could lead an individual down the wrong path. William Shakespeare explores the idea of poor decisions leading to a downfall in his tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, as Juliet risks the safety and love of her family by putting herself in difficult situations.
To be quite honest, I have never heard of James”Whitey” Bulger, and I was born and raised in the city of Boston. My family has resided in Boston since the early 1970’s and they have never mentioned him. Therefore, in order to write this paper and actually know who is James “Whitey” Bulger, I watched the recent film Black Mass which is based on his story. I found the Bulger story to be quite terrifying and unbelievable, I believe the film did a great job portraying his life as a gangster in Boston. Bulger story gives a perfect demonstration of the criminological theories we have discussed in class.
This is an example of crime and punishment. The man committed a crime, and he was punished for it. However, as stated earlier, it is not clear, and there is no clear distinction if this man deserved his
Harrison Bergeron Argumentative Essay Imagine you’re in a future where everyone is equal. Yes, where people aren’t discriminated because of race, gender or religion, but also where no one was smarter, more attractive or more athletic than anyone else. Where if you were “too attractive” you had to wear a hideous mask or if your brain worked a little faster than the average brain, you had to wear enormous earpieces to make you lose track of thought.
He only got through with intense determination which many criminals don’t have. Solitary confinement should not be allowed and must be banned. Solitary confinement, or SHU(special housing unit), causes severe mental problems as well as brain damage. Solitary confinement violates basic human rights. SHU is not just used for the “worst of the worst”, it is a common punishment for misbehavior in
Whether or not they have good family or friend connections and what level of power they have can greatly influence their morals. This is expressed thoroughly
Jennifer L. Hochschild describes the American dream as “the soul of the nation.” She clearly illustrates the importance of the dream to American culture. So, what is the American dream according to Hochschild? She was referring to John Locke and his fantasy, then said “But the sentence evokes the unsullied newness, infinite possibility, limitless resources that are commonly understood to be the essences of the “American dream.” She also pointed out the flaws in the American dream and how at times the pursuit of it can lead to counterproductive outcomes not just for the individual but society as a whole.
He shouldn’t be held responsible for the crimes he committed, and most of all, he needs help. “I don’t believe a word you’re saying,” a stubborn old man replied. “You don’t understand!” I exclaimed. This man needs help and your planning to lock him up somewhere he doesn’t belong?”
His experiences with stereotyping and prejudices are eye opening and help create a sense of sympathy for him, as well as other African Americans facing such biases. Modifying the way you go about your daily activities, trying to ease tension in others, and attempting to avoid conflict whenever possible is not a comforting way to live. We Americans need to look outside of our comfort zone and welcome what we may fear. This may not be as perplexing of a task as some may think, and it will initiate change in how we view people different from
The wealthier one gets, it seems, the more one rationalizes their decisions and actions. The more one stains their morality little by little until they no longer need to choose what’s right and wrong but what benefits them. Whether it’s right or wrong is then irrelevant. From people to companies, wealth is the source of
That same night he got arrested. Greeting Good afternoon fellow classmates and Ms.Harrell, I believe that Juveniles should not be treated/sentenced like adults regardless of the crime they have committed. I believe Juveniles should get a second
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