‘Affluenza’ teen’s deportation appeal could take months, says Lawyer

Thomson ReutersTonya Couch, mother of the Texas teenager derided for his “affluenza” defense in a deadly drunken-driving case, appears in court for her extradition hearing in Los AngelesThe mother of a Texas teenager derided for his “affluenza” defense in a deadly drunken-driving case on Tuesday waived her right to fight extradition to Texas during a brief court hearing in California.

The LA County District Attorney’s Office says Couch’s next court date is scheduled for January 19. the same day as her son’s hearing, if she isn’t back in Texas before then.

Ethan Couch and his mother fled to Mexico in December, violating his 10-year juvenile probation sentence for killing four people and injuring several others in a 2013 drunk driving crash.

Ethan Couch was being held at a detention facility in Mexico City after winning a court reprieve that could lead to a weeks- or even months-long legal process in Mexico.

Tonya Couch faces a felony charge of hindering apprehension of a felon after she allegedly helped her son flee their home in Texas.

Once she is back in Fort Worth, Couch must pay a $1 million bond in order to be released from jail.

“Laws are there to protect everybody, not just the people we like”, said Couch’s high-profile Mexican attorney, Fernando Benitez.

“We believe authorities are using the deportation – which is an executive prerogative here in Mexico, whereby the executive branch can deport any foreigner without cause and without a trial whenever they see fit – and they’re using that in lieu of an extradition”, Benitez said.

Couch was convicted on four counts of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years of drink- and drug-free probation, which critics saw as leniency because of his family’s wealth.

Couch also acknowledged that she was wanted by the state of Texas.

The judge asked Couch if she understood that she was giving up her right to resist extradition to Texas.

She and her son were detained in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last week.

Tonya Couch appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom briefly. The condition is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and its invocation during the legal proceedings drew ridicule.

She has been wearing the same clothes since she was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals on Wednesday and has only had one shower.