jean boyd, the judge who handed sentence, retired last year. she declined our request for comment. her r career ithe publblic mind will always be defined by this case. >> reporter:housands of cases, but affluenza's the one people will remember. these days ethan back working at his dad sheet metal plant. we reached out to ethan and his parents but they had no comment so we headed back to texas to track him down ourselves. it was no easy task. we checked out the fancy ft. worth house but no answer there. so we went the family business. we've been staking out ethan and fred's business which is right across the way for about a week now. but they're not like regular people. they d don't comto work at regular hours. they don't keep regular hours so it's been really hard finding them. when that steel gate slid open and ethan finally emerged, he clearly wasn't looking to talk. but if you take a closer look, the good news, he's not abiding by at least that part of his probation. and just as the trial in the mcconnell case is about to begin ethan lucas and his parents have had a change of he

. >> reporter: and they were in judge jean boyd announced her ruling. ethan couch was sentenced to ten years' probation and time in a rehab facility. four dead, nine injured and not a single day behind bars. wfaa reporter jim douglass covered the case. what was the reaction? >> volcanic. mainly aimed at judge jean boyd, longtime juvenile court judge here. >> she really never even got through with her sentencing. the, the place kinda lit up. and the bailiffs escorted her out pretty quick. >> i felt like the judge spit in my face. >> reporter: the media crushed to get a shot of the boy who cried affluenza. >> to me it's not right. >> he'll be feeling the hand of god. >> money always seems to keep ethan out of trouble. >> reporter: ethan's lawyer had >> we applaud judge boyd for having the courage to issue this sentence that's going to give ethan couch a chance. >> reporter: the affluenza defense and judge's sentence lit the national media on fire. >> too rich for jail! >> judge jean boyd said the teen wouldn't get the therapy he needed in jail. >> i am si