The controversial case of the "affluenza" teen continues, as his mother, the one who gave the affluenza defense as the reason for the drunk driving incident, was released from jail on Tuesday.
48-year-old Tonya Couch was charged after aiding her son, Ethan Couch, get to Mexico. The arrest was made since it was a violation of the probation that allowed the teen to skip prison after his drunk driving crash that killed four people. The teen is currently being held in Mexico to avoid extradition to the United States.
The mother surrendered a bond on Monday after her bail was reduced to $75,000 from $1 million due to third-degree felony charge, which may also mean 10 years in prison. Couch will be placed under home confinement on an electronic monitor, according to a sheriff, as reported by Reuters.
On Monday, the day of her release, Couch was ordered to be with another of her children. The order was placed by Judge Wayne Salvant on Monday, who also ordered Couch to report to the authorities on a weekly basis with her electric monitor.
"She will be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year," said Dee Anderson, Tarrant County Sheriff, in a phone interview as stated in Reuters.com.
"She will be confined to her son's house except for visits to doctors and her attorney," added Sheriff Anderson in the same report. Anderson added that Tonya Couch could try to escape or flee again, and hopefully the house arrest will prevent her from doing so.
Mental judgments seem to have been one of the main problems for the Couch family, as attested by a psychiatrist testifying on behalf of Ethan Couch during his 2013 trial in juvenile court. In the testimony, the psychiatrist said that the family's wealth had spoiled the teen that it had affected his judgment, particularly his ability to tell what is right from wrong.
The mother and son were caught in Puerto Vallarta by the Mexican authorities after a two-week hunt after Ethan Couch missed a probation hearing on December 3. Couch was charged with hindering the apprehension of a felon when the two were found, as reported by CBS news.
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