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U.S. NEWS A5
Tuesday 16 February 2016
While ‘affluenza’ teen went free, similar case led to prison
NOMAAN MERCHANT Couch’s case but said he A truck drives past the area where teenager Ethan Couch caused a 2013 drunken-driving wreck
Associated Press considered adult prison that killed four in Burelson, Texas. Another drunken teen ran a red light and crashed into a pregnant
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) to be a fair option for any woman’s car, killing her and her unborn child. Ethan Couch went free. Jaime Arellano went to
— One 16-year-old drove teenager who has killed prison.
drunk, ran a red light and someone.
crashed into a pregnant Juveniles don’t always (AP Photo/LM Otero)
woman’s car, killing her commit “what people
and her unborn child. An- think of as juvenile crimes,” a car window. She was hos- States and the risk of 50 for parole next year. Once
other drunken teenager Bingham said. “There is an
drove a pickup truck into a appropriate punishment pitalized and survived. years in prison. He took the released, he expects to be
crowd of people assisting a for what they have done.”
stranded driver, killing four. Arellano and his fam- Prosecutors sought to have plea. deported to Mexico.
Jaime Arellano went to ily crossed the U.S.-Mexico
prison. Ethan Couch went border illegally two years Arellano’s case moved to While he once thought he Couch faces possible de-
free. before the crash and set- adult court, and a judge might have gotten proba- tention for violating his pro-
The stories of the two Texas tled in East Texas. He spoke agreed. tion if he were white, Arel- bation when he returns to
teens illustrate how pros- little English and had little Arellano faced two choic- lano said he doesn’t feel court on Feb. 19. Depend-
ecutors’ decisions in similar knowledge of the court
cases can lead to wildly system. Five months before es: a plea deal with the that way today. ing on the judge’s ruling,
different outcomes. The the crash, he dropped out
poor immigrant from Mex- of school. promise of 20 years in pris- “I know it was serious,” he he could get three months
ico has been behind bars Now 24, he spoke to The on and possible parole af- said. “It had to happen this in jail and adult probation,
for almost a decade. The Associated Press about his ter a decade, or a jury trial way so I could better my- which if violated could
white kid with rich parents case.
got 10 years of probation. Arellano had his first beer in one of the most conser- self, so I could think better.” land him in prison for up to
Couch lost control as he at 15 and had driven drunk vative regions of the United Arellano becomes eligible 40 years. q
drove his family’s truck a few times before. On the
back to a party. Authori- night of June 23, 2007, Arel-
ties later estimated that lano was driving an SUV on
he was going 70 mph (112 his way to a party.
kph) in a 40 mph zone. Witnesses saw him swerve
Prosecutors in Fort Worth through the intersection
said they didn’t ask to and slam into a Ford Mus-
have his case moved to tang, according to police
the adult system because reports.
they thought the judge Martha Mondragon, who
would refuse. Instead, he was nine months’ preg-
stayed in juvenile court nant, was killed. Her 6-year-
and became infamous for old daughter flew through
his psychologist’s assertion
that his wealthy parents Trial to start on IS-linked charges in cartoon contest
coddled him into a sense
of irresponsibility the psy- JACQUES BILLEAUD by jihadists, tried to get trumped up and based to an order from the group,
chologist called “affluen- Associated Press pipe bombs, planned the largely on the work on an which has taken control of
za.” PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona May attack in suburban unreliable confidential in- parts of Syria and Iraq while
Arellano was charged with man set for trial this week is Dallas and researched formant. carrying out beheadings,
intoxication manslaughter believed to be the first per- travel to the Middle East The other two men, Elton mass shootings and other
and intoxication assault, son the U.S. government so they could join Islamic Simpson and Nadir Soofi, violence.
the same counts against has tried on terror charges State fighters. brought semiautomatic FBI Director James Comey
Couch. But prosecutors linked to the Islamic State Kareem faces charges in- rifles and an Islamic State told lawmakers in Decem-
moved quickly after his group. cluding conspiracy and flag to the contest featur- ber that one of the at-
June 2007 crash to send Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, conspiring to provide ma- ing cartoons deemed of- tackers exchanged more
him to adult court. Arellano 44, is accused of providing terial support to a foreign fensive to Muslims. They than 100 messages with an
took a plea deal and got the guns used in an attack terrorist organization. died in a shootout with po- overseas extremist in the
20 years in prison, where he at a Prophet Muhammad Kareem denies the alle- lice before hurting anyone days before the attack.
remains today. cartoon contest in Texas gations. Kareem and his attending the event. Kareem’s indictment says
Matt Bingham, the Smith last year. lawyer, Daniel Maynard, It’s unknown whether the Simpson used social me-
County district attorney Investigators say he and declined requests for an in- thwarted attack was in- dia to communicate with
and head of the office the two shooters watched terview. Maynard has pre- spired by the Islamic State Islamic State extremists and
that prosecuted Arellano, videos depicting violence viously said the case was or carried out in response other violent jihadists.q
declined to comment on
