Mother of ‘Affluenza’ Teen Faces California Extradition Hearing

CNN reports that Tonya Couch, whose son has become widely known as the “Affluenza teen”, is expected to appear in court for a hearing in Los Angeles on Tuesday regarding extradition to Texas.

A California judge gave Texas authorities until January 19 to pick up Tonya Couch, Reuters reported. Her attorney said the timing of her return is now up to Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson, although it may take until Wednesday to complete all the paperwork in California. Authorities said she and her son, Texas teenager Ethan Couch, who wa…

Lawyer Fernando Benitez says a Tuesday meeting with client Ethan Couch at an immigration detention center in Mexico City will determine whether Couch stretches out the process, or agrees to drop the appeal.

The woman who fled to Mexico with her son, who is wanted for a probation violation in the so-called “Affluenza case”, was flown to Los Angeles and turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department. Tonya Couch was forced to pay the remainder of Ethan’s two tabs for strippers and booze.

In 2013, when Ethan Couch was 16, he killed four pedestrians near Fort Worth while driving drunk.

Ethan Couch is still in Mexico; when he returns to the United States depends in large part on if he decides to contest his deportation.

“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. She has been charged with hindering the apprehension of a felon. He pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault causing serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 10 years’ probation.

Tonya Couch’s attorneys previously released a statement saying she had done nothing illegal and wanted to get back to Texas as soon as possible.

Her bail, which was set in Texas, is set at $1 million and must be paid in that state. He was sentenced to rehab and probation after a defense expert argued in juvenile court that he suffered from “affluenza”, an inability to tell right from wrong because of his wealthy upbringing. The condition is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and its invocation drew ridicule.