20/20

[psychoticstate]

Simpson is an arrogant fuck and he's a moron but he also beat the rap, which will never NOT make me boiling with rage.  The fact the criminal trial jury could reach a verdict in 3 hours is criminal in and of itself.  If Simpson wasn't arrogant before the criminal trial, he sure had every reason to be after.  Every single piece of physical evidence led to him.  The evidence trail suggested NO ONE ELSE.  For God's sake, Ron's blood and Nicole's blood was in Simpson's effing car, on his clothing and in his house.  The defense can fuck around all the want and suggest that Nicole's blood being there had innocent explanations but you simply cannot with Ron's. 

 

Simpson's history, the pictures of Nicole battered and bruised, the serious cut on his finger that happened the same day and time as the murders, the blood trail, his hair in the black cap, his so-called "suicide" note, his behavior during and after the murders . . . how the jury could find him not guilty, and in 3 hours, is just mind boggling. 

 

ETA:   I read Fred Goldman's book (will make you cry) and he mentioned that after the criminal trial, he had a few people approach him and claim they would put a contract out on Simpson free of charge.  Says a lot about Fred that he turned them down, feeling that would make him no better than the killer.

Edited September 26, 2015 by psychoticstate

[psychoticstate]

*Duplicate post*

Edited September 26, 2015 by psychoticstate

[saber5055]

I just couldn't watch this, after it got into the trial stuff and how it was swung to prosecute Mark Furman and the LAPD instead of focusing on all the evidence against Simpson. It upset me then, it's even worse now. I remember when the not-guilty verdict was given, we were watching at work and the one black woman who worked with us whooped it up like she'd just won the lottery. That's when I realized people were judging Simpson on a "us-vs.-them" meter. Didn't matter if he was a double murderer, he was black so should get off. That thinking boggled my mind. It still boggles me today. I can't comprehend it. Nor can I think that way.

 

As for the glove thing, give me a pair of my own gloves and I can fake not being able to get them on, too.

 

I hated this being on again, although seeing all the pre-trial stuff was good. Except it also reinforced how he was guilty as all heck and still got off Scot free to play golf in Florida whenever he liked.

Edited September 26, 2015 by saber5055

[Sarahsmile416]

Simpson is an arrogant fuck and he's a moron but he also beat the rap, which will never NOT make me boiling with rage. The fact the criminal trial jury could reach a verdict in 3 hours is criminal in and of itself. If Simpson wasn't arrogant before the criminal trial, he sure had every reason to be after. Every single piece of physical evidence led to him. The evidence trail suggested NO ONE ELSE. For God's sake, Ron's blood and Nicole's blood was in Simpson's effing car, on his clothing and in his house. The defense can fuck around all the want and suggest that Nicole's blood being there had innocent explanations but you simply cannot with Ron's.

Simpson's history, the pictures of Nicole battered and bruised, the serious cut on his finger that happened the same day and time as the murders, the blood trail, his hair in the black cap, his so-called "suicide" note, his behavior during and after the murders . . . how the jury could find him not guilty, and in 3 hours, is just mind boggling.

ETA: I read Fred Goldman's book (will make you cry) and he mentioned that after the criminal trial, he had a few people approach him and claim they would put a contract out on Simpson free of charge. Says a lot about Fred that he turned them down, feeling that would make him no better than the killer.

Exactly! A nine month trial and they reached a verdict in less than four hours. That's absurd. I know Clark and Darden screwed the pooch, but it couldn't have been so bad that they forgot those key facts!!

Another great book was "The Run of His Life" - really interesting.

[Medicine Crow]

I just couldn't watch this, after it got into the trial stuff and how it was swung to prosecute Mark Furman and the LAPD instead of focusing on all the evidence against Simpson. It upset me then, it's even worse now. I remember when the not-guilty verdict was given, we were watching at work and the one black woman who worked with us whooped it up like she'd just won the lottery. That's when I realized people were judging Simpson on a "us-vs.-them" meter. Didn't matter if he was a double murderer, he was black so should get off. That thinking boggled my mind. It still boggles me today. I can't comprehend it. Nor can I think that way.

 

As for the glove thing, give me a pair of my own gloves and I can fake not being able to get them on, too.

 

I hated this being on again, although seeing all the pre-trial stuff was good. Except it also reinforced how he was guilty as all heck and still got off Scot free to play golf in Florida whenever he liked

Yes, yes, yes, x 1000.

