--- title: MADD Wants Affluenza Teen Ehan Couch in Adult Court description: The anti-drunk driving group wants 30,000 signatures by the teens next hearing canonical: https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-11T15:27:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:56:33.447Z article:section: Politics og:title: Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wants Affluenza Teen in Adult Court og:description: The group wants 30,000 signatures by Ethan Couch's next hearing og:url: https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt977b025ce66c3b72/69887871196cf45b31039c97/ethan-couch.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 'Affluenza' Teen Wanted by U.S. Marshals og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wants Affluenza Teen in Adult Court twitter:description: The group wants 30,000 signatures by Ethan Couch's next hearing twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt977b025ce66c3b72/69887871196cf45b31039c97/ethan-couch.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wants Affluenza Teen Transferred to Adult Court ## Video: 'Affluenza' Teen's Mother Sent To Texas To Face Charge [Watch (HLS stream): 'Affluenza' Teen's Mother Sent To Texas To Face Charge](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EIbWQxUU.m3u8) (1:02)  _Published 2016-01-05. Tonya Couch will return to Texas from California to face a charge of hindering the apprehension of a juvenile._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jan 11, 2016 3:27 PM UTC  In this handout provided by the U.S. Marshals, suspect Ethan Couch poses for a mugshot photo. Couch is wanted for probation violation out of Tarrant County, Texas. Couch's case made national news in 2013 when he was sentenced to 10 years probation for the vehicular manslaughter of four people. Handout—Getty Images In this handout provided by the U.S. Marshals, suspect Ethan Couch poses for a mugshot photo. Couch is wanted for probation violation out of Tarrant County, Texas. Couch's case made national news in 2013 when he was sentenced to 10 years probation for the vehicular manslaughter of four people. Handout—Getty ImagesHandout—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jan 11, 2016 3:27 PM UTC The anti-drunk driving advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving wants [30,000 people](http://www.madd.org/get-involved/sign-the-petition-to-fight-affluenza.html) to join it in demanding that [“affluenza” teen Ethan Couch’s case](http://time.com/4172941/affluenza-teen-mom-tonya-couch-court/) be moved from juvenile to adult court. The group launched a [petition](http://www.madd.org/get-involved/sign-the-petition-to-fight-affluenza.html) Monday calling for a case transfer, saying such a move would ensure Couch is held accountable for killing four in a drunk driving accident. Couch’s attorneys infamously argued the teen was privileged to completely understand right from wrong and thus should not have to suffer the consequences of his actions. Couch received 10 years of probation for four counts of intoxicated manslaughter. “Couch is not a child. His actions are not that of a child,” MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Churchsaid in a statement. “Four people were killed and several injured, and Couch continues to show no remorse and blatant disregard for the law.” MADD is asking for the signatures by Jan. 19 so that the prosecutor in the case has them on hand before a transfer hearing scheduled for the same day. The group says if he is transferred to adult court ensures “his probation extends beyond his 19th birthday in April 2016.” The saga of the so-called “affluenza teen” has continued to make headlines since the crash and subsequent court case. The teen and [his mother ](http://time.com/4172941/affluenza-teen-mom-tonya-couch-court/)were [apprehended](http://time.com/4162865/affluenza-teen-ethan-couch-found-mexico-arrested/) after fleeing to Mexico amid an investigation into whether the teen violated his probation. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/"},"headline":"Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wants Affluenza Teen Transferred to Adult Court","datePublished":"2016-01-11T15:27:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:56:33.447Z","description":"The group wants 30,000 signatures by Ethan Couch's next hearing","url":"https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/","keywords":["Crime","Drunk-driving"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt977b025ce66c3b72/69887871196cf45b31039c97/ethan-couch.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt977b025ce66c3b72/69887871196cf45b31039c97/ethan-couch.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"'Affluenza' Teen Wanted by U.S. Marshals","caption":"'Affluenza' Teen Wanted by U.S. Marshals","creditText":"Handout—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/","name":"Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wants Affluenza Teen Transferred to Adult Court"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"'Affluenza' Teen's Mother Sent To Texas To Face Charge","description":"Tonya Couch will return to Texas from California to face a charge of hindering the apprehension of a juvenile.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/EIbWQxUU/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-05T22:25:02.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EIbWQxUU.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/","duration":"PT1M2S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4175046/affluenza-ethan-couch-mothers-against-drunk-driving/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```