Mother of Texas ‘affluenza’ teen released from jail: sheriff

Tarrant County prosecutors drew a line between the Couches’ apparent disrespect for the conditions of Ethan’s probation – he got 10 years’ worth for killing four people – and the potential that Tonya Couch would skip bail, and Salvant expressed concern that Couch’s passport, which her attorneys have said was lost during her stint in California, was missing. She faces a three-count felony charge of hindering the apprehension of a felon, her son, when she was extradited back to the US from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

“Barring any unseen delays, she will be released tomorrow morning after getting monitor”, he tweeted. She was arraigned Friday in Fort Worth, Texas and held on $1 million bond. Tonya Couch was said to have been required to pay for her son’s tab at a strip club when the “affluenza” teen was brought home by the club’s managers late one evening.

Her release comes a day after a judge lowered her bond from $1 million to $75,000.

Live in Tarrant County with her 29-year-old son and his family. During the trial a defense expert testified that Ethan suffered from affluenza – he had been coddled too much by his wealthy parents.

The mother of a Texas teenager who used an “affluenza” defence for a deadly wreck is expected to leave jail soon after a judge on Monday sharply reduced her bond.

“You can’t set a bail just to keep someone in jail”, Judge Wayne Salvant said. It had initially been set at $1 million.

Ethan Couch is still in Mexico and his return to the USA largely depends on whether he decides to contest his deportation.

The prosecutor noted that Tonya Couch is married to a millionaire, though she is separated and going through a divorce.

According to an arrest warrant, Tonya Couch had taken $30,000 from a bank account and told Ethan’s father he would never see them again. The order said the court determined there was reasonable cause to believe she “has a mental illness or is a person with a mental retardation”.

Also Monday, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) launched #FightAffluenza, an online petition for which they seek 30,000 signatures demanding that the “affluenza” teen’s case be moved from juvenile to adult court by January 19 when a case transfer hearing is scheduled.

Law enforcement officials say Tonya, 48, and Ethan, 18, fled to Mexico after a video surfaced that appeared to show the teen at a party drinking alcohol.