[psychoticstate]

Exactly! A nine month trial and they reached a verdict in less than four hours. That's absurd. I know Clark and Darden screwed the pooch, but it couldn't have been so bad that they forgot those key facts!!

Another great book was "The Run of His Life" - really interesting.

 

Clark and Darden screwed the pooch in a few areas but Ito was certainly leading the pack, from referencing Simpson's jersey number to addressing the defense attorneys by "Mr." while addressing the prosecutors by their first names to allowing race to be introduced in a case that had nothing to do with it and, perhaps worst of all, allowing the Fuhrman tapes to be introduced and letting the trial become the Fuhrman trial versus a trial about the murder of Ron and Nicole.

 

I am listening to "I Helped OJ Get Away with Murder" right now (in a case of bizarre timing.)  It's galling and it has not failed to floor me.  The author (Simpson's former agent) claims OJ confessed to him, says that Nicole came to her door that night with a knife and that's why she got killed because he didn't bring one, that post-verdicts OJ wanted to make a sex tape for money (barf) and that he was a distant, uncaring father to Sydney and Justin. 

[Maharincess]

Psychoticstate, I read that book a while back, I think that's where I read about him purposely not taking his arthritis medicine so his hands would swell.

[Morbs]

Guyz, O.J is innocent! the tapes prove it! haha http://donttellmeitellyou.tumblr.com/post/108786742924/bled-dry-to-quit-short-story

Edited September 27, 2015 by Morbs

[Cherrio]

...and the look on his face when he saw pics of him wearing the ugly ass shoes.  

The photo's of Simpson wearing the Magli shoes were discovered by the National Enquirer.   

[psychoticstate]

Psychoticstate, I read that book a while back, I think that's where I read about him purposely not taking his arthritis medicine so his hands would swell.

You are right, Maharincess.  The author says it was actually his idea for Simpson to stop taking his arthritis meds. 

[Sarahsmile416]

Clark and Darden screwed the pooch in a few areas but Ito was certainly leading the pack, from referencing Simpson's jersey number to addressing the defense attorneys by "Mr." while addressing the prosecutors by their first names to allowing race to be introduced in a case that had nothing to do with it and, perhaps worst of all, allowing the Fuhrman tapes to be introduced and letting the trial become the Fuhrman trial versus a trial about the murder of Ron and Nicole.

I am listening to "I Helped OJ Get Away with Murder" right now (in a case of bizarre timing.) It's galling and it has not failed to floor me. The author (Simpson's former agent) claims OJ confessed to him, says that Nicole came to her door that night with a knife and that's why she got killed because he didn't bring one, that post-verdicts OJ wanted to make a sex tape for money (barf) and that he was a distant, uncaring father to Sydney and Justin.

I'm shocked! Shocked that he was a distant, uncaring father...because he is such a unselfish individual

Edited September 27, 2015 by Sarahsmile416

[Maharincess]

I actually Googled Sidney and Justin after watching the show Friday. The only pictures or news I could find was a couple of pictures of them at their Grandpa Brown's funeral.

I've always wondered how they are and what they really feel about their father.

[psychoticstate]

Based on Simpson's agent's book (How I Helped O.J. Get Away with Murder) it seems that the kids likely knew they hardly came first.  The book recounts how Simpson hardly ever attended any of event of Sydney's, although she was fairly athletic.  Seems like the June 12, 1994 ballet recital was unusual in that Simpson did attend.  He appeared more interested in Justin, although O.J. was most interested in O.J.

 

The book also mentioned that Simpson called his own teenaged daughter a bitch and said she was just like her mother. 

 

I feel for those kids.  Surely they know their father killed their mother.  Thank goodness it appears they have grown up well and relatively stable.

[Primetimer]

Sifting through the specials and retrospectives as we approach the anniversary of the verdict.

Read the story

[MNP]

As I was watching an OJ special last night I realized that according to our judicial system OJ Simpson is innocent of murder and Adnan Syed is guilty of murder. The world is a weird place.

[monocles]

I loooove that 30 for 30 episode. The footage of Bob Costas during commercial trying to figure out what he's supposed to say about the chase during a basketball game is so bizarre that it almost isn't real.

[bilgistic]

And...thanks for reminding me that half my life ago, I was in college, watching this mess go down on TV, back before the internet was really a Thing. Simpler times...less technology, only one Kardashian, you could get away with murder...

