Affluenza ??

So now we have a new made up word:  Affluenza.  It's the combination of "affluent" and "influenza" used to defend the actions OF a rich teenager who got drunk, wrecked his car and killed a bunch of people.  Supposedly, he is afflicted with a "disease" of the affluent that allows him to think he is above reproach, beyond the law, and able to make serious mistakes with little punishment.  And some judge agreed when she gave him the option to go to a rehab center for rich kids and have a ten year probation instead of a jail term.

What is going on within our legal system?  Are we so afraid to punish the guilty that we make up words to create a defense for them?  It's been going on for a long time, but I think we've had enough.  Where are Mothers Against Drunk Drivers when you need their voices to be heard?

I don't think anyone gets rehabilitated in a jail, and perhaps youngsters like him should go to special facilities, but to be released to the custody of a high-priced treatment center for a short stay just does not add up.

Everything legal seems to be spiraling downward in a country that appears to be losing its grip on reality, morality, and justice.

Wish I had the answer.  Any ideas out there?