'Affluenza' Definition, Case Update: Ethan Couch's mom Complains About Jail Conditions; Sheriff Says 'Not a Resort'
The mother of the now-famous “Affluenza” teen Ethan Couch has complained about the conditions of the jail where she was brought to after being arrested.
Tonya Couch was reportedly arrested at a Mexican beach resort city with her son weeks after they went missing, reports CNN. She is now in Tarrant County, Texas, where she is waiting to face in court a charge of hindering the apprehension of a felon.
New reports have surfaced alleging that the infamous mother has complained of the conditions found in the Texas jail where she is being held. "She expressed a slight displeasure about her accommodations, and I told her this was a jail and not a resort," Sheriff Dee Anderson of Tarrant County said at a news conference, reports CBC.
Friday, Tonya was arraigned in court for the charges. However, because her attorney wasn't present at the time, she was unable to enter a plea. Tarrant County judge Wayne Salvant advised her of the charge and asked her if she understood. She said she did.
Her attorney, Stephanie Patton, said that Tonya and the judge met in a closed-door meeting after the arraignment. She will be pleading not guilty. Salvant set Tonya's bond at $1 million. Patton filed a motion for her bond to be reduced.
"We think anything $25,000 or under would be fair," said Patten.
Sheriff Anderson, however, opposed the filed bond reduction because he considers Tonya to be a woman who has the means to get out of the country with the help of her connections.
If ever Tonya will make bond, she could be forced to wear an ankle monitor as part of the series of restrictions that the judge would impose on her.
Prior to her being deported from Mexico, Tonya and her son Ethan were believed to have fled investigations due to an alleged violation that her son had committed. Ethan was reportedly on a 10-year probation that prohibited him from taking drugs or alcohol.
However, a video footage that showed him in a party that had alcohol went out. Since then, an international search has ensued.
Ethan was put on probation for a speeding and drunk driving accident in 2013 that killed four and injured several other people. Although he pleaded guilty, he used “Affluenza” as his defense in court.
The 18-year-old himself is currently held at an immigration detention center following their arrest in an apartment complex last month in Mexico.