[CaughtOnTape]

Every time I watch something about him and this trial I am completely baffled as to how that jury found him not guilty.

 

I mean I know I didn't hear what they heard...but I am amazed.  Even if the prosecution screwed up as badly as everyone says they did, I mean....blood evidence found in his car proved he was there.  How in the hell do you dismiss that?

 

Unbelievable.

 

It also bugs me that people made this about race.  Because I think the fact that he was a beloved football and movie star with buckets of money had more to do with him getting off than the fact that he was black and judged by a mostly black jury.

Edited October 5, 2015 by CaughtOnTape

[GHScorpiosRule]

I mean I know I didn't hear what they heard...but I am amazed.  Even if the prosecution screwed up as badly as everyone says they did, I mean....blood evidence found in his car proved he was there.  How in the hell do you dismiss that?

 

Well, Oprah had the jury on her show, and to hear one of them say (I can't recall if she was the foreperson or not), but she said, that the prosecution couldn't tell them where "all that blood" disappeared to. That is, for the amount of blood that was there, there was "only one spot" on OJ's car. Or something like that. Reading these threads, my mind goes to the woman saying "where was all that blood?"

 

And that was one of the reasons for their verdict. I think I switched channels because I was so disgusted.

Edited October 5, 2015 by GHScorpiosRule

[CaughtOnTape]

Well, Oprah had the jury on her show, and to hear one of them say (I can't recall if she was the foreperson or not), but she said, that the prosecution couldn't tell them where "all that blood" disappeared to. That is, for the amount of blood that was there, there was "only one spot" on OJ's car. Or something like that. Reading these threads, my mind goes to the woman saying "where was all that blood?"

 

And that was one of the reasons for their verdict. I think I switched channels because I was so disgusted.

 

See?  That makes me insane.  Who gives a shit where all the blood went to?  IT WAS THERE TO BEGIN WITH!!!!

 

Seriously, I need a Valium.  This case makes me insane.  

[psychoticstate]

Add me to the insane group.

 

Several of the jurors admitted after the trial that they simply did not understand the blood and DNA evidence so they tossed it out during their deliberations.  WTF?  Seriously . . W -T-F?    The fact that Simpson's blood was found at the crime scene and the victims' blood was found in his damn car, in his driveway and on socks in his bedroom should have sealed it up.  Never mind that Simpson had a deep cut that he couldn't explain other than to say it happened around the time of the murders and that he had a violent relationship with Nicole that was escalating (and he lied about receiving the break up voice mail message from Paula B.)  Honestly, there was NOTHING that supported his claim of innocence. 

 

I think the prosecution's most grievous mistake was assuming they had an open and shut case.  Really, when you have a violent history between one of your victims and the suspect and the blood trail, it should have been a done deal.  They did keep their experts on teh stand too long, IMO.  Average laypeople don't want or need to hear about DNA evidence for a week.  Show them the DNA ladder and explain it in layman's terms and then get the eff off the stand.  A day at most.  When your jurors are falling asleep and/or doodling on notepads versus listening to testimony, you've lost them.  They aren't going to hear anything your expert is saying.

 

However, Judge Ito was a starf*cking p*ssy who was so in awe of the defense and defendant that he practically sniffed their undies and licked their boots.  He deferred to them and chastised the prosecution.  He let Cochran put Fuhrman on trial and make it a racial situation which turned it into even more of a circus than it already was.   The theory that the LAPD decided to frame Simpson is laughable and the prosecution really should have attacked it as such.  The responding detectives had never worked together before so it's not likely they would confer and put their careers, pensions and reputations on the line to frame Simpson - - whose whereabouts they were clueless about.  The LAPD is also the same organization that asked for autographs when responding to calls from the Simpson residence and who OJ invited over to swim and hang out (clearly making sure his domestic issues did not make the press or that he did not get charged.)  No way would they have framed him.  Besides, tampering with evidence makes it LESS likely that it will match a suspect, not more so.

 

I also think it's ironically humorous (in that dark way) that the prosecution was fighting to keep Simpson's so-called suicide note out of evidence while the defense was pressing to get it in.  Talk about backwards.  That note is a clear sign of guilt if I've ever read one.  No one signs a suicide note with a happy face.  Someone who was innocent and truly mourning the loss of a person would put that in their note, they wouldn't be worried about their reputation.  Nobody who is innocent evades the cops with a gun to their head.  How many people who are suspected of murdering the mother of their children, but are innocent, would kill themselves?  I would think not many, if any.  Wouldn't you want to be there for your children?  Wouldn't you want to find the actual perpetrator(s) to see that justice is done?

