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Judge Imposes 720 Days of Jail on 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch

The Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defense after a drunk driving accident will remain in jail, a judge in adult court said Wednesday.
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A judge on Wednesday imposed four consecutive 180-day jail terms on infamous "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch.

"You're not getting out of jail today," State District Judge Wayne Salvant told the Texas teen, sentencing him to 720 days — one 180-day sentence for each of the four victims he killed in a June 2013 drunk-driving accident.

Couch, who turned 19 on Monday, received 10 years' probation in juvenile court following the car crash. He was accused of violating the terms of his juvenile probation after a video surfaced online last December that appeared to show him at a party where alcohol was served. He and his mother fled to Mexico, evading authorities for several weeks.

Wednesday's hearing was his first appearance in adult court. Couch showed up with long hair and a beard, wearing a red jumpsuit. His mother Tonya was not in court.

Related: 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Drops Appeal, Returning To U.S.

Couch was brought back to Texas in January and transferred out of the juvenile system and into adult jail in February.

Sixteen years old at the time of crash, Couch had nearly three times the legal limit of blood-alcohol levels for an adult drivers.

During his trial, a defense witness said his wealthy parents coddled him so much that it gave him no sense of responsibility — a condition the expert referred to as "affluenza."

That isn't recognized as a diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and the unusual defense sparked controversy.

Defense attorneys asked the judge Wednesday for a lesser jail sentence.

"Nothing I do is in stone, so I might reconsider," Salvant said. The case reconvenes in two weeks.

Authorities say Couch's mother arranged their escape to Mexico and have charged her with hindering the apprehension of a felon. She faces two to 10 years in prison.