Ex-prosecutor's analysis: Ethan Couch will get prison time

A former prosecutor said Ethan Couch will see prison time once his case moves to an adult court.

EX-Collin County First Assistant District Attorney David Waddill is not involved in the case, but provided analysis of what he believes will happen to the most infamous teen in Texas.

Couch is entitled to a hearing where the prosecution will file a motion to revoke Couch’s probation. Couch is currently serving 10 years’ probation for driving drunk and killing four people when he was 16. Couch violated probation, first, on video at a party where alcohol appeared to be served and then not reporting to his probation officer and running to Mexico.

“Money’s not going to be able to get him out of this. They'll allege the violations and then the judge will have the following things to consider: what is the best thing for our community and the safety of our citizens to do with Mr. Couch,” Waddill said.

Each manslaughter case comes with possible prison time between two and 20 years

“The judge has the range of punishment and the judge can also stack those sentences so each one of the cases, there’s four of them, could be twenty years apiece stacked so he could get eighty years,” Waddill said.

Waddill said Couch could do a minimum of two if the judge revokes his probation and sentences him.

“He could get two non-stacked. He could just say I’m going to run them all together and he could do two years,” Waddill said. “I haven’t seen anyone who runs away to another country avoid responsibility and prison time afterwards and I wouldn’t expect it here.”