 

I am listening to Kim Goldman's book now and she described how when the criminal trial verdict was read, OJ looked at her and smirked.  Worse, Johnnie Cochran looked at her and mouthed "Gotcha!"   I don't understand how the Goldmans kept from putting a bullet in OJ's head.  They are better people than I am.  And her tale made me realize that Cochran was just as sleazy and douchey as Simpson.  I understand being happy/glad/relieved you got your client acquitted but this family had a beloved member slaughtered.  They did nothing to you.  Why do such a thing?

[GHScorpiosRule]

I avoided this "trial" as much as possible, because of what I'd heard and read already, BUT, I did tune into Lee's DNA/explanation of blood splatter and to my 20-something self, I had NO problem understanding his explanation. So I have to assume that they impaneled a jury of idiots and maroons.

 

ETA: Fucking "auto-correct!"

Edited October 5, 2015 by GHScorpiosRule

[psychoticstate]

I avoided this "trial" as much as possible, because of what I'd heard and read already, BUT, I did tune into Lee's DNA/explanation of blood splatter and to my 20-something self, I had NO problem understanding his explanation. So I have to assume that they impaneled a jury of idiots and maroons.

 

ETA: Fucking "auto-correct!"

 

Yeah, the whole one in a trillion thing kind of sealed it for me, unless OJ has an identical douchewad asshole twin running around that we don't know about. 

 

Given they threw out the DNA and blood evidence, believed the show OJ put on with the gloves AND bought into the LAPD conspiracy theory, I am going with idiotic maroons. 

[Sarahsmile416]

What I don't quite understand is why it took so long to get the photographic evidence of OJ in the "ugly a**shoes." Petrocelli didn't get that until well into the civil trial - why is that???

[Dahlia]

At the time I concluded that they had managed to empanel the stupidest laziest and most ignorant group of people ever to sit on a jury

I've done jury duty on a murder case, it's work it's hard beyond intense. It takes lots of concentration, time and a brain each

The Goldmans are remarkable people I agree

'The killer' murdered their son and the jury and its verdict almost killed them

[CaughtOnTape]

See, I don't buy the "We didn't get the blood evidence stuff" excuse.

 

You heard the words (or something to the effect of) "Ron Goldman's blood was in OJ's car" and that should have sealed it for you.  OJ and Ron didn't know each other.  Period.  There would have been NO other explanation for his blood to have been in OJ's car than HE FUCKING KILLED HIM!

Seriously....I hope these jurors haven't gotten a moment of sleep since they did what they did.  They should be ashamed of themselves.

[GHScorpiosRule]

From what I can recall, they had no problem with the verdict they reached. None at all. As far as they were concerned, for a double murder, that should have blood EVERYFUCKINGWHERE, and that OJ wasn't drenched in it, but just had that 'wee' "spot" on the handle of his car, proved that he couldn't have done it.

 

"Where's da blood?"*

 

"Where's da blood?"*

 

That one woman juror who kept repeating that as a mantra.  Maybe it was a case of if she repeated it often enough, it would become true and therefore they, or she wouldn't lose any sleep over their verdict.

 

*That's exactly how she sounded when she said those words.

[psychoticstate]

What I don't quite understand is why it took so long to get the photographic evidence of OJ in the "ugly a**shoes." Petrocelli didn't get that until well into the civil trial - why is that???

I think there were a lot of people who didn't want to get "involved" with the criminal trial because that involved prison time.  The civil trial was a whole different animal.  As I remember it, Paula Barbieri didn't tell the criminal prosecutors about her voice mail - - she only came forward during the civil case.  (Just an example.)

 

I think the jury didn't understand what "reasonable doubt" truly meant.  Johnnie Cochran could have claimed aliens flew down from their home planet, murdered Ron and Nicole, planted evidence to frame OJ, and then returned home.  Possible?  Sure, anything is possible.  Probable?  Absolutely not.   The same way that it's possible someone, anyone, other than OJ Simpson committed these murders but not probable in the least. 

