The Star-T reported as much today, based on court documents that became available this week as “affluenza” teen Ethan Couch was transferred to the adult court system on the occasion of his 19th birthday. He violated his probation — for killing four people while intoxicated in 2013 — by fleeing to Mexico.
As part of his original punishment, Couch was ordered to undergo rehabilitation at the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon, at a cost $20,000 month:
Couch’s parents, Fred and Tonya Couch, were found to be “financially unable to pay” for the full cost of Couch’s stay, according to the documents. They were ordered to pay a monthly cost of $1,170 from February 2014 through the end of Couch’s stay in Vernon, the documents stated.
Couch left the Vernon facility in November 2014. He was then placed in The Next Step Program in Amarillo at a daily cost of $103.08, according to case documents.
Couch’s parents were ordered by the court to pay for the full cost of Couch’s stay in Amarillo through February 2015, totaling about $11,000.
