'Affluenza' Teen's Mom Appears in Texas Court for Arraignment
— -- Tonya Couch appeared in court in Fort Worth, Texas, this morning for her arraignment for hindering the apprehension of a fugitive.
The 48-year-old was wearing a yellow jumpsuit from the Tarrant County Jail as she stood in front of a judge who read the charge against her.
Judge Wayne F. Salvant asked her name and marital status. Couch said that she is married to Fred Couch.
She confirmed that she has hired a lawyer. She has not yet entered a plea.
The judge said another hearing will take place on Monday in regards to Couch's bail, which has been set at $1 million. Couch and her attorney would like the bond to be reduced. 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. Couch said that the temporary passport she had was confiscated when she was transported to California.
Couch was apprehended in Mexico on Dec. 28 alongside her 18-year-old son Ethan.
She was transported from Mexico to California by U.S. Marshals last week. Ethan Couch remains in a Mexican migrant holding facility after filing papers for a stay of deportation.
Ethan Couch was put on probation in 2013 after a drunken-driving incident that left four people dead when he was 16 years old. The conditions of his probation included monthly check-ins with Texan authorities. The search for Ethan and his mother began after he missed one of those appointments.
During Ethan's sentencing in the drunken-driving trial, a psychologist hired by the defense testified that the teen was a product of "affluenza" -- a term he used to describe Ethan's irresponsible lifestyle associated with his affluent upbringing. Ethan had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit on the night of the crash.