[psychoticstate]

From what I can recall, they had no problem with the verdict they reached. None at all. As far as they were concerned, for a double murder, that should have blood EVERYFUCKINGWHERE, and that OJ wasn't drenched in it, but just had that 'wee' "spot" on the handle of his car, proved that he couldn't have done it.

 

 

Those people were fucking idiots then because do they honestly believe that OJ would have been running around town, drenched in blood?  Why do they think he was wearing all black in the middle of June in LA?   Maybe not only because you'd blend into the darkness of night but also because blood would be harder to detect on all black clothing.  Besides, that clothing was never recovered (and I bet if it was, there would be blood EVERYFUCKINGWHERE.) 

 

I feel those jurors were just making excuses.  They didn't want to find OJ guilty.  They didn't want to sentence "The Juice."  They didn't want to be "responsible" for any further riots in LA.  I think the prosecutors could have had OJ on film, committing the murders, and these jurors STILL would have acquitted him. 

 

This case is quite possibly the worst miscarriage of justice . . .

[ari333]

Did you guys see the one about the Olympian runner who became a call girl? Suzy.... something.. Hamilton? So much pressure and pain.

Edited October 9, 2015 by ari333

[walnutqueen]

Did you guys see the one about the Olympian runner who became a call girl? Suzy.... something.. Hamilton? So much pressure and pain.

 

Yes.  That was ... weird, to say the least.  And sad.

[Miss Chevious]

I just saw "Unfriended" and was riveted to this story. It's just awful how much damage one stupid woman can do with a computer.

Jenelle's parents were way too controlling. Not letting her drive or have a job. They never encouraged her to get out in the world or have any hobbies. So is it any wonder she wound up hanging on the computer for hours a day. What kind of parents want to just keep an adult child in a bubble? let her have a life, for Pete's sake!

And obviously both parents had a screw loose. All those knives and guns in the house were creepy. Not to mention excessive. Who wears a ammo belt while gardening? The mom Barbara was caught in her lies when she was being interviewed toward the end of the program and yet she kept on denying everything. And Jenelle, faking tears so she could quit the interview, oh please. They're all guilty as hell and I'm glad they're all behind bars but unfortunately, it won't help that poor innocent baby that will grow up without parents, thanks to that sick and twisted family.

Oddly enough, one of the TV shows I watch regularly called Teen Mom 2, has a Mom named Barbara and a daughter named Jenelle. But that's where the similarities end, they are in no way as evil as these two.

[ari333]

Yes. That was ... weird, to say the least. And sad.

I mentioned pressure and pain and I should have mentioned the fear of stigma of mental illness. That makes a tragedy ten times worse.... the stigma. No other disease that I can think of gets that treatment from many in society (not everyone). Ok I just thought of obesity, which is the last bastion of which people are allowed to make fun and jokes at others' expense. [/bad syntax] Im glad she said she felt no shame at the end there.

[Spartan Girl]

Hearing the interviews from the Goldman family made me feel so sorry for them. Although I'm glad they were able to get some satisfaction for OJ getting imprisoned for theft. I especially loved how Ron's sister sent him a card that said "Congratulautions on your new digs." Ha!!

[walnutqueen]

Hearing the interviews from the Goldman family made me feel so sorry for them. Although I'm glad they were able to get some satisfaction for OJ getting imprisoned for theft. I especially loved how Ron's sister sent him a card that said "Congratulautions on your new digs." Ha!!

 

I'm sure even his incarceration for theft and kidnapping is a bitter pill to swallow, since he was never convicted of the murders he committed.  Justice is a cold fucking bitch, too.

[Megatron Griffin]

I love that they were at the robbery trial and sentencing. It must have pissed him off knowing Fred and Kim were there to see him led off to prison.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Megatron Griffin

[psychoticstate]

Fred and Kim almost weren't allowed in the courtroom.  Per Kim's book, they had a drawing for the seats and neither of their numbers were called.  Random people were kind enough to give up their seats to them.  Even after that, Simpson had more family members show up than allotted and the line cut off at Fred and Kim.  One of the sheriffs took pity on them and "snuck" them into the courtroom.

 

I'm sure it's a bittersweet "victory" of sorts.  Simpson is arrested and convicted for trying to steal his own sports memorabilia in order to keep it from the Goldmans but he essentially got away with murdering Ron and Nicole. 

 

Regardless, I believe there is a higher court of law than the State of California and eventually Simpson will have to answer for what he's done to the ultimate judge.  Good luck, buddy.  Wouldn't want to be in his (ugly ass) shoes when that happens!

