‘Affluenza’ Teen’s Mom Appears in Texas Court for Arraignment

The lawyer, Stephanie Patten, said it was unusual for the sheriff to escort a prisoner to her cell, let alone talk to her. “I don’t think he’s had contact with anyone who’s been arrested ever”, Patten told reporters outside the courtroom. Anderson says he told her, “it’s jail, not a resort”.

The mother “affluenza” teen Ethan Couch is set to be arraigned in Tarrant County Friday morning on a charge of hindering the apprehension of a felon. As reported by USA Today, she faces a charge of hindering apprehension of a fugitive and her bond has been set at $1 million. The judge said that if the bond is lowered and she is released, Couch will have to wear an ankle monitor and hand over her passport.

Authorities contend that Tonya Couch helped her teenage son flee to Mexico to avoid a routine probation hearing that could have sent him to jail.

Her lawyers said last week that she has done nothing illegal.

Ethan Couch missed a required check-in with Texas authorities earlier this month after video surfaced showing him at a party where drinking was occurring.

According to the Inquisitr, Tonya Couch was flown last night from Los Angeles back to Texas to appear before a judge to find out what will happen after fleeing the country with her delinquent son. One woman, here for her husband’s case, said she hadn’t heard of Ethan or Tonya Couch before. Tonya Couch said her passports were taken from her in Los Angeles after she was extradited from Mexico.

Police believe Tonya and her 18-year-old son Ethan Couch left Texas in November as prosecutors were investigating whether Ethan Couch violated his probation.

After the crash, Ethan Couch pleaded guilty in juvenile court to four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault causing serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 10 years’ probation.

Ethan Couch is in a Mexican immigration detention facility while he fights deportation, which could take months. He remains in custody in Mexico in a legal jurisdiction battle that could drag on. “The charge is punishable by two to 10 years in prison”.

On Dec. 28, authorities found Ethan and Tonya Couch in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta.