Affluenza Teen’s Mom Is Allegedly Broke, Gets Bail Bond Reduced

After being captured and arrested last month for aiding her “affluenza teen” son in evading authorities and leaving the country, Tonya Couch is now facing detention. Tonya Couch was initia...
Affluenza Teen’s Mom Is Allegedly Broke, Gets Bail Bond Reduced
Written by Val Powell
  • After being captured and arrested last month for aiding her “affluenza teen” son in evading authorities and leaving the country, Tonya Couch is now facing detention.

    Tonya Couch was initially imposed with a $1 million bail bond, but was eventually reduced to a mere $75,000 after her older son testified that she was actually broke.

    During her hearing on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas, Tonya Couch’s 29-year-old son Steven McWilliams told the judge that his mother is incapable of fulfilling the $1 million bond fee due to the fact that her bank accounts have all been frozen by the government.

    McWilliams, who is also the half-brother of the affluenza teen Ethan Couch, added that Tonya was not left any money by Ethan’s father.

    Tonya Couch’s legal team requested Tarrant County Judge Wayne Salvant to reduce the bail from $1 million to $15,000, but only managed to drop it down to $75,000.

    Meanwhile, the infamous affluenza teen remains in Mexico where he is detained while fighting his deportation back to the United States. If released by the Mexican government to U.S. authorities, Ethan Couch will face extradition back home as well as possible jail time for violating his 10-year probation.

    Lawyer of Affluenza Teen Visits His Client at the Mexican Immigration Detention Center

    The saga of the affluenza teen has gripped the nation since last year because of the blatant injustice that seems to prevail in the case. Ethan Couch killed four people and injured nine others during a drunken driving spree in 2013, but only received a 10-year probation sentence in juvenile court because of a strange defense predicated on a condition called “affluenza.”

    Prior to Ethan and Tonya’s escape to Mexico, she reportedly severed ties with her ex-husband and withdrew $300,000 from one of their bank accounts.

    The affluenza teen is currently being petitioned by an organization called Mothers Against Drunk Driving to be moved from the juvenile justice system to the adult criminal system. Ethan Couch is due to turn 19 in April.

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