‘Affluenza’ mom back from Mexico; teen son not

She arrived at Los Angeles International Airport in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and was taken in handcuffs through the terminal to an unmarked Dodge Charger early Thursday morning.

This led to a manhunt that ended when Mexican authorities caught Ethan and Tonya Couch on Monday night on a street in Puerto Vallarta, a popular beach resort in western Jalisco state.

The Couches had filed an injunction to delay their extradition and a judge in Mexico would have up to 72 hours to consider the injunction, they said.

Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson has said she plans to ask a judge to transfer the case to adult court, where Couch could get up to 120 days in an adult jail, followed by 10 years of probation.

Tonya Couch, who is accused of helping her son Ethan flee the U.S.to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, was captured with the 18-year-old.

Mexican and United States officials say the two illegally entered the country in a pickup truck and were unable to show proper documentation when they were detained.

A Mexican immigration official said Thursday a judge has agreed to hear arguments on the affluent young man’s appeal, a process that could take weeks or months.

The attorney did acknowledge the case, and the lives lost and families destroyed by Ethan Couch’s fatal crash.

A call to Tonya Couch’s attorney was not immediately returned Thursday.

“While the public may not like what she did, may not agree with what she did, or may have strong feelings against what she did, make no mistake – Tonya did not violate any law of the state of Texas and she is eager to have her day in court”, the statement said.

Tonya Couch faces a two- to 10-year sentence if convicted of hindering apprehension.

“Is there a chance that Ethan Couch could be successful in staying in Mexico?”.

In a photo from the Jalisco State Attorney General’s office, Ethan…

Eighteen-year-old Ethan Couch and his mother, Tonya Couch, were being held at immigration offices in Guadalajara on Tuesday.

During the sentencing phase of his trial, a defense expert argued that Couch’s wealthy parents had coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility – a condition the expert termed “affluenza”. The police report said they behaved evasively, claimed to be carrying no IDs, gave inconsistent stories about their names and failed to provide proof of their legal migratory status in Mexico.

However, now Ethan Couch isn’t the only one in trouble. The condition is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and its invocation during the legal proceedings drew ridicule. Officials say they believe he fled in November, after a video surfaced showing him drinking at a party.

In lieu of up to two decades behind bars, Couch’s original penalty included a ban on consuming alcohol and 10 years of probation for the deadly crash, which also seriously injured friends who were riding in his vehicle when it plowed into a group attending to a broken-down auto.

Couch’s path into the national spotlight began in June 2013, when he was driving drunk and speeding south of Fort Worth and crashed into a disabled SUV parked on the side of the road.

It has since emerged that Couch and his mother were tracked to the holiday town of Puerto Vallarta after using a phone to order Domino’s Pizza while in hiding; the phone was tracked, and the U.S Marshals Service quickly told authorities of its location.