How would I have dealt with Donald J. Trump had he appeared in my court during his teen years? You may recall the Texas teen, sixteen year-old Ethan Couch, who drank some beer with friends and then drove his truck 70 m.p.h. in a zone posted at 40. He hit and killed four pedestrians. His defense argued to the court that Couch suffered from “affluenza,” a so-called rich kid’s syndrome essentially blaming his behavior on his parents for not teaching him right from wrong. The court apparently accepted this position and sentenced Couch to ten years probation.*
I spent over two decades in juvenile court and saw an average of fifty families each week. The majority of teens were there for minor offenses including truancy, shoplifting, trespass, property damage and possession of marijuana. Most were first-time offenders and never returned to court. A few community service hours, a class or a few counseling sessions usually brought about the desired results.
On the other hand, when a juvenile was a regular visitor to my courtroom, harsher consequences had to be imposed. A weekend or so in detention or, in the worst cases, commitment to the state department of juvenile corrections was always an option. The juvenile and the parents were warned in advance of what was to come if things didn’t change.
This past year of election antics by the Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump, has made me pause to consider how I would handle such behavior. His well-known insensitivity and derision of minorities, women, immigrants, religion and the disabled would present a challenge to any judge attempting to right his moral ship. A single consequence would, in fact, be no consequence.
A repeat offender with characteristics displayed by Trump would call for an intensive rehab program starting with a full psychological evaluation to determine the root causes of his misogyny and xenophobia. What happened in his childhood to produce such a loathsome adult? What precipitated his emotional and intellectual arrested development? His intolerance of others and penchant to belittle and mock all around him is on display for the world to view. We have less than three months left of this reality show before the final curtain drops. It can’t come too soon.
Be sure to register to vote in the November 8, 2016 election. When election day arrives, make sure you get to the polls or mail in your absentee ballot on time. The future of America, indeed the world, depends on it. A 70 year-old adult with affluenza cannot ascend to the White House.
*Couch violated his probation and, in 2016, was sentenced to two years in jail.
Judge Tom Jacobs is the founder of AsktheJudge.info, an educational website for and about teens and the law. He is the author of Every Vote Matters: The Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court (2016).