Sentence in fatal DWI Texas Teen accident causes anger

A teenager from a family of rich was sentenced to probation this week when he killed four pedestrians when he lost control of his truck for speeding while driving drunk in North Texas, a punishment that outraged the families of the victims and the prosecutors left disappointed.The 16-year-old boy was sentenced Tuesday at a Fort Worth juvenile court to 10 years of probation after confessed the killing of poisoning in the accident on June 15 on a dark rural road.Prosecutors had sought the maximum 20 years in State custody for the Keller teen, but his lawyers have appealed to state district judge Jean Boyd that adolescents need rehabilitation not prison, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.If the child continues to be cushioned by the wealth of his family, another tragedy is inevitable, said Prosecutor Richard Alpert in the Court."There may be doubts and that will be another judged someday blaming the lenient treatment he received here," said Alpert.Authorities said that the teenager and friends were seen in surveillance video stealing two cases of beer from a store. He had seven passengers in his Ford F-350, was speeding and had a level of alcohol in the blood three times the legal limit, according to testimony during the trial. His truck collided with four pedestrians, killing Brian Jennings, a 43-year-old Burleson youth Minister; Breanna Mitchell of Lillian, 24; Shelby Boyles, 21; and his mother's 52-year-old Hollie Boyles.Boyd said that the programs available in the Texas juvenile justice system cannot provide that type of intensive therapy adolescents could receive in rehab near Newport Beach, California, which was suggested by his defence lawyers. Parents pick up the tab for the Center, at a cost of more than $ 450,000 a year for treatment.Scott Brown, lawyer defense of the child, said that he could have been released after two years if he had drawn a sentence of 20 years.But on the other hand, the judge "fashion a sentence that could keep it under the thumb of Justice for 10 years", said the Star-Telegram.Relatives of those killed in the accident drew little consolation from this guarantee.Eric Boyles, who lost his wife and daughter, said that the wealth of the family helped the teen avoid imprisonment."Money always seems to be out of danger," said Boyles. "Ultimately, I felt today, that prevail the money." If you had been any other young person, I feel that the circumstances would have been different."Shaunna Jennings, widow of the Minister, said that his family had forgiven the teenager but he believed that there was a need for a more serious punishment."He lived a life of privilege and right, and my prayer is not any in this," he said. "My fear is that I'm going to get out of this."A psychologist called as an expert witness for the defense said that the boy suffered from "influx", growing up in a home where the parents were concerned with arguments that led to a divorce.The father "has no relations, takes hostages," said psychologist Gary Miller, and the mother was forgiving. "His mantra was that if it feels good, do it", said.-The Associated Press