Texas ‘affluenza’ teen’s mother is released from jail

Couch – who is accused of hindering the apprehension of her son, Ethan Couch – was released from jail at about 8:50 a.m. Tuesday after posting bond through a bail bondsman late Monday night. While young Couch lounges in Mexico, temporarily free from the clutches of the US justice system, who already failed to properly punish him for his thoughtless murders, now his mother, too, is finding her way to be above the law. She must report to a probation officer, submit to drug testing and pay a $60 per month fee for the ankle monitor.

State District Judge Wayne Salvant said he understood prosecutors’ concerns that Couch might flee again, but that the charge against her, while a third-degree felony, wasn’t serious enough to merit a $1 million bond.

Mother and son drove in a pickup lorry to Puerto Vallarta, where they were caught by Mexican authorities after a manhunt lasting more than two weeks.

Tonya Couch’s bond was reduced from $1 million to $75,000 at a hearing Monday. She also must remain at the home of another son..

Defense lawyers for Couch successfully argued that Ethan was coddled by wealthy parents and lacked a sense of responsibility for his actions.

Couch did not say a word as she was escorted down the street by deputies, on her way to get that ankle monitor.

When they were arrested, Ethan Couch appeared to have tried to disguise himself by dying his blond hair black and his beard brown, according to investigators.

Ethan Couch remains in Mexico. “Four people were killed and several injured, and Couch continues to show no remorse and blatant disregard for the law”.

At the time, outrage followed when a judge sentenced him to probation instead of jail time.

Tonya Couch, front left, the mother of a Texas teen who used an “affluenza” defense in a drunken wreck, leaves Tarrant County jail, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Meanwhile, Tarrant County Magistrate Judge Matt King ordered Tanya to undergo a psychological exam after the court found “reasonable cause” to believe that she suffers from “a mental illness or is a person with a mental retardation”, CNN revealed.

“There is no denying the nation’s frustration that Ethan Couch hasn’t been held accountable”.