[ari333]

I know it was bittersweet for him to finally get locked up for something else; but hells yeah I would totally take it if I were the Goldmans just to get him off the streets and to feel some consolation that he is behind bars and not loving it.

[shoregirl]

This "affluenza" episode made me so angry. Really?!? This spoiled piece of shit kills four people and injures more and he gets probabtion? Seriously? How convenient that this judge decided to retire after this case. I wouldnt be suprised if she was payed off. Blood is on her hands if, God forbid, this kid gets behind the wheel and hurts or worse someone else. How awful are these parents? They cant punish their precious little son? I really hate these people.

[mansonlamps]

Did anyone watch the "affluenza" case. It was truly horrifying.

[ToukieSmith]

This "affluenza" episode made me so angry. Really?!? This spoiled piece of shit kills four people and injures more and he gets probabtion? Seriously? How convenient that this judge decided to retire after this case. I wouldnt be suprised if she was payed off. Blood is on her hands if, God forbid, this kid gets behind the wheel and hurts or worse someone else. How awful are these parents? They cant punish their precious little son? I really hate these people.

 

Whats really terrible is that no one from the Couch family apologized to the families for the deaths and injuries suffered by the victims.  I guess they felt the settlements were sufficient.

 

While Ethan was clearly at fault for the accident and he deserved prison time, his parents failed horribly at doing their job as parents.  His parents did not give him everything he wanted; he was not a victim of affluenza.  He was a victim of parents that did not care about him.  This kid had no supervision, no role models, no discipline, and no love.  They would have done better by him if they had given him to someone else to raise.

Edited October 17, 2015 by ToukieSmith

[ToukieSmith]

I am listening to "I Helped OJ Get Away with Murder" right now (in a case of bizarre timing.)  It's galling and it has not failed to floor me.  The author (Simpson's former agent) claims OJ confessed to him, says that Nicole came to her door that night with a knife and that's why she got killed because he didn't bring one, that post-verdicts OJ wanted to make a sex tape for money (barf) and that he was a distant, uncaring father to Sydney and Justin. 

 

After watching the Secret Tapes recently, I have no doubt that he confessed to various people.  He is proud of what he did because he thinks they deserved it.

 

I had no idea about Simpson.  I was a teenager when he murdered Nicole and Ron, but I had no inkling that he is an uber narcissistic asshole.  He really thought he could just tell his side of things and all would be well.

 

I wonder from time to time how Arnelle, Jason, Sydney and Justin are doing.  I read that Sydney and Justin are in the restaurant business.  They seem to be well-adjusted and happy.  I wonder if any of them talk to OJ.

[mansonlamps]

I mentioned pressure and pain and I should have mentioned the fear of stigma of mental illness. That makes a tragedy ten times worse.... the stigma. No other disease that I can think of gets that treatment from many in society (not everyone). Ok I just thought of obesity, which is the last bastion of which people are allowed to make fun and jokes at others' expense. [/bad syntax] Im glad she said she felt no shame at the end there.

I mostly agree with you on mental illness and obesity, but I think age is right up there, too, with being something people feel free to mock and joke about. And talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face, old age is the one place we are all headed 100%, no amount of plastic surgery or anything else can circumvent that.

Sorry, just saw this one, back to the horror of "affluenza."

[Micks Picks]

I just saw affluenza and am so dissatisfied with the coverage and outcome.  There must be something that can be done.  This kind of mass killing and non-parenting simply is beyond the pale.  No "i'm sorry".  No "I was wrong".  No "I will do my best to change my life and become a better person and positively influence the lives of others."  Nothing.  I was left totally bummed out.  Those injured and killed may have received financial settlements but that is not nearly enough.  The horror may never leave me.

[shoregirl]

The whole thing was horrifying. The school ,for some reason, won't let your 13 year-old drive himself to school and you fight them on it? Then when you don't get your own way you just pull him out of the school and "homeschool" him though I don't they were doing much teaching. They were such horrible parents, I can't believe that they would let their 16 yr old live in a house alone with no supervision or anything? The fact that he has never apologized is horrendous and sad and makes me think that he hasn't learned anything from this tragedy.

I think I remember the dad saying that he never outwardly said that rules don't apply to them because they have money, though I may have misheard that, he may never had told his kid that but he probably showed that in his actions and in never having his kid suffer any consequences. The judge in this case just enforced that. I wish they would have gone into the judge more and tried to interview her and find out more about her case history because she was horrifying as well.

I hope this kid gets the help he needs and he someday acknowledges this and apologizes sincerely but with those two as his parents I have my doubts.

Edited October 17, 2015 by shoregirl

[Micks Picks]

Was the kid too old, only 16 I think at the time of the carnage he caused, for the parents to be prosecuted for piss poor parenting?

[walnutqueen]

Was the kid too old, only 16 I think at the time of the carnage he caused, for the parents to be prosecuted for piss poor parenting?

 

Unfortunately, piss poor parenting is not against the law.  ;-)

[ToukieSmith]

Unfortunately, piss poor parenting is not against the law.  ;-)

I want to ask people like this why they bothered having kids in the first place.  Are they unaware that they aren't required to produce or raise children?

 

I think we all are upset that these people just don't care.  They just don't care that 4 people were killed and 9 others were injured.  They don't care that people lost their loved ones forever over something they had control over.  They have no sense of right or wrong and everything is cured with a check. There is no shame or remorse. 

 

I wish ABC had reviewed the judge's cases to see if she regularly handed down light sentences.  I want to know why the judge decided to give Ethan such a light sentence.  Four people were killed as a result of a drunk driving accident and the judge lightly tapped the defendant on the wrists.  Instead of chasing Ethan in a truck, ABC should have harassed the judge for answers.

Edited October 17, 2015 by ToukieSmith

[DollEyes]

 Disgusting doesn't even begin to describe the story of Ethan Couch, the Texan punk who drove drunk, injured 9 people and killed 4, including a mother, her daughter and a pastor. Ethan's getting off because of the so-called "affluenza" defense is obscene, to say the least because it reinforces the only lesson that he's ever learned-that either he or his so-called "parents" can buy his way out of anything. As for Frank & Tanya Couch, while they may have conceived Ethan, IMO they're not his parents because they've not only spoiled him rotten, they've never even tried to raise him in the first place. Calling their attitude towards Ethan "depraved indifference" would be an understatement. Teaching Ethan about maturity, humility, compassion, responsibility, remorse or even the difference between right and wrong weren't options for them. These assholes have no business even making babies, let alone raising them. They let Ethan drive underage, live alone underage and worst of all, they let him drink underage, which lead to the whole tragedy in the first place. The Couch's own daughter had tried to talk some sense into them where Ethan was concerned, to no avail. That she's got any semblance of a decent bone in her body is to her credit, not theirs. Even worse, that wasn't the first time that Ethan was caught drunk in public-there was another incident where he was busted pissing on the sidewalk next to a truck with a half-naked 14-year-old girl inside. God only knows what Ethan did to her. 

 

   Besides the loss of life and the Couch's parenting skills-or rather, the extreme lack thereof- the most tragic part of the whole mess is the message that the verdict sent, not to mention the judge, who's stupid, corrupt, batshit crazy, or all of the above. If Ethan had killed one of her kids, she might have given him a slap on the wrist for that, too. As much as I hate to say it, if Ethan & his parents weren't rich & White, Ethan wouldn't be under the jail; he'd be on Death Row-or dead, period.  The victims and their families have my sympathy.  May, they, the Couchs and the judge get what they deserve, in this life or the next. 

Edited October 17, 2015 by DollEyes

[saber5055]

Blood is on her hands if, God forbid, this kid gets behind the wheel and hurts or worse someone else.

 

 

This comment was about the judge, and IMO the judge already has the blood of those four victims on her hands. Yeah, she quit being a judge probably because she's been set up for life with the payoff she got from the metal-roof-making dad (my spec). Who needs to work any more?

 

While the two people who produced the killer kid are both horrible, the killer himself is totally guilty for what he did and who he is. Other kids his age seem to be able to figure out the difference between right and wrong, and many of those kids come from a vast spectrum of life, from poverty to wealth. The blame is 100-percent on him.

 

Good on 20/20 for airing this story. I hope those people become pariahs in their town and state (and world), and everyone buys their metal roofs from a competing company. Would be lovely to see that "family" go broke.

 

My heart aches from the pain inflicted on so many by these people. I'm actually stunned the kids in the back of those trucks lived. It's interesting the killer woke in the hospital handcuffed to his bed. Too bad they didn't leave him that way.

Edited October 17, 2015 by saber5055